Habitat - Outdoor :: Stocking Q

[Petfreak1321]

Just wanted to double check

I am building a 8' x 4' x 2.5' Pond w/ 2' x 2' basking area

Will 6 RES be good?
I figure at 1 adult per 100 gallon would be good, none of them are that large yet.

[RESnTX]

I'm confused...
Do you already have 6 turtles or do you plan on getting them from somewhere?

[packfan1]

if the pond holds 600 gallons it should be close to good. I have heard of res getting up to twelve inches. I am fairly new and have learned the hard way on how to size up your water level based upon the size of your turtle(s).

[TheComputerGremlin]

By the calculator (http://www.redearslider.com/calculator.html) it would hold around 600 gallons. If you already have 6 RES, that size should accommodate them fine.

My biggest recommendation would be to try to make one end deeper and one end shallower. That way, if the sun warms up the water too much, they can escape to the deeper end.

You'll also need to provide lots of shade, lots of sun, and a really good sized basking area.

[Petfreak1321]

I already have 7 turtles, I plan on giving one up due to male aggression. They are all under 8"
3-Males (8", 5", 4")
2-Females (7", 4")
2-Babies (I think they will both be females)

The pond they are in is not adequate enough for them to grow in, so I decided to construct a new one

I am moving in a few weeks, and already building the pond there (85% complete) It will be on the patio, under a "screen" allows sun through while helping to keep cool. There will be a waterfall to help with oxygenation and cooling the water.

I live in phoenix, AZ so you know that heat is an issue. Last year the water reached 85 F

My basking area will be 2' x 2' (is that good enough?)

Typically RES will be 12" when fully grown, so I consider that when calculating pond size.

[Petfreak1321]

The story with their current home:

It is 6' x 3.5' x 3' = 472 gallons
Made with 2x4's and plywood, on dirt.
Everytime it would rain hard, it would split one of the corners open.
I have had to re-enforce 3 out of the 4 corners with 2x6's
I will not fill it all the way anymore, so now it is 6' x 3.5' x 1.5' = 236 gallons

I am not confident in the strength or that it will be a safe move, so I MUST re-build.

The new pond is made with 4x4's, bolts and rebar.
I will post pictures when complete.

[Petfreak1321]

Here is a picture of the latest damage:


I got very luck, I think the cord was the only thing holding it together.
I was actually taking a picture of something else, when something hit me in the back, when I turned around that is what I saw.

Of course before taking the picture I had to add some support with extra wood I had lying around, I got very lucky that this didn't happen in the middle of the night.

[res08]

I think steel corner braces would've prevented that from happening

[steve]

I hope nobody or critters got hurt.

[frog]

dont trust me, but if i were you (i being one who likes o not really take risks) maybe keep 5 in there. but if some only need 90 gallons, 6 may be fine. once again im just saying a maybe. dont really take my word, im very new to turtles.