Habitat - Outdoor :: New with RES..need input please.

[birdlady]

Ok..Newbie here so please bear with me.
My 9yo son just recv'd a new res today. He is about 5", 2 yrs old and was living with 4 other turtles in a 100 gallon preform pond. The previous owner brought them in for the winter into a 55 gallon tank.
I have 3 ponds: 100 gallon preform, 120 gallon preform, and a 1200 gallon man made pond that is 6 ft wide by 6 ft deep.
I would like to put the turtle in the pond next spring but am currently keeping him indoors in a tank. What are the minimum tank size requirements for a turtle this big? He seems soooo lost without his pond mates (there were 2 painted and 2 cooters with him in the pond).
Also, my son is dying to take his new pet outside. I figure with CLOSE supervision it can run/play in the backyard. And yes, it can "run" off pretty darn fast...I set it down for a second and off he went. He is not a skiddish turtle..pretty much tame from all looks. He see's you coming and actually walks right up to my son. The turtle acts more like a dog than my real dog..lol.
Do they make harnesses and leashes for turtles? My oldest son has a gecko leash (which I think is so silly) so why couldn't the bigger/badder turtle have a leash/harness as well?
Thanks for any help/input on this.

[steve]

Where do you live? Your geographical location will play a role in determining what you need for your slider.

http://www.redearslider.com/index_habitat_3.html

Currently a 50 gallon would probably be as small as you would want to go but you should be able to tell it's gender.. if its a male I would go with a 100 gallon tank, and 120 if it is a female (no more future upgrading)
Do not attach anything to your turtle, let him roam free in a secure environment. And keep that dog away from him too.

[birdlady]

I am in Michigan. And I've read that since my RES has never been outdoors for the winters, I shouldn't let him anytime in the future. And Sheldon (my res) is a Male.
My ponds have more than enough O2/filtration as I have 14 fish in the 1200 pond and various sizes/amounts of fish in the preforms. I have a waterfall on the little preform and a manmade stream attaching the bigger preform and the manmade.
The ponds are also home to 9 frogs this year as well..no tadpoles this time around but there's hope for next year.
I have all the info I need for outdoor life but I was just curious on the indoor setup.
You say 50 gallon tank min for him...makes me wonder how the previous owner had 5 turtles in a 55 gallon and they all were happy.

[steve]

I wouldn't try to hibernate or leave him outside during the winter, especially since he is out of his native geographical region.

5 turts in that 55 gallons... I doubt they were happy. When I migrated my turtles to a larger tank, they don't seem happier or sadder, but watching them have the room to swim and maneuver around as they are able to was more of an indication that it is what they deserve.

Your ponds sound fascinating, do you have any pictures?

[birdlady]

Yes I have pond pics but for the life of me, I can't figure out how to post them here...tried to put a pic of my RES in here but gave up trying.

[sonyj]

Host your pics first like at photobucket or imageshack and you can then link it to here. I use yahoo photo and just post the URL of my photos. I'd love to see your ponds. They do sound very interesting. One of these days I might get to build one....

[birdlady]

Ahhh..i got it...ok let me find the link of where I put them online and then put them here..brb.

[birdlady]

ok this is my biggest pond. This was taken early summer and has since been redone in landscaping. I added a rock border around the pond area and started filling it all in with white rocks. After 25 bags of rocks, i'm still not quite all the way around..

[sonyj]

beautiful... I love all the greenery.

[cam722]

wow,that's so nice. You said it's 1200 gallons?? Oh think of all the turtles you could keep in there.. only problem would be, bringing them inside in the winter..

[birdlady]

Well Sheldon went for a swim in that pond yesterday and thought he was in heaven (big upgrade from his previous 100 gallon pond).
The Koi that live in that pond weren't too happy with the uninvited guest swimming about though. I have 6 Koi's, 6 Goldfish, and a Shubunkin along with numerous frogs (they hightailed it out when Sheldon slid in).
Guess it might take some time for the fish to get used to a turtle in there..lol
Luckily, all the fish are 7" and bigger in that pond so I don't think they will be lunch.
Holly

[steve]

I want to build a custom 500 gallon indoor pond but I will likely have to "settle" with a 300 gallon stock tank.

Good luck trying to get Sheldon out of there, doesn't sound like he would want to leave anytime soon.