Anyone every used Turtles in an Aquaponics system?

[Karen Matus]

Hi all.  It's been a while since I've been around the forum, but I am wondering if anyone here has used turtles in their aquaponics system?   We recently found a baby painted turtle in the early spring (walking across our street, none-the-less) and have been raising him in a 20 gal. fishtank.    I am planning to get some friends for him, but I am wondering if a turtle could be used in an aquaponics system to fuel the nutrients for the plants.   Turtles are somewhat messy buggers, so in our small tank, we've needed a good turtle filter.   But in aquaponics?   Turtle poop might be just as good as fish poop, I figured.    Wondering if anyone has tried this ever, and whether they had success, problems, etc.?    When I set up my aquaponics system with my 55 gallon tank,   I don't want to mess up the balance if the turtles prove to be too much for the system.    But from what I've learned of turtles,  only about 19% of the baby ones survive in the wild.   (must make good lunches for some other critters).    I thought perhaps raising baby ones into good 3-4 inchers and then releasing them when they're older might help their survival rate a little.     What do you think?  Could aquatic turtles work in aquaponics?

[Michael Rodriguez]

I will be working on it.  I'm starting my aquaponics in the begining of  2013.  Right now i'm waiting for my 26X12 greenhouse.  I already have 3 full grow turtles in an outside pond with feeder fish.