I have a bunch of turtles that my girlfriend and I care for in our pond. They are always struggling to find a place to sun themselves. One day I observed one trying to climb a floating log and barely floating, I knew I would take action.

Having previously attempted an elaborate floating island with dirt and plants that ended up being a failure, I decided on using the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle. I remember seeing a design of a wood platform here, I think it was Ken's, and I used what I remembered and came up with my own idea.

I apologize for not taking a photos of it during construction of the fished product on land, but here is an idea of it in the pond:




The turtles absolutely love it and will spend most of the day there. It only took a few hours to build and the main tools I used was a circular saw and my drill/driver.

I made it all with spare materials I had laying around. I cut a piece of t111 all weather siding to 2x2. Then I took some 2x4's and cut the ends at 45 degrees, making sure the length would match 24" for the insides of the cuts. I then cut another 2x2 piece of siding and cut it in half again so I would have 2 12" piece for the side ramps.

I screwed it all together with weatherproof deck screws so it would not rust. I attached furring strips on the ramps to aid the turtles in climbing up, making sure to grind off the screws that poked trough so as not to injure any pond residents. I took some pool noodles and cut them to size and lined the whole inside of the bottom with noodle pieces. I secured the pieces in with 3 3/4" nailing strips. Which also gave me a place to tie an archor rope.

I threw it in the pond and anchored in place. The next morning it was full of turtles. At some point I will probably stain it to look nice and so it doesn't rot too much, but we will see. I did not want to use anything pressure treated in the pond.

I hope you guys like the project. Build one for your turtles, they will enjoy it.

Cool project!

cool!
Your water looks really clear, almost blueish. Do you have a die in the water or are you running an arteasian well?
Where is FL is your pond?

I built a wood floating log for turtles some time ago and the problem I had was the wood waterlogged over time and begin to sink. Extruded polystyrene foam board used for building you see in Lowes or Menards
will last and not waterlog. The raft below has been left in the pond year around and this is starting it's 4th year. I hardened the surface with a heat gun but as you can see the turtles crape the surface off with use. A better idea would be to lay a rubber matting of some kind over the surface. The day before yesterday when we had a 60 degree day I counted three turtles on it. This morning it was below freezing. Last year I counted 11 turtles on it at one time. Frogs also like the island as do birds.

Extruded polystyrene foam board

Very nice, John!

Great idea! I may have to do something like this as a marker for my diffuser.

You guys are great---if I ever someplace to stay I will get you to build it for me

I may do this but don't make me promise. Buy a 4x8 feet Extruded polystyrene foam board 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick and cut it in half for a 4x4 square and taper the sides at a 45 degree angle. Then add black dye to the resin and hardener and lay one layer of fiberglass to the foam board. The black fiberglass will be warm as turtles like bask on. Double fiberglass a portion of one end for a rope and anchor to fasten through.

Those turtle islands look great... congrats

When I put out pallets for my FHM for spawning substrate, they eventually would sink. So my solution was to put some strips of the foam insulation in where the fork lift forks would have gone and screwed the insulation into place. Then the pallets would remain floating. Kind of a combination of what Kevin and John did. A combination of wood and floating insulation.

The baby newly hatched red ear sliders that claimed my forage pond as a home loved sunning on these structures. As well as numerous frogs. Did not think about putting any in my main pond (there is plenty of other FHM spawning areas) but might have to incorporate Kevin and John's ideas and make a specific turtle float for my main pond. Put a little ramp around making it easier for the turtles to crawl aboard.

Thanks for the ideas guys.

Excuse my ignorance but I thought it was undesirable to have turtles in your pond.

Some folks are misguided on the subject of turtles, most of the time they are the pond janitor, cleanup crew



Pat

Cool. I learn something new everyday on here. So they don't eat fish?

If it is dead,dying,diseased, or just to slow then they will be eaten by turtles.

Pat

Turtle Island is finished. About 4 hrs. Rug $19, Foam $32, Glue $6. Total $57 not including tax. The rug is tough like a door mat. Good buy. Painted the pink ends black for looks. I used a spray paint that would eat the foam.

John

Your turtles are lucky to have you! Looks good- send pix when they start using it

So awesome! Thanks for taking time to share, with excellent directions on the pictures. This should help people make their own.

Did you tether it somehow or do you let it float wherever?

Canyoncreek I did put a small hole in the corner of the carpet and attach 550 parachute cord to an anchor. I put the island in the pond early yesterday morning when frost was on the ground and I took the picture at 1 pm when it was much warmer. This little guy looks like he just stepped on the moon. One small step for turtles and large step for turtle kind.

