Quote Originally Posted by rodsboys View Post
Outside pond...it is going to suck to catch her every fall, especially as she get bigger over the years. When I first saw the topic I though " really, why would someone want that as a pet?" But after seeing this and what you have planned, I believe this is the best place for her. Almost makes me want one, but I am happy to live vicariouly on this one. I applaud you for your efforts and dedication and am looking forward to updates.
Any chance of some feeding pics or video?
In regards to the metric thing, I am a transplanted American and could not agree more. Metric is better. I use both systems everyday at work.
Hopefully my masterful design (*wink*) will prevent the necessity of catching her in the winter. Temps where I live in North Carolina rarely drop below freezing so my plan thus far is a system of hot-water-exchange tubing for the pond (basically I took apart an old hot-tub and hooked it up to a thermostat) and then for outside the water I have a 120 watt basking halogene bulb that I can lower and raise on a pulley-system to keep the temperature ok for her "hot stone". Then I also am building a hot-water-bottle hide. Which is basically a large tube cut in half over a system of hot-water bladders (empty boxed-wine-water bottles with wire-coil-heaters running through the base) which are then subsequently covered in moss and soil and insulating rubber.

It's a work-in-progress but hopefully it will eliminate the need for a stressful move for her and me.

As far as feeding videos go, I'll try to get one posted as soon as I can. She just ate today and I usually feed every other day.

Thanks for the all the support with her. She's living up to her name-sake but a magnificent creature to watch.