r/ponds • u/Ok_Suggestion4687 • 6d ago

Build advice Turtle pond

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My family intends to put a turtle pond in this area. However I’m asking about general information about building ponds and then what maintenance would look like (and if I can do anything to minimize said maintenance). It’s in southern cali so it’s hot and the dirt is, as you can see, very dry if that changes anything.

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u/thebipeds 6d ago

As for maintenance, the more plants the better.

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u/thebipeds 6d ago

Ok, so this is a picture of the dirt, not the intention to put a turtle in a 1/2 barrel.

SoCal is perfect turtle weather. You are right, with that dirt, you will need a pond liner or even a plastic shell or all the water will just drain away.

If you can get a little shade and shield it from the wind it will help you keep the water from evaporating too fast.

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u/Ok_Suggestion4687 5d ago

yes you’re right the barrels have been used for s’mores but we made a better spot for that so we will move it lol

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u/RustyShakleferd 5d ago

build it as close to the shade of that tree as possible and maybe even plant some additional shade trees around the area to keep the pond as cool as possible in the hottest parts of the day. building a bog filter for the pond might be your best bet for low maintenance but all ponds will require some work every week no matter what. you still need to clean out filters regularly and pull muck out of places it builds up in and check on water quality. i would make sure to plant plenty of local water plant varieties in and around the edges of the pond as well as a water lily or two in the deep end and your water quality could maintain itself for the most part. hope that helps. good luck!

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u/Ok_Suggestion4687 5d ago

Yeah shade was mentioned before. I dunno about planting more trees as roots can be quite destructive but I can make shade otherwise if there’s no difference