Only one rear leg?

I think you mean one rope and anchor.

The foam island I previously made has one line and anchor now starting 4 years old and does ok. The parachute cord has 550 lbs of breaking strength and the polypropylene carpet is very strong and has a heavy edge around the outside. Today and tonight should be a good test as we are in a severe wind and rain area so any weakness might show up.

Nice John
DD1
Bet he has both rear legs, when they stretch out to sun sometimes the keep one folded up in shell

Thanks Pat for telling me what Dave ment. Boy am I show.

The turtles are liking the float. I picked up a few more today.

Wonder how many can get on there at one time

John, I meant one rear leg. I corrected it.

Dave if I wasn't so slow I would have seen that right away.

OK, we're both old and senile.

In ponds, turtles undoubtedly compete with fish for natural food sources such as crayfish and insects. Turtles, however, are valuable because they kill diseased and weakened fish, and clean up dead or decaying animal matter.

One other side note! I have these buggers lining up for my expensive fish food and I don't much care for that either, they don't get much I suppose but still. I don't mind having some but I do not want my pond overran with them either.... they can and will make holes in the back side of your dam also! Specially snappers!!

RC

Still think they do more good than harm, fun to watch them bobing for food from feeder, they learn fast.

I figure each turtle eats less than 50 cents worth of food per year. I tolerate them for the cleaning up that they do.

Go to the thread at the bottom to see how I and others built our latest islands. The flowers I used were petunias. So I know they worked with the soil being damp all of the time. If I had thought about it sooner I might have made a large hole in my new island so a basket of new flowers could be set in the hole each year. The foam and rug can be cut using a hot soldering iron. The hole would have to be cut just right so perhaps an inch or less of the basket would be in the water and the flowers would be self watering all summer.

The turtle island has had as many as six turtles on it at one time so far.

http://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=31297&Number=406459#Post406459

Here is an update on turtle island. The turtles love it. In the picture are nine turtles and the most I have seen so far is ten. As you can see I have spatterdock and wild white lilies that bring in lots of wildlife activity. I do believe the materials used in the construction of the island will last many years without any maintenance. Probably my Fat Head minnows spawn on the underside of the lilies and the island.

Very cool John, love that setting...looks exotic!

Very cool, John. My turtles have to sit atop some old tire structures I have in the shallows. (In all honesty, they were supposed to be elsewhere but I didn't drill big enough holes for them to sink and that's where they ended up) It's funny how turtles come and go. For two years, I had a couple big sliders; now they've moved on--although I can't imagine they'd get fed so well elsewhere. I also have one resident snapper, who gives me quite the stink eye when he comes up to feed. I did have two really big snappers the other day that appeared to be locked in a mighty battle. Then again, they might have just been amorous as I'm not that familiar with turtle lovemaking.

I have no idea why turtles leave when they have everything they could want in a home. I have experienced this over the years. Already this spring a neighbor has returned one that had made it to the road 500 feet away.

I've got three or four painted (that's what I've always called them) turtles in my new pond. They have to just float around. I better get something built pretty soon, or they will leave, just as easily as they migrated in. There is one cedar tree that still is above the water and the largest of the turtles has staked it out as his/hers.. It'll go under as the water level increases. (Still 3.5' to full pool, if I ever get rain.) I was going to lay a log down on the bank extending out into the water. Every other turtle I've seen (along rivers mostly) have been on fallen logs. I like these turtle structures though.
I was watching one little guy paddle around, and he dove down for a bit. It looked like he came up with a fish, but they are so slow I can't imagine them catching fish. I thought it must have been something else, or maybe a dead or dying fish..

The females do have to go to land to dig a hole to deposit their eggs. It will not be too far from water but a few hundred feet is possible. Often times along the edge of our fields in the grass.

Thanks snrub I didn't know that.

John, you are my hero. I really admired your previous Island project and always intended to model after it at some point but now you've really outdone yourself with this awesome turtle island. Mine was more of an easy experiment and I didn't bother to stain it or anything. Just a matter of time before rot sets in I would imagine. Yours is going to last the test of time I have a feeling.

