Do RES as small as the OP mentioned travel great distances? A couple of months ago, I looked out and saw something moving across my front yard and upon further inspection is was a very small RES. We located it to a nearby creek/swamp. The nearest ponds are probably 1/8 mile in one direction and 1/4 mile in another. A week or so after that, I saw another RES in my pond. I haven't seen it again. I'm wondering if the pond was just a rest stop along the way. Thanks for any information.

I have had both red eared sliders and painted turtles in my outdoor ponds and fish tanks in the house. They are as much fun as the fish. I don't think they are any dirtier than goldfish. My water is always clear. The turtles haven't hurt my fish, but they do like eating crawdads, slugs and the fish food. They swim over and beg for food twice a day. I have pictures on my web site. Here is a link that might be useful: My pond page

I have two eastern painted turtles and feed them a variety of foods. They like to eat water hyacinth roots and water lily leaves, but will also eat dandelion leaves, water crest, spinach, peas, cut up carrots, grapes and other fruits and vegetables. I feed them reptile pellets from the pet store as well. If you give them a variety of food they wonÂt be too hard on your pond plants. One of my turtles ate an earth worm last year. I donÂt think they ever ate any of my fish. Turtles require a large filtration system and an area where they can get out of the pond to bask in the sun. My turtles spend most summer days laying on rocks or the top of my iris pots. Red eared sliders live in areas where they can break their winter hibernation during warn spells. Make sure they can survive in your area. My painted turtles have a longer hibernation period and are native to zone 5. I donÂt think red eared slides would survive a winter in my pond.

My farm pond is full of these red earred slider and the pond is only about 5' at deepest.Mine are fine.