Will this cause Ammonia

patriot54

patriot54

Member
I was told that if you pee in your tank that the ammonia in your pee would start a cycle. Is this true? Has anybody done this? Is it recomended? How much pee would be needed to start a cycle? I allready know about a shrimp starting a cycle, I was just wondering if this would work.
 
sagxman

sagxman

Member
Is this a serious question? If it is I would say that it is not a good idea. Any other substances in your urine other than ammonia might be harmful to your system. Let's say it did work: why would you want to go to the trouble of doing so when there are other methods that are so simple? And just think of the reaction if someone walked in and you were on a chair urinating in your fish tank.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
It’s the way I started the cycle in my swimming pool (great pool party by the way
)
Seriously don’t do it urine is comprised of organic substances such as urea, uric acid, creatinine, and ammonia; and 40% of which are inorganic substances such as sodium, chloride, calcium, potassium, phosphates, and sulfates. Its reaction is usually acid (pH 6). That being said it is possible to start a nitrification cycle with urine but.
I WOULD NOT DO IT
 
camfishizzle

camfishizzle

New Member
Yes, a lot of freshwater crazies do this. I don't recommend it though because there is more than just ammonia in your pee. Would you put grape juice in your tank?...that is if you drink grape juice. Anyway, you can use anything organic or even pure ammonia if it doesn't have surfactants in it. The only problem is that I personally don't have enough control to pee in a teaspoon for accurate measuring and my stepstool isn't high enough.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Its not so much the initial amount it’s the introduction of ammonia if at all go with the tried and true method of a small cocktail shrimp. The continuing brake down of the shrimp will continue to add ammonia to your tank to feed nitrification just add the shrimp sit back and wait (monitoring your levels of course)
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2888679
Those are good points. What about ghost feeding, would that start a cycle? How much food should I put in?
I typically start a cycle by adding uncured live rock.
If this isn't the option you use then ghost feeding will definately start a cycle. Feed the same amount of food you would give to a small Damsel on a daily basis. This isn't a lot of food, the idea is to create a low level of ammonia to feed basteria. As long as ammonia is detectible then you're providing enough food.
 
patriot54

patriot54

Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2888709
I typically start a cycle by adding uncured live rock.
If this isn't the option you use then ghost feeding will definately start a cycle. Feed the same amount of food you would give to a small Damsel on a daily basis. This isn't a lot of food, the idea is to create a low level of ammonia to feed basteria. As long as ammonia is detectible then you're providing enough food.
I have cured live rock in there right now. but when it was shipped to me, it was out of the water for more then 24 hours and it almost froze so there was alot of die off. would this be enough to start the cycle? I tested it and there is .25 ppm of ammonia in there.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2888716
I have cured live rock in there right now. but when it was shipped to me, it was out of the water for more then 24 hours and it almost froze so there was alot of die off. would this be enough to start the cycle? I tested it and there is .25 ppm of ammonia in there.
If there is 0.25ppm ammonia then your cycle has started.
When I cycle a new system I attempt to maintain 0.25ppm ammonia for as long as I can using fish food. If it gets over 0.5 I do a water change.
The Shrimp method works as well. I don't use this method personally anymore because I found it harder to control the ammonia level and it can sometimes get too high for my preference just overnight.
 
patriot54

patriot54

Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2888724
If there is 0.25ppm ammonia then your cycle has started.
When I cycle a new system I attempt to maintain 0.25ppm ammonia for as long as I can using fish food. If it gets over 0.5 I do a water change.
The Shrimp method works as well. I don't use this method personally anymore because I found it harder to control the ammonia level and it can sometimes get too high for my preference just overnight.
I was told that you want your ammonia to get really high, that way you have bigger benificial bacteria. My nitrites tested at .25 ppm as well and nitrates are around 10, is this ok?
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2888743
I was told that you want your ammonia to get really high, that way you have bigger benificial bacteria. My nitrites tested at .25 ppm as well and nitrates are around 10, is this ok?
Those levels are good IMO for maintaining a cycle.
My experience disagrees completely with whomever told you to want a high ammonia level.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
You have to have a demand for the ammonia you do not necessary has to have a high introduction of ammonia. For a good colony of nitrifying bacteria to grow You need to just start the possess and then its supply and demand once you have gone through the ammonia to nitrite to nitrate faze your nitrifying bacteria will increases as the bioload increases to a point where you have achieved equilibrium in your tank
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Strictly a personal choice some people use live rock others shrimp in the old days I have even seen it done with a pea (not urine the vegetable). The idea is to get organic brake down.
Research the whys and how’s of the nitrogen cycle in our tanks. It will become self evident
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Originally Posted by Patriot54
http:///forum/post/2888787
Ok, the second I put my live rock in then? Then whats the need to put in a shrimp?
The purpose of the shrimp (or pea
, or fish food) it to provide additional ammonia over a long period of time to grow lots of bacteria and additionally to create stable bacterial colonies. Your rock started the process with its die-off but hungry bacteria will quickly convert all the food (ammonia) from the die-off into Nitrite and then Nitrate. If you don't provide a steady source of food then the bacteria population will decrease and that's not what you want.
 
florida joe

florida joe

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Bang Guy
http:///forum/post/2888797
The purpose of the shrimp (or pea
, or fish food) it to provide additional ammonia over a long period of time to grow lots of bacteria and additionally to create stable bacterial colonies. Your rock started the process with its die-off but hungry bacteria will quickly convert all the food (ammonia) from the die-off into Nitrite and then Nitrate. If you don't provide a steady source of food then the bacteria population will decrease and that's not what you want.
This thread is turning into a real pisser
 
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