Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

I just got the API test kit today, so this was my first time using it.

Here's the setup:
Brand new FT, 40 gallons (has only 25 in there now), no fish yet, added some fresh stream water along with RO water, no plants yet, added some Maxicrop seaweed, and added some Homo sapiens urine. I have an air pump with a diffuser stone running in there constantly. The water has been sitting for 3 days like that.

Basically I'm just trying to let the water sit for about a week before adding the fish, and I'm curious what the test results can indicate about the cycling stage at this point. I know I have to wait longer to get any meaningful cycling going, but I'm just hoping to learn more by asking you guys about these results.

pH: 7.6 (or possibly higher...)
Ammonia: 4.0 ppm
Nitrite: 0 ppm
Nitrate: 5 ppm

Thanks for the help!

No more hummonia...

Haha! Thanks Rupe!

I seriously only added about 1 cup. Is that considered a lot (for 25 gallons)? It was a little more yellow than usual, so maybe it was strong or something.

Urine has a "lag" time as well... needing to firstly convert to urease, then to ammonia...

So do you think it's strange that the ammonia is so high, just two days after adding urine? The urine was fresh, and I didn't let it age beforehand.

Also, do you think the bacteria will start to colonize the system, even though I don't have any plants in there now?

No... that was a fair amount of hummonia for a small system... and a couple of days is about the lag time...

The bacteria don't need the plants... they'll have already turned up...

Thanks Rupe. You da man.

Might as well use the nitrates up though.... throw some plants in...

I can't wait!

I just started some tomatoes, swiss chard, peppers, basil, and parsley. A few of them just sprouted, and I'll probably start watering them with the FT water soon (even though they probably won't make much of an effect for a while).

I feel lucky because I already have most of the equipment I need, since I was into hydroponics for a while.

I really don't know about the urine even with fishless cycling. I would just use seasol

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It has been proven safe. Some members even sent some off to labs to test for pathogens.

I don't think seasol will give you a source of ammonia.

Fish pee, human pee...pee is pee. Having said that...I went with bottled ammonia instead of peeing in my tank. Personal preference is all.

Not everyones pee is the same. Definitely not the same as fish pee. one reason is people take medication that can and will be a variable in this situation. Yea i had a brain fart when i said sea sol because it does not have any ammonia in it.

We have Charlie carp down here that is a fertiliser made from European carp. Good source of ammonia and most other nutrients. Great for cycling
I ran my ibc system for months on pee and Charlie carp and the plants went nuts