Habitat - Outdoor :: outdoor plants

[RES Tampa]

Thanks, It will be over a ton of stone when done! I never thought it would use that much material.

[Oldturtle72]

Great lookin' habitat. Tampa. I like the pool setup under the falls. The plants that you put in the pond will take in alot of nitrates, which are harmful and give off oxygen, which is good. For a balanced pond, the plants should cover about 1/3 of the surface area. That's why I went with the Helvola Lillies. They are fast spreadders--almost as fast as your Water Lettuce. As your pond 'grows', you might think about 2 Koi. They will interact with your turts and are a colorful addition. I have 25-30 Japanese Black Trapdoor Snails in my pond which are keeping my algae growth in check. If your nesting area is solid sand, I would dig it out and mix it with organic mulch to a 50/50 mixture. Sand won't hold the moisture for good egg growth. That's why turts don't lay their eggs in it. I've seen EPT nests in hard packed clay and along roadsides in the grassy gravel and Snapper nests in compost piles. I'm unfamiliar with Soft-shelled Turtle nests but logic tells me that sand would not be their choice either. You might want to check out www.austinsturtlepage.com for more on the nesting subject
Your turtles are going to be "Happy Campers"! George

[RES Tampa]

Thanks George!

I will have to see if my home center has organic mulch and mix it in. Will the turtles keep the snails from overpopulating?

[Oldturtle72]

Yes, and they are a wonderful source of calcium. You know that they are live bearers so no gooey egg clusters and you can always sell some on E-Bay when they get about 1". Just wrap 'em in wet newspaper, put the snails and paper in a plastic bag, put the whole thing in a box and ship 'em off. My pond is in direct sun from about 7:30 AM till 5 or so PM and I have a healthy growth of algae. The Koi and Red Comet Goldfish are grazers and with the snails help, they're staying ahead of excess algae. My pond water is almost 1/2 covered with lillies and floating plants and that helps alot. Be patient, Tampa. Your turtle pond will soon be just where you want it. George

[bradhart]

you can't sell live animals on eBay "eBay generally does not allow the listing of live animals or pets on eBay. In restricted cases, some stuffed birds and the pelts and skins of some animals are permitted. Sellers who wish to list these items should review the specific rules in the “Some Examples” section below to ensure their listings comply with eBay policy. We also encourage members to educate themselves on the laws governing the regulation of the sale of animals found in the additional information section." from www.ebay.com/help/policies/wildlife.html

I had to report a guy selling hatchling RES with death bowls on ebay a few months ago

list of snails allowed for sale on ebay "Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service allows five species of snails to be imported and sold as escargot: Cantareus apertus (Helix aperta), Cryptomphalus aspersus (Helix aspersa), Eobania vermiculata (Otala vermiculata), Helix pomatia, and Otala lactea; and requires their importation to take place through John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York where identifiers will confirm the identity of live snails."

[marisa]

Great looking habitat! How do you get your water lettuce to stay so nice?

[RES Tampa]

Thanks M

I keep pulling the older brown leaves from the water lettuce. They keep sprouting runners (I guess I should call them swimmers!) and now I have more and more plants. The turtles seem to like the new pond but I still take them in at night. Im afraid of an evening raid by a racoon.

[z-chic]

Wow I really like this set up. Nice job. How is it working out??

[missibsu]

I love it!