General Care Discussion :: Putting turtle in Pool.

[Joel]

I am going to a friends tommorow and thought i should take Lola with me, My 7 year old RES.
They have a massive Pool there which would be awesome for her to swim in, They recently put a small amount of Chlorine in, but i am sure i have read on here that its ok to let them swim in pools but not for a long period of time such as no long then a day. Was only planning on letting her swim for about an hour, and its almost summer over here in new zealand no worries about temperature.
Could i have a answer to this before i leave tommorow?
Thanks heaps
Joel.

[marisa]

I'd leave her at home with the others (you're just going to see your friend for the day and not an extended visit, right?). I can't see how the disruption of moving her out of her tank to let her swim an hour in a chlorine pool justifies doing this.

Since you've got 4 RES, you must have a pretty big tank. If you want Lola and the others to enjoy the summer, consider either putting a large stock tank or appropriately-sized pond in the back yard, if possible.

[Joel]

I have a reasonable pond, its about a foot deep, and 1.7 by 1.4 metres.
Lola is very different to any turtle, when i take her outside, i put her on the grass, She then walks over to me and sits beside me and Basks and Sticks all of her legs out, haha
She loves getting outside, She goes through the garden and pulls out all sorts of insects and snails, she is truly an outside turtle but its to cold during winter so shes stuck inside for 2 1/2 seasons.

[methos75]

Why would anyone want to take a Turtle into a pool with them, that defies belief. For starters, pool Chlorine has other chemicals in it, ones that may be hazardous to the RES, and then there is the fact that Turtles carry Salmonella and you will be swimming in the pool exposing yourself to it.

[Zorce]

I think people think about it because of the youtube vid where the guy swims with his res in the pool with a camera on its back. The guy in the vid says that the pool was free of chems. Its a cool vid but I would not recommend putting one in a swimming pool with chlorine at all or even take a chance.

As for the subject of swimming with them/exposing yourself to salmonella, I doubt this is a big concern. I swim in the lake with thousands of turtles, fish, and what ever else lol.

[Joel]

My turtles do not have rabies or salmonella or anything like that, they are very healthy as i take them for checks.
Diseases are not as popular where i live, I have read that sliders are fine in chlorine but not for a long period, This pool is very large and the owner only put a very small dosage in, I could'nt smell chlorine nor taste it. Shes fine no slip ups with her health no eye redness or anything. She absolutely loved the pool, I had Leaves in the bottom on the pool, and she would Grab them in her mouth and swim to the surface with them, it was very weird, but very fun to watch.
I dont like the fact of people assuming my pets having salmonella :/
I thought all this through before doing it.

[Jaysea]

Take any pictures of her in the big pool? It probably was a total blast for her

[marisa]

Most reptiles carrry salmonella bacteria even if they appear healthy...Other creatures do too, including humans.

[Joel]

Yeah Jaysea, at first she didn't know what to do with herself, until she went for a big 2 meter dive, unfortunately i didn't get any photos

[Ranger The Red Ear Slider]

All turtles carry salmonella it's unavoidable with them and cannot harm us if we have proper hygiene.
I wouldn't put the turtle into the pool to risky with all the chemicals it can have in it.

[industrial_girl_2000]

My turtles do not have rabies or salmonella or anything like that, they are very healthy as i take them for checks.
Diseases are not as popular where i live, I have read that sliders are fine in chlorine but not for a long period, This pool is very large and the owner only put a very small dosage in, I could'nt smell chlorine nor taste it. Shes fine no slip ups with her health no eye redness or anything. She absolutely loved the pool, I had Leaves in the bottom on the pool, and she would Grab them in her mouth and swim to the surface with them, it was very weird, but very fun to watch.
I dont like the fact of people assuming my pets having salmonella :/
I thought all this through before doing it.

Salmonella - it's not an accusation that you don't take care of her. Think of it this way: humans have natural bacteria in our digestive tracts too. For example,ever hear of acidophillus or lactobacillus, the stuff that is in yogurt that is supposed to be good for us & helps us digest foods?

Baby turtles all have more salmonella in their digestive tracts; it's just biology. It doesn't mean the owner is neglectful in any way. As the turtles get older, the amount of salmonella lessens, but it is still there in their stomach/poop to some extent. Even my turtle (who I have had for 21 yrs) has some salmonella. No biggie. I keep her tank clean, always wash my hands after handling her, and have never had a problem.

As for the chlorine, it's honestly not good for them. Their eyes are sensitive, even to the tiniest amounts of chlorine. I don't advise that anyone put their turtle in a pool because they swim with their eyes open and chlorine is an irritant. Just letting you know for next time.