Building A Red Eared Slider Pond

Whether you choose to build a red eared slider pond or not is an important decision. If you do it, be prepared for the initial work and maintenance that will be necessary to keep it clean for your turtle.
There will be several requirements for the pond that are necessary in every circumstance. First, there must be fencing around the pond so your turtle friend doesn't wander off. This should preferably be made of non-organic, non-edible material such as hard plastic or steel. Also, there will need to be an area for the turtle to climb out of the water and bask in the sun. This is important for regulating the turtle's body temperature and helping it synthesize vitamins.

When building an outdoor red eared slider pond, it is important to have the right tools beforehand. Building a simple pond should take a few hours maximum. To build an in-ground pond, you'll need a shovel, a liner (for example a small plastic swimming pool or other plastic container), fencing, rocks or other materials for the turtle to leave the water and bask in and, of course, the water.

How long it takes to build a red eared slider pond depends on how much work you put into it and how elaborate you want it to be. Remember, your turtle doesn't care if it's fancy, as long as it meets his needs. Much of the work that goes into building the pond is a function of the pet owner's aesthetic desires.
To begin building your in-ground pond, you'll first need to shovel out enough dirt to allow your container to fit inside. This is the hardest and most labor-intensive part of the entire process. Make sure you don't take any shortcuts. If you don't dig deep enough, you may be giving your turtle the opportunity to escape once he's in his new habitat. After you've hollowed out the hole, simply insert your liner. The easiest thing to use for this is a cheap child's swimming pool. It is inexpensive, durable and watertight. You then need to stack enough material for the turtle to get out of the water. Surround it with fencing to prevent escape and voila!, you're done.

Maintaining your red eared slider pond will take some work. How much work depends upon how clean you want to keep the pond. The cleaner the better. You'll always want to be on the lookout for things such as leaks or holes in your fencing. You should also be sure to remove any unwanted material from the pond that the turtle may eat, such as seeds or leaves. If you notice algae or fungi, you should remove your turtle and replace or treat the water. For the most part, the pond will take care of itself, but you'll want to make sure you're doing everything you can to keep your pet turtle healthy and happy in his outdoor environment.

To find more information on building a red eared slider pond and caring for your pet turtle in general, check out my other lenses. There is also a great (and cheap) comprehensive guide that details every aspect of caring for your pet turtle. You can find it at www.turtlecaresite.com or by clicking on the link below. You can also click on the picture here to check it out. Happy Turtle Trails!