Habitat - Outdoor

Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2008 1:06 pm **Turtle outside in pool**

I was wondering if it would be alright for the turtle to live outside in my pool. I have a large inground pool that I no longer use and have let the frogs take it over. I do not use the filter system because there is too much algae. Will the turtle eat the frogs? Will the turtle survive out there in the summer? People at Petco told me it was fine to put the turtle in the pool.

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 3:51 am

No chlorine - right? Chlorine's bad for them. If frogs are living there and staying healthy, then the water is probably pretty healthy.

The turtle may eat a few frogs if he can catch them. Are you planning to feed him pellets while he's living there?

Is there a nice place for him to bask where he can dry out thoroughly - top and bottom? That's critical.

Can he get out of the pool and wander away?

I'm assuming the pool is regular swimming pool size for people. Is that right?

My main concern would be his escaping and preditors. We've recently discovered that a racoon lives in our neighborhood and if I put Spot outside in his turtle pond for the summer, like I had planned to, the racoon would probably get him.

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 10:08 am

Yeah, my main concern would be escape and predators. If you can provide a number of hiding places, a good basking area (maybe a giant floating log?), and make sure the water is at least his body length lower than the edge (turtles can climb) or have a fence around the end, I'm sure it would be fine. You'll need to keep supplementing his food supply with pellets and veggies too.

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 2:07 am

How do you keep racoons out?

Posted: Sat May 03, 2008 3:32 am

You need hardware cloth on all sides (top and bottom included) to keep a raccoon out. Otherwise he will eat the animal through the fencing (this includes all animals, not just turtles).

Posted: Wed Jan 07, 2009 6:55 pm

I disagree w/ spotsmama, your RES will be fine in a pool w/ chlorine. Our RES has been swimming in pools for years, as healthy as can be and loves it.

Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 1:29 am

i think spotsmama means chlorine in the traditional sense like powder or tablets....you use salt, no?

Posted: Thu Jan 08, 2009 9:24 am

Yes, we use salt. but she used to swim in pools with chlorine tablets for years with no problems.

Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2009 10:58 pm

bcjchapman wrote:Yes, we use salt. but she used to swim in pools with chlorine tablets for years with no problems.

just for short periods of time?

Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2009 11:30 am

Yes, usually only when we're in the pool with her, or when we're outside working in the yard, or I'm cleaning her pond. Although her previous owners would have her in the pool all weekend from time to time, and she seemed to just love it. They're philosophy is that if she's swimming in her own s*** all day, a little chlorine isn't going to hurt her. I don't like her in for very long periods of time, especially un-supervised because she tends to try and hide sometimes in the skimmer basket and then gets stuck, and I have to get her out. Kinda funny. But when I take her out of her pond, she b-lines it to the pool so fast I can hardly catch her. Love's being in there.

Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2009 1:58 pm

ill have to do that some time, im sure they love the 1000x more space

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 7:25 am

bcjchapman wrote:I disagree w/ spotsmama, your RES will be fine in a pool w/ chlorine. Our RES has been swimming in pools for years, as healthy as can be and loves it.

Its bad for the eyes though, when my turtles hang out in chlorine too long, they get a thick layer of skin around their eyes.

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 1:48 pm

It can be done. Anyone ever read the book Keeping and Breeding Freshwater Turtles?

I gotta say it will be okay. Frogs are much more sensitive to chemicals and climate then turtles. There skin absorbs everything. If there living in it already your good. If frogs jump in are pool they die over night from the chemicals.

Posted: Mon Apr 27, 2009 6:55 pm

^ That is a happy turt!

Posted: Mon May 11, 2009 10:12 am

i have an in ground pool too.
we use a chlorine-alternative though, so there haven't been any negative effects from putting our RES in the pool.
We'll usually leave her in the pool for the day (or two). She loves it, she'll swim around the whole pool until she decides to bask.
If we let her roam the backyard, she'll immediately start heading towards the pool.
Its a good work out for the turtles, if you ask me.

Habitat - Outdoor :: Turtle outside in pool

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