Winterizing Pond With Turtles and fish

[turtleboy56]

First post so bear with me. We built a new pond this year in New England, and are having great success with it. Have added one painted turtle and one red eared slider. They seem very happy and I would like to keep them that way. How do I winterize the pond and leave them in it ? I know, broad question but we are concerned. I am familiar with leaving a hole in the ice, and circulating water, would just like them alive come spring. Any and all advice would be helpful. Thanks.

[WaterPond]

Welcome to AA, your pond is beautiful!


I have a few questions:

-How deep is the Pond?
-Is it rocky or muddy on the bottom?

You are pretty far north, even in southern ontario i am a little more south than you. We both get crazy winters most likely. My friend used to have turtles in her pond and she had to bring them in. If you are going to leave them out you MUST have a deep mud bed on the bottom of your pond, and the pond should be over four feet, preferably deeper. They like to go way below the frost line.

I would reccommend that you bring them in, but IMHO, turtles do not belong in ponds which also contain fish, enless you want to sacrifice your fish to satisfy your turtles hunger. So i would say bring them in, but thats just one persons opinion.

[turtleboy56]

Waterpond,

Thanks for your reply. The pond bottom is rocky, and it is about 3 feet deep. Obviously not optimum for turtle hibernation. As for the fish, the painted turtle has eaten 1 or 2 feeder fish, and the red eared slider is fat and slow, and can't seem to catch 1.

Thanks again,

[Ferret_Friend]

I wish goldfish ponds didn't have a $10,000 fine in Maine.

[turtleboy56]

$10,000.00 Fine ? are you kidding ? how come ?

[Reefmonkey]

To protect Maine's native fish species from nonnative exotic competition.

Goldfish are prohibited in Maine, even if you want to keep them in an indoor aquarium.

To stock a pond with ANY species of fish, even natives, without a permit is to incur a $10,000 fine.