11 replies to this topic

[mrsroeder2011]

I have two Red Ear Sliders and im putting them outside in their owen eclosed habitat and i was wondering what other turtles i can put with my two that i have, i will be haveing a Huge encloser with alot of water and dry land and i want more turtle with them but i just didnt know what kind and it would be easyier if they eat the samething. So please help me thank you !!!! Here are you two that i have!

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[turtlemann2]

cooters or painted turtles although i wouldnt get any more until you habitat is completed.

some thing you may need to think about is what do you plan to do each winter? can they hibernate outside or will you be bringing them in for the winter, prediter proof? and etc

[mrsroeder2011]

i have another habitat in the garage  that they go in for the winter and then they go back out in the spring

[turtlemann2]

: ) great then you should consider the cooter family and the painted turtle family as these will bask along side your RES also consider other sliders such as the yellow belly : ) good luck let us know what you decide

[mrsroeder2011]

oh i will and this spring ill take pictures of my habitat and  the turtles im so happy i got the awnser i needed

[center5150]

well realistically you can house any turtles you want together, its all going to be about how much work your willing to put into the habitat, and realistically how much money your willing to spend on it. you ought to be able to leave the sliders out year round same thing with the painteds, i know ive got both res and easterns in my friends pond and she lives in upstate newyork, she didnt put them there they just are there, and they get much harsher winters up there than we do in ky.

[center5150]

oh they call it a pond but really... its a small lake 100ft wide at the widest and 25-30' deep in places

[mrsroeder2011]

well i have a great habitat and i have spent about 300 dollars in just the habitat  so money aint a porblem to me i just care alot for turtle so i do everything i can to do  to make them happy  but i really thankyou for all the advise and help

[Cheloniphile]

Looking at the weather for Jamestown, KY right now - your days are in the low to mid 50's and nights can go down to high 20's, right?  The question with an outdoor "pond" becomes its depth.  If it is the 24 inch standard for a hard shell tank, or feeding trough, it could freeze, especially if sitting on the ground.  If it is dug into the ground, it is less likely to freeze solid but extended periods of sub-freezing temps could affect that as well.  Much deeper (36+ inches), in-ground enclosures will likely not freeze especially with your higher daytime temps.  You can minimize the freezing effect by having your filter return aimed at the surface of the water creating ripples.

As Turtlemann2 and your fellow Kentuckian, Center150 indicate, Eastern painteds are extremely hardy in cold temperatures.  You also have Northern (Common) map turtles indigenous to your area.  RES, painteds, cooters and sliders will all eat well on vegetarian diets - cut up and throw a head of romaine lettuce into your pond every other day and they would do fine, depending on how large and how many turtles.  Maps are more on the carniverous side and will prefer protein.  So if you a supply of feeder fish every week, something like a dozen per turtle, along with the lettuce you've got it knocked.  Round that out with some trout chow once a week and it's all good.   You could add some musk turtles but don't expect to see them too much.

All of these species can be kept outdoors year-round if the water is deep enough and doesn't ice completely over.  Eastern painteds can actually survive for months under the ice as long as it doesn't freeze to the bottom.

Paul (Cheloniphile)

[boxieboy]

Please excuse me because I do not know your situation, but please don't buy too many turtles close together. I too continually wanted more turtles in a short period of time, going from two to five in two short months. Not that I regret any of them and I love them all; although I wish I had thought about it longer and maybe I might have made a different choice. Well the third and fourth were a take both sort of thing but you know what I mean. Just warning you, though I wish you luck and hope you find the perfect pond turtle to go with current two!

[animal kingdom2]

What size habitat do you have?

[mrsroeder2011]

I have decided when i make this for 2012, its going to be 4'wide and 28'long and thats ont counting a extra 4'and im putting a 90 gallon plastic tank on the ground and im going to do some plastic fenceing to where the turtle cant climb it and im going to cut 5 gallon buckets in half and make a shelter for them ( at least 2 of them )....Im also makeing the other end of ther habitat to be a smaller pond for them, there landscaping is going to be plants that wont harm them but they can go under them as well.......The ground wont be nothing speacial it will just be dirt and grass, and im going to do a box of landscape lights for them in the dark and a nice fountain for the pond for a constant movement of the water...There are going to be some ( big) slat rocks in some spots. It will be a VERY nice area for them and like i said they will be going in the garge for the winter and then back out for the spring, and i cant wait to do it and ill be posting pictures of it so everyone will see it, thanks for your interest in this and helping me with it

And then when i get my habitat done then ill think about getting more turtles to go with my other 2