Regarding turtles leaving the pond.. I've had this happen a lot over the years. When my girlfriend moved in and she started naming the various turtles and picking favorites, I warned her that turtles tend to develop an inexplicable wanderlust regardless of how well they have it and to try not to get attached to them. We feed them well with pellets and treats every day, they have a fountain and a basking platform, not to mention everything is safe and fenced. Turtle paradise. Well, her favorite turtle she named "Lisa" had been in the pond for over 3 years. One day she started acting quite strange wandering around land. The next day she was gone. 2 months later we are feeding the turtles out on the bridge like we always do, and suddenly there was Lisa who had returned. Where she went, we don't know, but somehow she came back.

It must be a survival/propagation instinct in the species. No matter how good they have it they must go to new places.

Turtle Island update.

Look what just showed up. King of the island.

Wow, I don't think I've ever seen one on shore that wasn't laying eggs. Great photo.

He is laying on a rug covered foam island out in the pond. But he is very shy. This photo was taken 200 feet away.

Hello John,
I have a big guy like that in my pond and my wife wants him or her gone. I caught (it) 2 years ago in the mud wintering and put it back. Now much bigger. Are they a real threat to ducklings? That is my wife's big concern.

If over populated snappers can eat ducks. If I were closer I'd come get him/her. I love snappers and have several in my turtle pond.

These painted or red ear sliders are great little turtles but are evasive turtles. They populate much faster than native turtles and will eat up all the food before the native turtles get a chance to. They are native in Mexico and Texas but not north of there. They will live north but you could have hundreds that you don't see. They brumate and do off and on year around. If you have one there is 10 you don't see.

Cheers Don.

Floating or Flying?
The rug covered foam island has been in the water now since early spring and is holding up well. The first foam carved rock looking island has been in the water year round now for 4 years, so the closed cell building foam doesn't take on water. The problem with first foam carved rock looking island is the outer crust hardened by a heat gun cannot stand up to the turtles climbing on it over the years without breaking through to the soft foam.

Maybe cover the foam with some indoor/outdoor carpet??????

John, it's good to see you posting again.

Kevin993 they may have wanderlust other than what I know of, but the males do move around to find females and the females do move around to lay their eggs on land. At least the Redear sliders do. Had a couple baby redears last year and several this year. Around the farm have seen the females digging holes to deposit eggs and we have found hatched redears and snapper babies in large mud puddles.

Glad you back posting John.

BIRDS LIKE THE ISLAND TOO.

John,

The goals for your ponds are usually different than most of the other PB people. I just wanted to let you know that I really appreciate your perspective in all of these matters.

You try to attract critters that others try to exclude. You try to cultivate plants that others want to eradicate. Keep up the good work with all of your interesting posts, and definitely keep posting your fabulous pictures.

White Wild Lily & Spatterdock living together in harmony.

I appreciate that Fishing Rod and other that wanted me to start posting again.

John
In today's atmosphere your thinking is pleasant to have back... You might be surprised how many agree with you

I am not the photographer that John is, but I thought that I would share.

Wow that is gorgeous! Love the willow

We planted a twig 25 years ago. I think the base is over 3 feet in diameter now.

RAH that is absolutely beautiful. I too have planted twigs and now the trees are huge. What that tells you is we are getting old.

RAH I'm not a photographer. My sister had given me a copy of photoshop 7 and TJ suggested the Camera, Cannon SX50 that is a great camera at a reasonable price for what it does. It just happened. I have no training. It's just a fun hobby and as you walk your pond something is always happening. Most photo shots are just discarded but once in a while you see one that is presentable and can be developed into something. I saw my pond as only a fishing pond until I had a big fish kill. Then I decided to try something different and make into a nature pond. So this is what happens when you mess with mother nature.

LIGHT UP THEIR WORLD.

Professional or not, your photos are first rate. Our goals on our place have always been wildlife habitat, but I have learned a lot about fish management here. I am excited about the GSH.RES/YP/SMB pond that is our latest project. I am also lucky to have a great neighbor who traps out muskrats. Otherwise my emergent plants would be wiped out. With any luck, we will find a pond builder to start a new project this summer. Wildlife habitat restoration is a real passion for me. Wish we were located a bit closer to each other. And yes, I am getting old!

RAH and John, your photos are beautiful. And I'm glad that some have the ability to see their ponds and properties in a light so different from how I envision my own. Looking at RAH's magnificent shot with the willow in the background, my limited vision for my own property immediately screams diesel fuel, bushhog blades, chainsaws, brushcutters, and aquatic herbicides. As in right now, before it gets any further ahead of me.

I appreciate the different perspective.

John M, I enjoyed your pics and your ideas awhile back, glad about your returned post here. RAH that really is a nice Willow maybe the best one I have ever seen. Thumbs up !! The color in the pond is also nice to see.

