General Care Discussion :: Just sharing a neat idea for outdoor fun!

[kikicool]

Hi, all! Been busy with building the house. Ach! But for those of us with no room for an outdoor pond, in temperate climates... I had a great idea!

I bought a little plastic kiddie pool ($10!) I filled it with water, and let it warm a bit in the sun. I also bought a little half log thing: they can sit on it, or under it. Not good for a tank, because it really has bark on it, but good for a temporary thing. Anyhoo, I had them in it today, and my guys LOVED it! They ate food in there, they basked, they really had a nice time. I emptied it. Takes about 3 minutes to fill. Just a nice little enrichment experience for them--and a great way to keep the tank a little cleaner! I'm quite pleased with myself, and had to share. We have NO yard (live at the beach) so I have literally no outdoor space for them but my concrete deck. They always just hid under the BBQ there, so this is much nicer for them. Oh, but make sure to move it throughout the day so half is in the shade. They have shade under the log, but the water can get too warm if it, too, isn't shaded.

[SpotsMama]

That sounds like turtle paradise! Like spending the afternoon at a lake!

Actually, I did pretty much the same thing last year. It was a fairly sizable pool - 6 feet in diameter and would hold 10" deep water. Spot spent almost all summer out there. He loved it too. He basked like a fool. It made him feel like a wild turtle!

[kikicool]

It was SO cute! This pool isn't as large, I don't think.... but the water does go deeper than them, and they had a GREAT time. My neighbor came out and said "do seagulls eat them?" and I said "they're a bit too big, I'd think." And he said "that just makes them better." I wanted to bite him. But I didn't! I think it will definitely be a daily field trip for them. I was surprised, thought they'd be a bit freaked out. I put them in on top of the log. Lily actually just stayed and basked right away. Herman swam around a while, but I caught him basking later! TOO CUTE!

[DavidY]

How big are they? Sea gulls are pretty strong. They could do some serious damage to a turtle.

[turboturtle8]

Wow that is so cool

I might consider buying my turts a baby pool this summer

[kikicool]

DavidY, they are each about 5 inches across. Do you think that's okay? Thing is, I keep the pool between my house and the neighbor's. My town is one of those old seaside communities, where the bungalows are exactly 8 feet apart. I don't see seagulls landing between our houses to check out the kiddie pool, you know? I don't really see them by the houses at all, really, just ON the beach. Pigeons, yes. Seagulls.... not really. Whaddya think? Possible trouble? If so, I just take two of the window screens and cover them, I say.

Turboturtle, it is the cutest little thing--and an inexpensive treat! RARE in turtle care!!

[DavidY]

Most likely the gulls wouldn't bother since they are so close to the houses. But you never know if some rogue seagull decides to get really bold. I'd hate to think what it could do to your turtles. A window screen or chicken wire cover would do the trick!

[marisa]

Way back when, when I used a kiddie pool with my RES, I put 1/2 inch hardware cloth over the top of it to protect him from possible airborne predators (won't interfere with his getting UVB rays).

[kikicool]

Oh those are good ideas. Yeah, it really isn't a risk I am willing to take, now that I think about it. Can I just pick those up at a hardware store? (You'd think I'd know this. I have spent the last 6 months in lowes and home depot. Usually in fetal position. Rocking. Not really, but you know what i mean). Thanks!!

[octpusgirl8]

Lol i get the same feeling when i'm trying to find something in one of those places! It's not too bad if you can find an employee who's willing to help, but that's a pretty big if...

[DavidY]

Yea, both those places should have that. Check the outside garden center. Chicken wire fencing is pretty cheap. Hardware cloth is stronger and looks nicer but costs more. No need to be afraid of the big bad hardwarehouse! I love those places. It's like a gigantic Toys R Us for us do-it-yourselfers!

[kornygerm]

Could you post a picture of it?.cause i need as many ideas/tips as i can cause i want to do the same for my turtles this summer,especially for the basking area.
The pool im thinking of getting costs 20 bucks.

[SpotsMama]

I asked to hardware cloth at Lowes and they'd never heard of it and thought I was just naive. I'd like to see a picture too, and know if it goes by any other name!

[DavidY]

It's basically wire mesh with 1/2" spacing. It tends to be more rigid than chicken wire and the holes are square rather than round or hexagonal like chicken wire. What you can ask for is wire screen material. Usually they keep a bunch of different types in the same section and you can choose the size you want.

The term "hardware cloth" is recognized in the real hardware stores (not in Lowes or HD).

[SpotsMama]

Ok. Thanks.