Proper fencing is the key to keeping turtles safe and preventing escapes.  This fence has several safety features built in.  The bottom of the fence is sunken into the ground with planks of wood that will prevent turtles from digging underneath. The top of the fence curves inward preventing turtles from climbing over the top. The wire is 1/2 inch carpenters cloth that is sandwiched between regularly spaced struts, making it impossible even for a determined turtle to break through.  The entire interior of the pond area is interestingly landscaped to stimulate the turtles and provide a natural environment.  While it cannot be seen from the pictures, there are flowerbeds lining the outside of the fence providing a visual barrier so the turtles do not even try to escape.

Providing an attractive, comfortable, and safe environment is essential for the happiness and health of the turtles in your charge. Good filtration is also important. This 2700 gallon pond is filtered naturally using hyacinths in the water. There is also a mechanical filter using quilting batting, as well as a chamber for biological filtration using regular filter bioballs.  A 25-watt UVB sterilizer prevents the pond from developing a high algae bloom and opaque water.  The natural waterfall provides aeration even on the warmest days. To date, I have not lost even one goldfish to disease.

There are two different nesting substrates in the pond enclosure. Topsoil surrounds the back and left bottom corner. Pure sand lines the middle left area, and around the right side is sand mixed with topsoil. This variation in substrate provides a different texture and consistency for the turtles to nest in. The pond is in direct sun for a minimum of eight hours per day, so we created the waterfall in a concave shape with a shelf directly underneath. This forms a curtain of water in front of the shelf, making it a dark cave-like atmosphere. The turtles have ample access to air in the cave and are still able to remain in the cool water. In the center of the pond is another cave area built with cinderblock and plastic milk crates. A large, flat stone on top forms a basking area while underneath there are several places for turtles to hide comfortably.

Pond owned by Glen Jacobsen, Tortoise Trust USA

This pond is approximately 10'x6' and has a bottom that slopes like a swimming pool giving it a shallow end of 4-6' and a deep end of 2', with an additional 4" sump for the pump to sit in.  It is lined with heavyweight Goodyear roofer's rubber that is weighted around the edge with patio block.  Additional slate slabs surround the border to allow for basking and to keep the edge from being degraded by animals climbing into and out of the pond.  20lb Burmese Mountain torts with sharp claws have not caused any noticeable damage to the rubber.  The filter consists of a 1/3hp utility pump contained within a plastic garbage pail that has been punctured with hundreds of 1/4" holes and then the entire unit is surrounded by plastic window screening.  Water is pumped via garden hose to a 39 gal. Rubbermaid tub where it initially passes through a diffuser to break up the water stream.  It is then filtered by 8-10 layers of filter floss, currently bulk furnace air filter material cut to fit another Rubbermaid bin with holes.  From the floss chamber, it drips into the bottom half were it is biologically filtered using 12 rolls of plastic gutter-guard as bio-medium.  The filtered water then returns to the pond by means of three sink drain pipes. All filter materials were purchased at the local hardware store for a total cost of less than $125.00.  The fence seen behind the pond started out as an existing chain link fence.  It was reinforced by driving fiberglass electric fence rods between the links and into the ground 2-3'. 4'x8' sheets of corrugated fiberglass were cut lengthwise crating 2' x8' sheets which were fastened horizontally to the inside of the chain link at, or a few inches below, ground level.  This makes the fence unclimbable,  impossible to push under and opaque to prevent pacing. It is not suitable for torts that dig.

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