Tracy

A farming background kinda drives the perspective that you describe. I gave up recreational mowing many years ago. My dad still keeps his woods like a city park. To each their own. We spent a good part of yesterday cutting and treating invasive honeysuckle in our woods. It will be a long haul to get that under control. We will likely be piling up the brush today. The brush piles provide cover for wildlife and exercise for me. I am appreciating the mild weather so far this winter.

We are shooting for somewhere in between the two perspectives. We want the diversity in habitat/vegetation, both in and around the pond, but want to maintain the "landscaped" type appearance.

John, very happy to have your input again.

RAH and John,
You both have a great eye for waterscaping.Some days I ponder dedicating a small cove of my pond to plants but other days I find my self weedeating around the trees in my woods and trimming limbs up at high as I can reach.Presently I keep the perimeter of my pond mowed out atleast 60 ft from the shoreline which gives decent visibility from my house and shop.I feel better knowing I can see If my methhead neighbors are trying to carry off one of our boats or help bucket stock some spawn happy crappie.I do have a few acres that are left unmowed and several brush piles.I have noticed an increase in rabbits and
i have seen and heard a few quail returning.

It's funny the roads our ponds take us down sometimes. My pond was manicured in the early years. I bought an electric start DR stringer on wheels at some expense to trim around the pond about 15 years ago but only used it one summer. Then bush hogged a walking area around the pond. Now I just mow a walking strip around the pond. Maybe I am getting back to nature or just getting lazy.

We maintain a couple miles of walking trails, and we maintain our perimeter fences. There is never any shortage of work to do, even without recreational mowing.

SIMPLE BEAUTY OF SPATTERDOCK

After cleaning out my old pond that was covered in Spaterdock, I now have two nice small patches. One against the island in the center and one along a bank near the end of the dam.

Now if the stuff will only behave itself.............. and stay about to that degree it will be great. I like a little of it and wife likes the look.

When I cleaned that pond out there were rhizomes as big as my forearm. I saw some spindly shoots coming from the middle of the old part where I could not get all the muck cleaned out last year and thought it would be a problem. The water is a lot deeper there than what it was before the refurbish. But I think the 4 grass carp that I placed in there took care of them. Hopefully I have just the right balance of grass carp clipping off new shoots to keep it in check. I can always hope, can't I?

John, I envy your photographic eye and computer skills. You rock!!
When I was a kid my dad was a complete auto racing fan and very often took my brother and I on overnight race trips. Winchester was one of our favorites along with Anderson, Warsaw and Eldora. We lived in Ft Wayne. Small world.
Merry Christmas and a photogenic New Year

John,
I really envy and enjoy seeing your photographic skills....great pic of the lilies with the tadpoles underneath...great shot!

Stickem, thank you so much for your eyes and what you see. I never saw the tadpoles. Again thank you. What you saw now makes this photo a contestant for a photographic art show. It makes this a very rare special photo in my opinion. Again thank you so much.

Stickem I had to come back and say more. I have a Facebook page where I post my photo's. My two sisters are a painter and poet and others and no one has seen what you saw. I have been at this photo shows for two years and have won a first, second and third and what you saw makes this the best photo I have ever taken. You should be doing this instead of me. One never knows but I think you have just won me another first place in the spring showing. Because of you, not me.

John M, apart from swimming in our pond so keeping it a little clearer on the shoreline, our goals and passions are similar.

We dug our pond initially for attracting wildlife and for beauty, but the water quality turned out so nice that it became a swimming hole. If only I could keep the water level more consistent I could cultivate more transition plants. We are going to polymer the pond with TJs help soon, and hopefully resolve that problem.

A side hill leading to the pond is too wet to mow, so I am forced to hand weed it. So when I walk it, I pull out all of the baby willows I can find. Even the little ones have root systems from hell. Most are black willows, so not very attractive. Some are pussy willows, which I like since they are a shrub, but not taking chances with miss identification.

I may intentionally put in a weeping willow near the inlet creek to help stabilize the soil with roots, but for some reason the deer simply love to rub willow and wreck them. Protection or no. I don't like the idea of leaves in the pond from them either.

You have far more cover and habitat to attract wildlife, so I am a little jealous. We can barely attract geese (which is a good thing mostly). Our turtles don't stick around long either, but the frogs do, which is great.

Anyhow, I enjoy your posts and pictures. I have seen people who call themselves a photographer take pictures that are not as good as yours.

