All Turtles Message Board

kelleytidwell · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 12:39 pm Post subject: Claws around the pond ...

My older turtle Eric Clapton is outside in a 20 galon pond. He's not in 20 galons of water but it has rocks and a place for him to clim up and hide. He's always clawing the sides like he's tryign to swim up or out. He does that alott I'm wondering why?

dixieee · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 1:07 pm Post subject:

they always try to escape that's normal..is the water deep enough for him to turn back by himself if he flips over?
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Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

kelleytidwell · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 3:14 pm Post subject:

Oh he never flips over. He's like 1year old my neighbors abandodned him and land lord removed pond so you just call me kelley the turtle woman. Also sometimes the water gets way hot like in the day time... I don't have a termometor in the pond but what should it be?

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 4:55 pm Post subject:

Depending on the depth of the pond, the water below should be alot cooler than the surface of the pond, I don't know exactly how deep the pond should be but I would imagine it would have to be at least 4 feet deep. Very Happy

Also providing your turtle with some floating plants to hide under would help alot with the heat problem, the plants would take up alot of the heat.

This site may give you some info on ponds:

http://www.practical-water-gardens.com/pyjamas/article007.htm
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kelleytidwell · Posted: Sat May 21, 2005 5:53 pm Post subject:

No wear near that big it's a little round pound about the size of a large flower pot. I only have it half way full of water cause it is above ground.

dixieee · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 4:21 am Post subject:

so u're a rescuer Smile

ok get him something bigger cz this is too small..u don't have to build a pond..just get him a kiddie pool, provide a basking area for him and he'll be ok in there for summer
_________________
Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

kelleytidwell · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 9:16 am Post subject:

Wait wait your telling me it's too small this thing is 4 feet tall and 3 feet across it can get way deeper than a kiddie pool. It's not that he's un happy he sits around the pond and well sits on his rock too, my concern is that he claws the side and there are claw marks all around it. If I had a kiddie pool he would climb right out and out he goes. My land lord won't allow for all that anyway she says it'll look tacky.

My biggest concern is why the water would be getting that hot, I put a um brella over it when I leave everyday and my other half takes it off at 4 everyday. So he's got some good shade from 11-4 I do this only because that one day the water was so hot. Should I get a themometor and just make sure it doesn't get past 80 degrees?

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 10:19 am Post subject:

Is it like one of these?

That picture is from this site:
http://www.aquarticles.com/articles/travel/Norfolk_VAS_XIV.html
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kelleytidwell · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 4:59 pm Post subject:

No it's actually a pond, like a pond... like one you get at home depot.

This is what he was in before I resqued him, imgaine this one but round and only about 3 feet deep and 4 feet wide same material....

See the one in the back ground the round one inside the other one that is what it looks like....

When I get my digital working I'll post a picture.

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 7:54 pm Post subject:

Sorry for the misunderstanding, I saw the word Pot and that is what I understood, well, we are on the same page now, you said that it is above ground, if you can surround it with something that can absorb the heat it would be alot better, the water gets too hot because the sun is hitting it from all sides pretty much, if it was ground level, the only side getting the sun would be the top and the deeper water would stay cooler, so if it is covered on all sides it would probably help alot with the heat problem, I hope I have helped you at least a little. Very Happy

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kelleytidwell · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 7:57 pm Post subject:

Hmmmm, gives me an idea but can't aford it hmmm
How about cilider blocks around it that would keep the heat from getting it... It's sitting on them now maybe i'll build something around them... hmmm

STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun May 22, 2005 8:54 pm Post subject:

Sounds good, the bricks should keep most of the heat away, the water should stay cooler, I hope it works Very Happy

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kelleytidwell · Posted: Mon May 23, 2005 9:58 pm Post subject:

Here are the pics I finally got eveyrthing fixed thank god.

From the inside

And during the day the sun...

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STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 12:56 am Post subject:

I see what you mean about looking like a large pot. Laughing

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dixieee · Posted: Tue May 24, 2005 7:56 am Post subject:

i can't see the pix Sad

is it my pc or u can't see them too??
_________________
Wed 10/27/2004 is the worst day..i lost my best friend Leo

so now i have a female RES, Green, and a cute stupid male YBS, Mint

5/4/2006 RIP Lemon, u were my first rescue and i'm so proud of u. will never 4get u

kelleytidwell · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 8:49 pm Post subject:

Hmmm I see them
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STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Fri May 27, 2005 11:37 pm Post subject:

I see it too, it is that little green spot on that brown block. Laughing

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kelleytidwell · Posted: Sat May 28, 2005 1:48 pm Post subject:

OK when I say clawing around pond... he does this all the time.....

I had to take it fromt he window so he wouldn't stop.
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STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Sun May 29, 2005 9:28 am Post subject:

Well, if your turtle does it every time it sees you, then that is what we refer to as begging, they know that every time they see you they get something to eat, just don't give in too often or your turtle will get fat. Laughing

, turtles are opportunistic eaters, if there is food they will eat until they are stuffed, because in the wild you never know when your next meal will come. Very Happy

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kelleytidwell · Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 2:36 pm Post subject:

Well that's me takeing a pic inside he didn't even know I was looking at him but he's always doing that. I just moved his pond from the sunarea around the patio to below a tree, he gets sun in the morning and a little sun in the evning. But can't figure out why he gets feed in the morning and normaly i get his food there befoer he's awake.
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STRAYKINGFISHER · Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 8:37 pm Post subject:

It is normal for a turtle to try to escape, my turtles did it for about 3 or 4 months, they finally settled down enough that they won't try to escape out of the tank, even though it is only about an inch to the top of the tank, they can easily climb out, as a matter of fact, one did, he hasn't done it again Laughing

, I guess he learned his lesson...it hurts! Laughing

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VersteckterGeist · Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2005 6:01 pm Post subject:

awww.. that's an adorable RES! Smile

maybe put more rocks in there so you can raise the water. i know my turtles used to climb around and act aggitated a lot when they didn't have a lot of water to swim in.

just let him get some amounts of sun, because sunlight is good for shell growth and actually provides him with some vitamins.

i love little baby turtles.. okay i love all turtles Very Happy

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kelleytidwell · Posted: Tue Jun 14, 2005 6:22 pm Post subject:

Hmmmm, yea I moved him from the other pond in may if he's still doing it in August I'll worry.
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