Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I just started cycling my system yesterday with 12 goldfish and one cray, it's posted in Members... Anyway, I woke up to a dead fish and an entire house that smelled like urine. The smell was obviously coming from the setup, so I pulled-out the fish and started bubbling some fresh water 'til the chlorine smell had dissipated. After transfering the remaining fish and cray to the fresh water I dumped the old water, scrubbed and sanitized the old bin with oxy cleaner, and continued to cycle. I had aired-out the house very well and the smell was gone. After leaving it running (15min on, 15min off) for a few hours while I was out of the house, I returned to a stinky, urine-smelling home.
I also noticed the cat was up on the growbed last night and I had to chase her off. When I returned to the smell I noticed that the gravel had been shifted, as if by the cat and believe the cat has decided that the growbed is her new urinal. (ewe) So I'm one dead fish into it, and have the urine smell back. I'll be bubbling a couple of fresh water bins overnight to keep on hand, but has anyone experienced anything like that?

On the one hand, perhaps I've discovered a new technique, "Kittyponics?"
And perhaps it'll help cycle.. trying to look at the bright side.
But obviously this is WAY unacceptable, and I need to find a way to put a stop to it. Does anyone have any suggestions? I really need some out-of-the-box thinkers on this one cause I haven't got a clue...

Any help is greatly appreciated, obv...

Put a barbed wire fence around the grow bed.

Seriously though... a temporary cover of some sort, the problem should stop once you have plants growing.

Nova

Chicken wire over top the gravel? The plants would grow through it, but kitty wouldn't be able to dig.

I know that Axl would start making some of the suggestions that were made in the recent Varmints thread, so I won't

Well, I've temporarily put the lid on the growbed. That should actually help the cycling, I'd think; but it's a temporary fix, for sure.

When there are some plants in there you think it'll just stop?

A piece of chicken wire tied-down horizontally sounds like a go to me Janet, thanks.

I'd suggest training that cat with a smack on the rump but cats have a why of getting revenge when one least expects it.

Cat lovers try not to take offense (i'm not one )

Its the AP or the Cat..................

if you banishing the cat.... make sure you mince it finely before spreading on the grow bed LOL

Cats can be pretty stubborn once they decide what a litter box is. You could also try the water pistol method, but you'd have to be there 24x7 to guard the AP system. I would just keep the chicken wire in place long term.

mincers are good for stubborn things LOL!

(sorry)

Take Janet's chicken wire, and attach it to an electric fence coil (turned to low). The kitty may get up there, but one time peeing on it to complete the circuit, and the kitty will _NEVER_ bother the AP setup again! If you turn up the voltage too high, then you'll need the mincer for the cat a la barby.

LOL, well here's an update:

I've kept the lid on the GB for about a day now, and the smell is almost completely gone. I've only lost the one fish, and amazingly, found TWO! He must've given me 14 instead of the 12 I asked/paid for. The fish seem happy and the water is clear.

I have a spray bottle that we used to train her off the kitchen table and have been trying that when she even goes near the GB (even though the top is on), and she's to a point where she looks at me guiltily if she gets too close.
Hopefully it's taken care of; but I'll be using chicken-wire over the top anyway.

Thanks all for the fun and informative responses.

BTW, the smell being almost cleared makes me think I've got some lively bacteria in the GB. Does that compute?

Cat may have jump-started your nitrogen cycle, but there are two types of bacteria - one takes ammonia to Nitrites, a different one takes nitrites to nitrates. They double at different rates too. I recall one doubling every 20 min (under ideal conditions) the other I think takes closer to 8 hours.

Test to see how it's coming...