We have used our main pond for swimming for over a decade. A floating dock connected to a fixed dock by a gangway is our way into and out of the water. This approach also eliminates the muddy shore issues that often come from entering via the bank. Our kids learned to swim in that pond and many happy memories have been made there.

This is an update on my floating island that has been in the water for nearly two years now under all kinds of weather and shows no deterioration at all.

Dang it John! Where the heck have you been! Miss your pics!

The island looks good!

My pictures were really bad. My monitor was lying to what the picture were really looking like and a new monitor isn't right either. So I am so confused. However I am still entering photo contest and doing well.

Color management is really tough these days as most people only have TN monitors, which are rather dull by comparison with IPS/PLS monitors. I have a IPS monitor as my main CAD display at work, with some satellite cheap TN monitors for displaying datasheets. There is a stark difference between the two when seen side-by-side. It is getting bEtter these days due to tablets and phones having excellent displays, but most home PC users have poor monitors.

I have a IPS at home where I do image work (not much lately). I adjust everything to taste on that high-gamut display thinking "wow, that looks really nice!" and then proceed to share it. People like my images, but then I look at it at work on the TN satellites and it looks flat like an old magazine from the 1970s. Then it also becomes web browser dependent. Some browsers like the New MS Edge has color management built in, meaning it adjust color output so images look the same across different monitors, but others, like Chrome, do not.

In general the color industry is a mess.

The debate then becomes: do I over-do it so it looks nicer on the TN monitors, or be and image prude and only target fancy monitors?

Oh well. I have gotten sort of bored with photography lately as my camera is a little weak to do what I would like, and what I would like costs about $5K. I would rather spend that towards a decent car or put it towards a college fund.

Thanks for that information. I have this fixed but at a cost. I took a 16x20 print of a picture and also printed out the same picture at on my home printer. They both looked the same. Then I adjusted my TV monitor until the photo looked like the two print outs. Now my edited photo's look like they should but my monitor looks really dull and washed out.

I used Spyder products for years. It's the easiest way I know to calibrate monitor colors when consistency matters, and I still have my old Pantone color books laying around somewhere. There may be a better way now, but I quit printing when I retired 4 years ago, so I'm not sure anymore.

Ain't that the truth.

What??????? I'm shocked that a new pond isn't in that list!?

Well I haven't been on Pond Boss for years and I see that PhotoBucket is holding pictures hostage for $400 to be a host of my property. The floating island is i think in it forth year and is hands off doing well. Many kinds of wildlife use the island and here is an example if I can get the photo on here using IMGUR.

Well that picture worked, so I will try another one. I forget who bought a Canon SX 50 camera on Pond Boss but it impressed me so much that I got one. Not expensive for less then $300 and some filters and editing on Windows 10 & Facebook makes it a fun hobby for those that have a pond and wildlife.

John,
There's an app for the chrome browser that bypasses the pbucket block. I can see pbucket images fine on here using chrome.

Thanks John....works great....and the price is right FREE!

FREEAppForChrome2SeePhotoBucketImages

There is a fix for Firefox also. Actually there is more than one. This is the one I installed.

link to fix for Firefox photobucket fix

Looks like your turtle platform has worked well and held up well John.

John, good to see your pics again.

Does anyone know if there's a fix for safari? I usually don't see any of the older Photobucket pics..

Lets see if the chrome fix worked. I see it did. You guys know everything. HOODED MERGANSER:

John good to see you back

John, wonderful to have you posting again! I've enjoyed your photos for years. The turtle ones are especially interesting, as we have no turtles in our southwestern Colorado pond.
It's heartening to read that you have found a camera that you seem satisfied using. Good, clear pics from it!

I too enjoy seeing your pictures John.

Thanks for posting the pictures John. Glad to see you back!

This thread is amazing. I just floated an 18' cedar log in my pond and anchored it in place most days we have 5-10 turtles on it. Before I anchored it, the wind would blow it around and the turtles on it would all go sightseeing like they had their own cruise ship.

You could still do that, just make the log tethered on one rope, and have the rope a lot longer than the pond depth. That way the log can go it's merry way, but not end up on shore.

A lot of good old threads on this forum. Every once in a while one gets drug back up to the forefront, which is a good thing.

Speaking of dreging up the past!

I stumbled across this forum and used this thread for some inspiration a few years ago so i felt it was time to join up and share my project.

Dubbed "Turtle Island", I am now on my 5th and hopefully last turtle basking platform.
The first few attempts were made out of wood and and I revised my designs to accomodate way more turtles than we ever anticipated, we have progressed from simple $14 wood floats built out of scrap wood to a fully welded alumium frame that will never rot or corrode, decked in PVC sheet and wrapped in sun fabric to provide traction and draw the heat.

