Ideas for large water dishes???

[tortoise007]

Hey there! I'm planning on redoing my outdoor enclosure for my SDTs and would like to put in a big water dish almost a pool for them. I have been using the terra cotta pot saucers but it seems like the water dries out of those much faster than it should… and I lust want something bigger. I saw a while back that someone was digging a hole and lining it with garbage bag or something and then putting a layer of rocks over that and filling it with water. Any ideas for large shallow water dishes (that I could maybe make myself)?
Thanks!

 

[Turtlepete]

Buy a piece of EPDM firestone 45mil pond liner. Various websites sell it. a 5x5 piece, which is the smallest they make, and more then enough for what you need, I think is like $15...Probably be $20-$25 after you ship it. Dig a hole and line it. I have the same kind of thing for box turtles, red foots, etc...

 

[Moozillion]

I saw a posting once about someone who made large water dishes for their torts by pouring concrete into an upturned garbage can lid, and smoothing the sides to make a slope before it dried and set. I think they also rinsed it out A BUNCH after it dried but before they put it in with their tort because new concrete is very alkaline.

Sorry I don't remember where I saw that- it was not on this forum.

 

[Turtlepete]

@Moozillion

I think that may have been Turtletails. Or, at least, I know they have something on that website about making a garbage lid filled with concrete as a wading pool for boxies.

 

[Yellow Turtle01]

A shallow hole with a pond liner would work. Very durable!

 

[StarSapphire22]

You could bury a small kiddie pool (cheap and easy). Fill the bottom with rocks to make it shallower if you need to.

 

[Len B]

I use kiddie pools with an entrance cut, and opposite of the entrance is on a slight slope so the water is deeper than the rest of the pool. The tortoises can also exit from the deep side if they want. To clean, dump the water out, rinse and refill. I also use pan liner bought at Lowes, Home Depot, etc. Dig out the area you want, lay the piece or rubber in the depression and fill with water. To clean, lift the liner out and rinse off, lay it back in place and fill with water. This year I started building frames out of treated 1x6x6 fence boards, and stapling clear vinyl to the top edge. I get the vinyl from a Wal Mart that sells fabric, the big name fabric stores sell it also. I rip the board log ways to the height I want, depending on the size of the tortoise that it is for. one just under 2 x4 feet can be built from one board. The vinyl is sold by the yard and is 54 inches wide. To clean, dump the water out, rinse and refill with water. I have built this type for adult Russians, Yellow Foot, and Sylvia, my deformed 19 inch Sulcata and so far they are holding up very well

 

[turtlemanfla88]

I used pond liner and I used tarps before both work good. Harbor Frieght in FL only has blue tarps.
I also put wood and rocks to help turtles and tortoises to grip and get out.
Thanks,
Mark

 

[tortoise007]

Hmmm... great ideas! thanks everyone!

 

[bouaboua]

I saw a posting once about someone who made large water dishes for their torts by pouring concrete into an upturned garbage can lid, and smoothing the sides to make a slope before it dried and set. I think they also rinsed it out A BUNCH after it dried but before they put it in with their tort because new concrete is very alkaline.

Sorry I don't remember where I saw that- it was not on this forum.

I like this idea......I may just make one soon.

 

[Lancecham]

Good ideas so far. You can also go to your local hardware store and get a water heater drain pan. They are about 24-26 inches and very shallow. Level it to ground level and they can get in and out easily.

 

[lynnedit]

There is this TFO thread from a few years ago...
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/start-of-tort-wading-pool-pictures.8020/