Can I put Turtles in my fish/koi pond or waterfall feature?

5/21/2018

Our fish and koi ponds, as well as any water feature, attract all kinds of wildlife. In addition as pond owners we love to add wildlife to help bring our ponds to life and provide a beautiful ecosystem we have the pleasure of enjoying throughout the year. One addition to our ponds that's not talked about too much are turtles. We just happen to be frog people, but can you, or should you, put turtles in your fish/koi pond or waterfall feature? I'm happy to report, you can!

But don't stop reading there. If you want turtles, there are some steps you need to take before letting them slide into your pond or water feature.

How do you prepare your pond for Turtles?

Ok, we've said adding turtles to your pond or water feature is certainly feasible. Before doing so there are a few things you should know.

Imagine getting your turtle or turtles and releasing them into your pond. Your so excited and they seem to love it in there. Day two, you go outside to check out the pond and, no turtles. Where did they go, what happened to the? Well, more than likely those turtles decided they wanted to venture out and they left you never to return. Turtles will not stick around. You're probably asking yourself, I can put turtles in my pond, but what's the point if they're not going to stick around. Here are some tips to keeping them in:

If you know you want turtles, have your pond or waterfall feature built so the turtles can't escape. This is the best way. The pond/water feature needs to be built with "walls" so the turtles can't climb out. The possibilities and creativeness that can be incorporated for turtles are endless. We would be thrilled to help you build a turtle or turtle hybrid pond.
Already have a pond but want to put turtles in it? That's ok too. A containment system to keep the turtles in needs to installed or constructed. The easiest way to do this on an existing pond is to install a small garden fence around the pond. Depending on the turtles an 8-12" tall fence should do the trick.

Is there anything else about Turtles I should know?

One thing is for sure, we are not turtle experts. However, through our time around ponds and talking with many hobbyists who have added turtles we have heard a few little tips.

Like our fish friends, turtles do have predators. Those predators are Hawks. They will swoop down and grab our turtles. There is not much that can be done if this does happen. Just be aware of these flying predators.
What do they eat? All we can tell you is, some of our friends feed a commercial turtle food. however sometimes they do feed them vegetables and other treats such as dried shrimp or krill.

Adding turtles to your pond or waterfall feature can be fun and certainly create a new dimension to your pond.

Are you a turtle lover? A pond specifically designed for your turtles would be a great feature for you to enjoy and a place for your turtles to get some much need sunlight.

#TheWeeklyRibbit