Oh, and a pair of 8MP - auto focusing POE cameras to get us up close and personal with the little vagrants that live in our pond.

I hope you all enjoy this project as much as we do.

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/edp6u235l1f6g1y/IMG_5658.JPG/file[/img]

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/capjuue7ffvcsc0/IMG_5814.JPG/file[/img]

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/wkrv7zoidys86ww/IMG_5810.JPG/file[/img]

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/ixenki918x15tyt/IMG_5825.JPG/file[/img]

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/nmzf5oc4yiaw1h4/IMG_5659.JPG/file[/img]

Our favorite turtle is our Florida Softshell we have named Sparkles for her colorful displays and performances she puts on.

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/evwtfgnlo7pk583/IMG_1935.JPG/file[/img]

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/qkmr7jk4ucijyu4/IMG_1933.JPG/file[/img]

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/plnqbz3y8ffacwl/IMG_1942.JPG/file[/img]

Love those pictures. Keep telling myself I need to build something for mine. We had 3 this past summer. I dont want a pond full of them but a few I'm good with. I do like seeing them for sure. Nature's little cleanup crew.

If I had this it would be co-opted by gators....

Citydad I would would be building it for sure then. Prolly have 2 go a lil beefier tho. Could make for some cool action shots.

Wow very impressive! I love the spiny softshell! I might not grab a hold of one but neat to look at.
I too have a couple floating islands. It's amazing to me at what a distance painted turtles sense my presence and crawl back into the water.

Gators are yuuuuuuuuuge pests.
Trust you dont want em around AND I can't even kill them bc they are somehow still endangered even though there are probably more gators than people in florida

SSS rule applies.

We had one gator we had to get removed. We actually liked seeing it it but a couple neighbors have dogs and were scared it would eventually snag one. We've never been kept up all night by a barking gator so we are a bit biased on which one should have been removed.

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/8l9t...698715018_3623536617720460041_n.jpg/file[/img]

The Softshells have sharp teeth but everything outside their mouths are pretty harmless.

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/0d00...383541084_2452455486416982838_n.jpg/file[/img]
[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/kx30...7383756015_957298376291377894_n.jpg/file[/img]

Last year we started getting a few damaged turtles with missing legs and eventually figured out we had a snapping turtle in the pond. We weren't positive thst it was her but I trapped and relocated her to be safe and all the incidents went away. Sadly we lost a few of our big females before the issue was resolved.
We called her Lillith and found her weakness to be strawberries. I baited her with every nasty concoction in the book and she never responded to anything until we set out a handfull of fresh strawberries.

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/lsfl...502374805_3359897470762047243_n.jpg/file[/img]

We get lots of other visitors as well and the cameras make sure we never miss a good thing.

[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/ikpf...814608673_7569131265503751915_n.jpg/file[/img]
[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/tifo...683049286_5694876294886615267_n.jpg/file[/img]
[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/lk4y...313912789_7943881333899486811_n.jpg/file[/img]
[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/cbyj...884261332_3270521990800065190_n.jpg/file[/img]
[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/tw7h...389833915_7408448055744305046_n.jpg/file[/img]

Tht last picture is really cool. Iv never seem an image of a turtle actually shedding or whatever it's called in them. Thank you very much for sharing. What kind of camera system do you have setup.

Thank you, I wish I could figure out how to get the pics to embed properly though.

I use Reolink 8MP IP cameras. Once they caught on to how I was using them, they actually made me a beta tester and send me free cameras to play with all the time.
We have over 19 cameras including a couple 8MP PTZ's for patrolling the pond and then the 2 on the platform itself.
I originally had 1080P WiFi cams fitted with solar panels and IR motion detection but they would always time out and you would miss great shots. I upgraded more than a few times over the last 3 years after running a pair of waterproof Cat6 cables out with POE so I could record 24/7 and never miss a second.


[img]https://www.mediafire.com/view/0rf0...230245536_8793178577660018688_n.jpg/file[/img]

Heres the last picture.

Great thread and great pics!! Are many of those turtles a slider of some kind?

The bulk of ours are Yellow Bellied Sliders with a few Florida Softshells and the one Common Snapping Turtle.

Agree about the pic of the turtle shedding. I didn’t know they did that.

Can you post or direct message your design and fabrication details for this floating turtle dock? This is the best design I've seen yet and the cameras are a great idea!