All Turtles Message Board

servicepap · Guest Joined: 16 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

I live in Las Vegas, and our outdoor pond is home to three mature female RES, which are now in brumation.

It does not freeze over here, and the winter water temps stay between 40-45 degrees F. The pond is a 300 gallon preformed, with a Biofilter with UV, a strong pump and an aerator. The ecosystem is stable, water is clear, and fish (goldfish and koi) and turtles have never had health problems, nor have I ever lost a fish.

The RES have done fine wintering in this habitat, and I would prefer not to change what's been working for the past 3 years. The turtles "came with the house" and we didn't even know they were there, as they were buried in 6 inches of mud in the drained pond when we moved in. I did my best to research how to meet the turtle's needs, keep them alive, and gave up my dream for a lovely water garden in order to make a safe and healthy turtle habitat instead.

The pond is an old preformed one, and I'd planned to replace it next spring. Three years ago, when we moved in, I had a pond expert out to assess the pond, help me with selecting an adequate pump/bio-filter system when we realized we'd become turtle owners by default.

The pond is so healthy, thriving beautifully, but unfortunately, massive crowding by invasive peripheral wild irises has caused the rigid pond liner to buckle on one side and it developed a large crack. We are now losing and replacing water at the rate of 200 gallons every 24 hours, so we have no choice but to drain the pond, do a temporary repair to get us through until spring when the new pond can be put in.

I am not able to do the repairs myself, as I work from a power wheelchair and my disability prevents me from doing that type of physical labor. My husband is also unable to do this. However, my sister and brother in law are arriving next week to spend Christmas with us, and offered to repair the pond while they are here.

My concern is that I must move the brumating turtles in order to drain the pond, and I'm worried about the stress this will cause them, and how it may adversely affect their health to be rehomed while they are in full brumation.

I can replicate the environment in a temporary holding tank kept outdoors, using the substrate and water from the pond (sand, cinder blocks, large river rocks and sludge) and will also keep the water circulating with the aerator, pump and UV biofilter.

How can I minimize stress while moving the turtles? Do I put them into the new habitat by making the burrow area, setting them in it, and covering them up, as they are now? Or do I just provide the same substrate, place them on it, and allow them to burrow into it on their own?

Since the water is cold, they aren't moving much, are they capable of burrowing on their own, or am I better off putting them into the burrow area to reduce stress?

I do not want to bring them out of brumation and indoors: they are well acclimated to their habitat, and I'd prefer to allow them to remain in their current environment. But I do have to drain the pond, and they will have to be moved temporarily, as much as I hate to do it.

Any sage advice on how I can accomplish this with the least amount of stress to the turtles?

Thank you!

Debi in Las Vegas

dixieee · Posted: Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:43 am Post subject:

welcome to the board Smile

i have to say this, i LOVE Las Vegas Cool

ok so for the pond, u said u're planning to build a new one right? why fix this one then. take ur turtles in for winter and keep them in a big rubbermaid. there's one thing i didn't get, are they in the process of hibernation or they didn't "sleep" yet? if not, moving them shouldn't be a problem. if they are sleeping, i don't know if u could wake them up by increasing the temps gradually so they think it's over.

i know others will have better suggestions. so let's wait a while.

good luck Smile

_________________
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

servicepap · Guest Joined: 16 Dec 2005 Posts: 2

Hi Dixeee,

Thanks so much for your response, and thank you for the warm welcome to the board. How neat that you love Las Vegas--it's certainly a challenging place to have a pond. I have to put a canopy over the pond in the summer to keep the water cool enough for the fish and turtles, and the intense heat certainly means a lot of evaporation. But it's nice to have an oasis in the desert.

>>ok so for the pond, u said u're planning to build a new one right? why fix this one then. take ur turtles in for winter and keep them in a big rubbermaid. there's one thing i didn't get, are they in the process of hibernation or they didn't "sleep" yet? if not, moving them shouldn't be a problem. if they are sleeping, i don't know if u could wake them up by increasing the temps gradually so they think it's over. <<

I appreciate your advice on this. It's a tough decision, as I don't really have a place I can set up a habitat inside. With 5 service dogs and power wheelchairs, space is at a premium.

I had a great suggestion from one herpatologist though, that seems worth trying. He thought that I could just slip a rubber liner right in the pond without emptying it, and with 4 people to slide it across the bottom, under the sand and muck, it would only disturb the turtles minimally, and would not necessitate moving the koi, goldfish or turtles.

It seems worth trying, because as you suggest, there's little sense putting a lot of time into repairing this old preformed liner when it will be replaced in the spring.

That would also mean my family members, who are coming just for a few days during the holidays, would have time to socialize instead of working out in the cold for the whole visit.

If the slippin' and slidin' doesn't work, then of course I'll have a backup plan to "rubbermaid" them inside somehow until spring.

Regarding the hibernation: it really does not get that cold here, other than for very short periods of time. There is no frost line, and it's unusual for us to get much frost at all during the winter. The pond never freezes, not even around the edges. So the turtles are somewhat active even in the middle of the winter, enough to poke their heads out on sunny winter days and move about sluggishly before they dip back under to their burrows.

They are pretty hale and hearty turtles, and have always lived in the outdoor environment, so are well acclimated to it.

I'm going to cross my fingers and hope for the best!

Thanks, Dixee--appreciate your input very much!

Debi in Las Vegas

Turtlefever · Level 2 Joined: 23 Oct 2005 Posts: 26

That sounds like a great idea! Good luck! Very Happy

dixieee · Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 6:23 am Post subject:

yep i live in a desert and know very well what hot weather is Rolling Eyes

i only saw the night life in Las Vegas and it's amazing (no i didn't do anything just watched the shows and stuff nothing more nothing less Neutral

)

anyways, yes it sounds like a good idea. since they stay out and winter isn't too cold, maybe u could transfer them to a kiddie pool and keep them there instead of indoor rubbermaids.

not an easy decision but good luck and keep us posted on what u decide Smile

_________________
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