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Pond in the basement
Since I will be keeping an adult snapping turtle indoors for at least this winter, I figured I should make it as decent a life as I can for him. I started by keeping him in a kiddie pool, had no filter or anything. Changing water every other day, a couple space heaters I had going next to it to try and get water temps to at least 75F. It was a hassle so I moved him into the small bathroom upstairs in the bathtub. That made water changes easy, but too small and awkward for him to be comfortable I thought.
So after a couple weeks I finally picked up this $150 used setup off craigslist to get started. It is a 300+ gallon pre-formed pond liner that allows a lot of options and looks pretty good. I am using a 1000W bucket heater to keep the temps between 75-80 and have ditched the space heaters! I plug/unplug on a 6-8 hour cycle (with help from the wife while I am at work.) but am going to order a nice T-stat online soon. I keep the little light there just to give a since of day/night but am planning on a large UV light to hang soon. I also would like to get a spot setup for the turtle to get out of the water completely if he desires. I have been gathering up some things I had lying around the house like the 2x4's and carpet to make it more comfortable for the turtle in the pond. I know they like to feel hidden. I will upgrade and change things as money/time allow but for now I think this is pretty sweet for a 10"+ snapper!
He eats like a champ now, and I have just been scooping his poops and uneaten food out with a small net and even the wet/dry shop vac. He is easy to handle and hasn't actually snapped at me yet while I hold him from behind/underneath. He will stretch out and chase his food all around the tub if I tease him with it. It seems like I have been adding 15 gal. or more of water every few days to keep it up and keep water fresh. I really like having this turtle and can't wait to get more stuff for his pond!
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