RES Hibernation Question

[ekm5015]

I would like to hibernate my two RES that are about 5 years old and 5 inches long. They have lived inside until this summer when I built them a pond out back. It is an above ground pond that is 8' long 4' wide and 2' tall. It holds about 350 gallons.

I live in Southeastern Pennsylvania and its definitely starting to get cold, into the 30's at night. I know turtles hibernate under water. Am I OK just leaving them in the pond for the winter? I am planning on buying a floating pond heater so the water doesn't freeze over the winter, but I wanted to check and see what everyone thought.

Here's a couple pics of the pond:

 

[Yvonne G]

Gosh that's a nice pond.

Here in California, my RES hibernate in the pond. I don't know about in Pennsylvania. I want to say that as long as the water doesn't freeze solid they'll be ok, but I really don't know about where you live.

 

[ekm5015]

Thanks Yvonne. My plan is to get a De-Icer heater. It floats in the pond and when the water dips below a certain temp it kicks on. This will keep the pond from freezing. I just want to make sure there is nothing special I need to do.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, some RES like to climb out of the water and bury themselves in leaf litter to hibernate. Some will go down to the bottom of the pond and bury in the mud. Since your turtles don't have a choice, I'm a little hesitant to advise you.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Do you have a substrate at the bottom of the pond or is it just the liner?

 

[diamondbp]

If you have an above ground pond like that I would advise to place some sort of heater in the water to keep it from getting super cold. I keep my water turtles in an above ground 8' cattle tank . I have four 100 gallon underwater heaters I place in their during the winter time. It doesn't keep it warm but it keeps it about 10-15 degrees warmer than it would without them.
The wind chill really affects above ground ponds.
Substrate doesn't matter to me , it's all about the temperatures . Mine have no substrate at the bottom and are perfectly fine and healthy.

 

[ekm5015]

Thanks for the response. I was planning on putting a De-icer type heater in that floats on the top of the water and keeps it from freezing. I may look into additional heating if it is needed. I currently don't have any substrate in there. Good to hear it can be done without any mud at the bottom.

 

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Yep I agree with Diamondbp. Im also in Pa and I just hibernate my guys in a stock tank with no substrate on the bottom. Been doing it that way for 5 years. Never lost a turtles.

 

[Levi the Leopard]

Re: RE: RES Hibernation Question

Substrate doesn't matter to me , it's all about the temperatures . Mine have no substrate at the bottom and are perfectly fine and healthy.

Will an RES still be able to hibernate in the water with no substrate to bury in?

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Yep I agree with Diamondbp. Im also in Pa and I just hibernate my guys in a stock tank with no substrate on the bottom. Been doing it that way for 5 years. Never lost a turtles.

Really? I'm shocked. I'd never have thought they would hibernate without covering themselves.

Learn something new every day.

 

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Like diamondbp said its all about the temps. The only thing substrate does is keep temps warmer for the turtle in the wild. It acts like a blanket in the winter. I forget the exact number but temps are like 10-15 degrees warmer underneath the mud. Also yes res will be fine hibernating this way.

 

[diamondbp]

Yes red ears will be just fine without substrate. If you have some form of heating to keep the water from basically becoming an ice block they should be just fine. Clean filtered water is a plus. I think a simple pond heater will have you all set.

Now I would be careful with the water hyacinth that you have in your pond. Make sure that only a fourth of the pond is actually covered. If it becomes close to being totally covered it can make it really hard for a turtle to come up for air, especially if your dealing with a super cold sluggish turtle. It's best to limit it to about 10% coverage during the winter time. I know the cold weather will kill off the hyacinth on the top, but sometimes their root systems remain and still create a barrier for a turtle to breath. Best of luck!

 

[ekm5015]

Haha...the water Hyacinth are all dead now. They lasted about a month or two this summer before the two turtles ate them all. At this point All that is in the water is the filter and the rock for them to get up on. I will be adding a heater to keep the pond from freezing as well. It sounds like i should be good to go as long as i keep the water from freezing.