Looks like im stuck with turtleponic's

[svc]

Hi all

I have recently moved and started a small system fishless cycling. I went down to the creek this morning to catch some stock. Put the net in 10 or so time's while moving up stream. I was just about to move to my next spot and saw a 12 inch red eared slider (turtle) sitting on the bank. After doing a bit of a triple take ( i thought i was hallucinating as it was about the last thing i expected to see) I grabbed him and wandered home. The next few days will be spent improving his living quarters and researching.
He was obviously an unwanted pet as they are not native here. I'm am new to keeping turtles but have always gone well with various fish. A planted filter make sense to me with any aquatic animal after my short experience with aquaponic's so will try to incorporate it into the design. Anyway wish me luck, any advice from those in the know would be appreciated. I'm gonna go sort some fencing and dig a hole for a pond.
John

[hellbent]

i used to have a red ear slider turtle, it would snap up feeder fish whole. i personally wouldnt keep a turtle with AP since turtles have salmonella and are very dirty.

[svc]

He escaped while i went to get a new home for him and hasn't turned up in 2 days, starting to lose hope. Thanks for the advice though. I'm hoping he's made it the 200m past a fence back to the river.

[GaryD]

Hi John,

So, you can't keep trout or carp in NZ? I'm under the impression that both are being farmed commercially there?

Gary

[svc]

Someone must be farming trout to restock the rivers and lakes but it seems to be a no-no for the backyarder. Not so sure about carp, i know koi are considered a problem species here, not sure about legalitys though. I'm only 10 minutes drive to the nearest trout river and half hour to the nearest trout lake, sea fish are cheap and very tasty. I'm pretty fussy on fish i eat so carp doesn't really appeal. I have stocked my little unit with goldfish again, hoping to get them up to size a bit and trade in for a small profit at the aquarium shop. (can always get a tasty bit of schnapper at the local fish and chip shop on the way home lol). I would like to catch a few koura(native cray's) and grow them out eventually.
I'm now living on 30 acres with beef cattle a few pigs and heaps of layer chooks, so on site protein supply isn't such an issue as it was back in Sydney. Mostly running the aquaponics as a demo for my parents, and being on tank water, the water efficiency appeals also. I have always been more interested in keeping fish than eating them. We have a creek on site that is full of eels but I dont have any great interest in catching them to eat. (although i would love one as a pet).