Urinating In The Tank

[DarkSoul]

If cycling is started by having ammonia in the tank from a fishes waste products, Then, instead of buying pure ammonia to start cycling with, couldn't you simply pee in the tank and provide an exologically sound way to start cycling? and one which also provides the same chemicals produced by fish urinating (or close to) instead of just starting with ammonia?


Ya I know it makes me sound retarded, but it was a random thought and I HAD to know.

 

[freddyk]

Yes you can, and from what I've heard in the past it works well. Since there are other by-products in urine other then ammonia, you would want to do a 100% water change on the tank before adding the fish should you choose this crude yet effective method.

 

[DarkSoul]

Wouldnt there be other by products in the fishes urine which would also be in humans, that would cause other bacteria to grow that would remove these toxins??
Beneficial bacteria which would not normally grow using only ammonia to start cycling?

 

[freddyk]

Don't trust to any idea that compares the human body to a fishes. I don't know the science of it, but we're talking two species that share very few traits. Also, the amount you would essentially add to a tank to do a fishless cycle is much, much more then the fish would contribute. Also, the ammonia comes not only from the fishes urine, but from decaying mulm, uneaten food or dead plant matter, and it's also continuously produced from the fish just by breathing.

 

[Teelie]

You wouldn't have to do a 100% water change but definitely a 50% or so change, which IMO you should do anyways to remove nitrates.

 

[DazedNCoNfUsEd]

You also can't be taking any medications, otherwise those chemicals will also come out with the urine. And then depending on your diet, alot of foods have all sorts of additives that might come out too. Might as well just fork the 98 cents (US) and get a big bottle of regular ammonia. Peeing in a cup isn't exactly fun either, not worth the trouble IMO.

 

[Bignose]

The Skeptical Aquarist has some interesting thoughts on adding urine: http/www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/star.../fishless.shtml

 

[fishboytoo]

Wouldnt there be other by products in the fishes urine which would also be in humans, that would cause other bacteria to grow that would remove these toxins??
Beneficial bacteria which would not normally grow using only ammonia to start cycling?

Urine as it's produced and exits the human body is a sterile substance (assuming you're healthy), meaning it contains no bacteria. Any bacteria would therefore come from the exterior of your body and I doubt that they would be beneficial to an aquatic environment. I don't see any reason why human produced ammonia wouldn't work for cycling though.

I'm with dazed, my bottle cost $2. Or is the real issue that your toilet is broken??

FB2

 

[Marcos]

What about the smell in your living room?!!

 

[Squid]

One little point.. People keep talking about pure ammonia. I very much doubt many people have use PURE ammonia for cycling their tank. This is what makes it difficult for some people to find ammonia, they walk into a shop and ask for "PURE AMMONIA", and usually get told no. This would probably happen in homebase too, but if you go to the household section its there. BUT.. its not pure ammonia. Its just a solution with about 9-10% ammonia, and its a cleaning product.

Just thought i would make that point.

Squid

 

[Jules H-T]

Peeing in a cup isn't exactly fun either, not worth the trouble IMO.

That would take the fun out of it completely! Can you imagine the looks you'd get standing on the sofa slashing into the fishtank lol

 

[mantis147]

you guys are just takin the piss!!! hahaha lol!!!

 

[blitztidus]

Who can come up with these thing

 

[James007]

That would take the fun out of it completely! Can you imagine the looks you'd get standing on the sofa slashing into the fishtank lol
[/quote]

Can't help cracking up at the thought of this. Imagine someone coming into the room and catching you at it. I think your next sentence would be starting 'It's not what it looks like' or 'I can explain'!!

Just hope that someone doesn't tell your future fish what you did

 

[Iron Man]

I wouldn't think you would need that much pee at all to cycle the tank..just thought I'd menion that.....would hope no one is dumping a whole bladder full of urine in their fish tank.

And btw james - kewl avatar!