Eastern Box Turtle Pen

Plato Zorba

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Oct 9, 2017
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28
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
I'm in the midst of my fourth year keeping eastern box turtles and every year the garden has been tweeked to some extent. This year I decided to upgrade the fence entirely. I staggered pressure treated 2×8s that were cut in 3 foot sections and then buried about 6-7" underground. All in all its a completely enclosed garden about 300 square feet including a small bog that is 6' x 4' and varies from 6" to a foot deep. There are also six slate hides and several hollowed logs. We keep 4 females and a single male in the pen. The pics are dated a few months before everything started growing here in central NJ but hopefully you get the idea.20180503_163300.jpeg20180503_163233.jpeg20180503_163251.jpeg20180429_133143.jpeg20180429_133200.jpeg
 

Len B

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Southern Md - Northern Neck Va
I'm in the midst of my fourth year keeping eastern box turtles and every year the garden has been tweeked to some extent. This year I decided to upgrade the fence entirely. I staggered pressure treated 2×8s that were cut in 3 foot sections and then buried about 6-7" underground. All in all its a completely enclosed garden about 300 square feet including a small bog that is 6' x 4' and varies from 6" to a foot deep. There are also six slate hides and several hollowed logs. We keep 4 females and a single male in the pen. The pics are dated a few months before everything started growing here in central NJ but hopefully you get the idea.View attachment 241131View attachment 241132View attachment 241133View attachment 241134View attachment 241135
Fantastic Turtle Garden.
 

Plato Zorba

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Oct 9, 2017
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New Jersey
Rover15, I do not, no pump just an aerator to provide a little movement and keep it from freezing over the winter. I should of mentioned the bog does have a few frogs, goldfish and some minnows as well but it's full of plants which we've relied on to absorb the nutrients out of the water. A couple times during the summer I flood it out with well water as well. I'll try to post some pics this week so you get a better feel.
 

Rover15

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ontario canada
Rover15, I do not, no pump just an aerator to provide a little movement and keep it from freezing over the winter. I should of mentioned the bog does have a few frogs, goldfish and some minnows as well but it's full of plants which we've relied on to absorb the nutrients out of the water. A couple times during the summer I flood it out with well water as well. I'll try to post some pics this week so you get a better feel.
It looks great and I wanted to do something like this for my pen, not that size but where I dont need a pump, I dont want to run 100 plus foot of electrical cord.

I believe there are battery powered air supplies. Mind you I'm in the city so I wouldn't get frogs or put fish in, just more plants and an area for them to play in
 

Plato Zorba

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Oct 9, 2017
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28
Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
It looks great and I wanted to do something like this for my pen, not that size but where I dont need a pump, I dont want to run 100 plus foot of electrical cord.

I believe there are battery powered air supplies. Mind you I'm in the city so I wouldn't get frogs or put fish in, just more plants and an area for them to play in
I dug it deep hoping at some point to add a few spotted turtles. It's actually about 2 and a half feet deep but over a foot is a mucky bottom of peat and sand. We tried to go natural without pumps and skimmers and just let the plants filter the water. On top of the frogs and goldfish that overwinter we also get dragonfly larvae as well.
 

TriciaStringer

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Louisiana
I'm in the midst of my fourth year keeping eastern box turtles and every year the garden has been tweeked to some extent. This year I decided to upgrade the fence entirely. I staggered pressure treated 2×8s that were cut in 3 foot sections and then buried about 6-7" underground. All in all its a completely enclosed garden about 300 square feet including a small bog that is 6' x 4' and varies from 6" to a foot deep. There are also six slate hides and several hollowed logs. We keep 4 females and a single male in the pen. The pics are dated a few months before everything started growing here in central NJ but hopefully you get the idea.View attachment 241131View attachment 241132View attachment 241133View attachment 241134View attachment 241135
That is gorgeous!
 

Rover15

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Sep 10, 2012
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ontario canada
I dug it deep hoping at some point to add a few spotted turtles. It's actually about 2 and a half feet deep but over a foot is a mucky bottom of peat and sand. We tried to go natural without pumps and skimmers and just let the plants filter the water. On top of the frogs and goldfish that overwinter we also get dragonfly larvae as well.
Misquote larvae would be my worry .... minnows could do the trick let the box turtles eat the minnows that eat the larvae
 

Plato Zorba

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Oct 9, 2017
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Location (City and/or State)
New Jersey
Misquote larvae would be my worry .... minnows could do the trick let the box turtles eat the minnows that eat the larvae
I think the aerator provides enough movement to keep the mosquitoes away but without one, I think as you said, the minnows would do the trick.
 

orv

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Ghazan

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That's a lot of work to do that staggered vertical fence but it sure came out well...
 

Millerlite

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Southern Calif.
The enclosure is growing out nicely! Definently one of the more upper tire enclosures for boxies! The bog looks like its always been there. love it

Kyle
 

Maro2Bear

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Glenn Dale, Maryland, USA
Great looking enclosure - definitely one for other keepers to emulate. It also serves as a great natural green space for water runoff from the downspouts. Nice boggy area...
 
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