Tortoise 'pond' ideas!

Rue

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MPRC

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I use a water heater drip pan for one enclosure. It is about 3 feet across and no more than 4 inches deep. It's easy to flip and rinse and refill.
pACE3-959345enh-z7.jpg

Large plant saucer in another, one has a glass pie pan and I usually have a paint tray like this also:
71CIj2H0aBL._SX522_.jpg
 
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mike taylor

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Here is my pond .Just a hole in the ground with concrete and wire .
 

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Yvonne G

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Dudley's waterer 3-12-14.jpg

It's the lid off of a 60 gallon one of these:

garbage dumpster.jpg
 
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theguy67

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It honestly depends on what you are going for, and the species of course. If you just want a soaking area, a large lid like posted above, or concrete pool would work nicely.

I've always enjoyed landscaping, and I think my redfoots benefit from the excess moisture, obstacles, and visual barriers created from gardening.

pond 1a.jpg pond 1b.jpg

This is probably more than what you are looking for, but I felt motivated.
 

Rue

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All good ideas! :)

I don't know that I'm motivated enough to build a stream...especially in our desert like setting...lol.
 

Jacqui

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It honestly depends on what you are going for, and the species of course. If you just want a soaking area, a large lid like posted above, or concrete pool would work nicely.

I've always enjoyed landscaping, and I think my redfoots benefit from the excess moisture, obstacles, and visual barriers created from gardening.

View attachment 171098 View attachment 171099

This is probably more than what you are looking for, but I felt motivated.

It is beautiful. I love my mini stream and have plans for a larger one.
 

Jacqui

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I think I have used all the ideas above at one time or another. Also used a perform pool kind and filled it in a bit where it was too deep. Buried a few super large plant water saucers too. Buried a child's pool too.
 

theguy67

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All good ideas! :)

I don't know that I'm motivated enough to build a stream...especially in our desert like setting...lol.

You could make a dry creek? lol. Even when its dry, it looks nice to me.
 

theguy67

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I think I have used all the ideas above at one time or another. Also used a perform pool kind and filled it in a bit where it was too deep. Buried a few super large plant water saucers too. Buried a child's pool too.

I like the idea of a child's pool. It would look natural with little effort, and if its entirely buried, it should be protected from UV.
 

MPRC

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@theguy67 - I have high hopes of building something like you have as soon as we find a house to buy. Until then we are in a temporary space so the torts deal with temporary pools. Some of which they like better than others for sure.
 

theguy67

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@theguy67 - I have high hopes of building something like you have as soon as we find a house to buy. Until then we are in a temporary space so the torts deal with temporary pools. Some of which they like better than others for sure.

Temporary pools are just as good in the tortoises' eyes. I think all tortoises can benefit from a pool to soak in. In the winter, the redfoots get metal pans while in their winter housing.

When you do start your permanent habitat, be sure to make a thread! Its fun to watch it grow over the years.
 

MPRC

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Temporary pools are just as good in the tortoises' eyes. I think all tortoises can benefit from a pool to soak in.

When you do start your permanent habitat, be sure to make a thread! Its fun to watch it grow over the years.

You bet. My smallest redfoot is about 18oz now and we joke that she is a baby piranha. She lives in her water dishes and mostly just comes out to eat or to bite people. I think she would really love the 'creek' and being able to hide in the tall grass and pop out to ambush anything that floats by.
 

theguy67

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You bet. My smallest redfoot is about 18oz now and we joke that she is a baby piranha. She lives in her water dishes and mostly just comes out to eat or to bite people. I think she would really love the 'creek' and being able to hide in the tall grass and pop out to ambush anything that floats by.

Ha, I bet that's hilarious to watch. When I feed, sometimes I place bits of fruit within the creek and rocks to give them something to search for.
 

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Cement. Wire and fiberglass resin here. They (two of them) are cleaned out with a broom and then refilled with a piping system that is also part of my sprinkler/rain system for the pen.

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Jacqui

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You can also take a dig out a small dip, pond, stream (whatever size you need), line it with a small section of fish pool liner and there ya go.
 

Jacqui

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I like the idea of a child's pool. It would look natural with little effort, and if its entirely buried, it should be protected from UV.

I have one I use for my snapper and it's been there for over 15 years.
 
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Rue

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Good idea!

We wouldn't have access to a drain though...
 
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