Turtle Pond Filtering
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I have two male 4 yr old diamondbacks who have been in an aquarium their whole lives. I just built a turtle pond outside to house them for the summer (I plan to bring them inside in the winter). My question is about filtering and maintaining a good enough water quality. It’s an 85 gallon pond (I uploaded pictures under Sean’s New Turtle Pond). I installed a canister filter with biomedia that I already had (I’ll probably eventually buy a pond filter, but I was trying to save money). I put in a lilly plant and submerged grass, which I am told will help control nitrate levels. After 1 week with the plants only, I put in 5 goldfish and 2 snails to assist in maintaining the water (I don’t know if the turtles will eat them). I plan to add the turtles this weekend. Does this seem adequate? The water is obviously dirtier than aquarium water, but so far is fairly clear. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks, Sean
Hi Sean, Hey, nice pond – it’s beautiful. Is that plexiglass that you built into the wall? I’ve always wanted to make an above ground pond that had glass on the front side so the turtles could be viewed from the side as well as the top. A canister filter may work depending on its specifications. However, you will get a lot more organics: detritus, falling leaves, etc. that will clog up your filter much sooner than you’re used to. Also, don’t be surprised if your terps destroy all the vegetation. What kind of submerged grass do you have, and how do you keep it submerged? -Stephen
Stephen, Thanks, yeah that is plexiglass. I thought about using glass thinking that plexiglass might look bad, but it looks pretty good and it’s stronger and more flexible. We’ll see if it stays as clear. It really adds a lot; now I can see the pond and the turtles from anyplace in the yard, and they will be able to see out. I still need to add a wood-framed lid with some green chicken wire to keep the predators out, which might decrease the aesthetics a bit. I don’t know what type of submerged grass it is. I bought it at a place called Lillypons Water Gardens in Frederick, MD (lillypons.com). They put it in a planting pot and weight it down with pebbles. I don’t think it needs soil. I figure the turtles might destroy anything/everything in there, but I built it for them, not for the plants or the goldfish. I guess I’ll just keep an eye on the filter, buy more plants if I have to, and play it by ear. Thanks.
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