Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

this is the one i mean http://www.thereefshop.com.au/index.php ... 4329335582

Regarding Urine, should it be added once, daily, or every time the urge strikes? How much should be added? One person's output, the whole family's or should I call on the neighbours too?
Do we need to do it once fish are in the system?

Thanks,
Tony

contrary to popular belief you don't need a football team.

One of our members has done trials, as has VB i think................ i'll try and find some info for ya

Tony, check this thread http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum ... c&start=90

Hex posted that most of the ammonia in urine is in the bi-carb form and he believes that the ammonia test kits we use will measure this correctly. In that case just give your system a bit of a sprinkle and then measure your ammonia levels.

As the bacteria colonise you will find that the ammonia level drops. your ideal aim will be to keep your ammonia at say 1ppm and when you're finding that the system is processing that amount over the course of a day then you're probably good to go

Yep s-m, I would recommend getting a test kit, I have the one that Steve posted the link for.

I cycled my tank with 10 goldfish and didn't have any real dramas (other than the daily HSM ) - others have been successful with the urine dosage.

Advantages with urine cycling is that as ammonia/nitrite levels rise, there is no need to do water changes to de-stress any fish - it is also a cheaper resource being readily available

Today we have been able to stock the fish tank with 8 goldfish and a koi my husband was enthusiastic to have. My eldest son and I went to the nursery and bought up on their "buy 1, get 1 free" seedlings and bought 12. We then went back to the pet shop where my husband had bought the fish and were able to get a great lot of bacteria to inoculate the GBs with. Plus we had picked up a timer earlier in the day so we are now up and running. One GB is planted out and the other is half done. Will finish washing the potting mix off the seedlings and get them planted and take some more pics to post. stay tuned.

Tony - you don't need much urine to get the reading up. I dosed a 200 litre tank that I had used earlier for purging fish - with the view to keeping the makeshift biofilter that I had set up cycling. Only did it a few times. Eventually took a reading and the ammonia was so high the colour proceeded through dark green (the highest on the card) to a dark blue. Has not moved from there since. Theory is that the ammonia is so high it has killed the bacteria that I had started in the filter when I had the fish purging.

yep, 1 bladder per 500 lts then measure after agitation

I say aim for 1ppm ammonia


Vb thought i meant 10ppm

Hi See-more

Your system looks really good...

I reckon i might use some ideas off it.

Thanks CC.

Well, we are experiencing very strong winds & have been for a fair bit of the day so I haven't got any more seedlings in. Plus, we now have a coating of dirt on the bottom of the ft and some straw floating on the top. Is this likely to be a problem. The water had been looking really good this morning I thought.

Sprung a leek a couple of times this morning so this has been rectified. Had a floating sump tank so will follow Ell's advice and dig a drain so it doesn't happen again.

Bit late to realise it but the gh seems to be facing the wrong way in regard to the winds. Ya get that.

TT - please note!!!!!!!!!


As long as you don't get any pest control sprays or such nasties blowing into the tank - dirt and straw are just a nuisance.

See more is having some trouble adding her pictures, so we'll see if it works for me.

well, I wonder what the problem is

Thanks Jaymie,
Really appreciate your help.

I have been adding a little seasol the last couple of days. Finished planting some of the seedlings. Still have a few punnets to go. Our fish tank water is very cold. Was going to buy a thermometer but the ones at the pet shop only go down to 10C and I figure my tank is colder than that. It's a wonder any of the fish are surviving.

SM, do you have access to more hay? You could try piling hay around the bath tubs as some insulation.