Habitat - Outdoor :: Outdoor Pool

[Chazz]

Hello. I am going on vacation to see family and I'm not only taking my rabbit with me, but also my quite large red eared slider. Where I am staying I thought since it is warm outside, the turtle would do best to stay outside in some kind of pool. She's too big for the hard plastic pools. She would just climb right out I think, plus it's not deep enough. So I was wondering if anyone could give me pointers, something inexpensive but large enough. As of now, I have one of those "snapset" pools to use. They are the kind you unroll and fill with water. They have a plastic tarp-like bottom that may or may not stand up to a turtle.

Thank you all for any help

[untsmurf]

How long are you going to be on vacation for? It's not necessary to take your turt with you, they are good on their own for a while. Especially when they're older like yours. If you're going to be gone longer than a week, you could always have someone come in and check on her.

[Chazz]

I'll be gone about two weeks. I unfortunately don't have the turtle sitter option. I thought about leaving her. I did that over Christmas. I threw in some fish for a snack and she was fine. But she doesn't eat as much and is less active in the winter, and thus poops less. But I live in hot humid Georgia and I would have a horrible mess when I came back if I left her for two weeks.

[steve]

I haven't tried one of those pools, though I've heard the bottoms are prone to ripping/puncturing, so I don't think I would use it unless there was constant supervision.

[Chazz]

I decided I'm going to bring a plastic tub to keep her in at night (and when I plan to not be around) in a safe area, and then we will try the pool otherwise. Since I lost the receipt I can't return it. I'd be glad to let people know how it works out. I'm sure it would never work as a permanent solution (and it would be pretty tacky), but perhaps it will be a nice way to let the turtle be outside in the warm sun for some "vacation" time too.

[Chazz]

So the pool has been working really good so far. It's only been a few days, but the turtle appears to be enjoying herself and we've had no punctures or anything like that yet. I think it will hold up fine for the two weeks she needs to stay in it. I've been keeping her in it at night as well. We surrounded it with chicken wire and put a piece over the top, I guess to deter birds and what not. Her basking spot is an overturned bucket with bricks and rocks for her to climb up on. And the sticks are to hold on to. It's a turtle vacation oasis.

[Diamondbacks4Life]

Looks good to me!

[rsour24]

lookin good

[shedreamsinred]

Awesome! She sure looks happy there.

[steve]

Looks great! I've been having problems setting up a pool like that

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Nice setup!
Im thinking of buying my RES one of those pool for outside to take him out once and a while.

[Melvira_Fox]

She definitely looks like she's on vacation.

[Snowboi]

It looks really good! But make sure you have a small shady area, because in the sun all the time is actually bad. Also, cant you ask your neighbors to check on her and feed her every other day?

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

Yeah a shady area will be needed. You can throw a tarp over half the pool and pin it down if you don't wanna move it.

[Chazz]

Since she is in the backyard where I am staying, I feed her.....and also, since the sun is not overhead for the whole day, she gets shade from the bucket and sides of the pool and from a piece of wall board from the bathroom remodel that I placed over the top of a corner after these pictures were taken.