Fishless Cycle Question

[benzonar]

This is a genuine post.

I will be starting a new setup soon and am tempted to try a fishless cycle.

It appears that it can be quite hard to get hold of regular ammonia without foaming agents in the UK (at least I've had no success yet)

Serious question, but could you use human urine to kickstart the cycle? its available daily and so no problems of supply, and as long as you monitor the ammonia levels in the tank to ensure 5ppm it should work.

Urine is also sterile, so what other issues might there be?

 

[Bandit]

no, i wouldnt use it

if you phone the chemist they may be able to track you down some pure ammonia... just tell them thats what you need. pure, 100%, no added perfumes etc. i had to go through a lot of chemists in the phone book, but did get one that was willing to order me some of the stuff

in the end i got some from an oldfashioned hardware store in the uk ... its called blanes multi-purpose household ammonia... just pure NH3

its pretty hard to track down but if you have a good look you'll be sure to find some

 

[Miss Dib Dabs]

No. Urine isn't pure ammonia. Do not use it.
You can get an ammonia product from your lfs for cycling the tank. Think it's called biomature by waterlife. Takes approx 3 weeks to cycle the tank that way. Well worth doing.
Hugs,
P.

 

[daveip]

i've just started my fishless cycle and i got some biomature from my LFS.

other option is to try find something like jeyes kleen off (i think thats what its called) from the hardware stores or try homebase or robert dyas. i've heard they stock stuff there. you just gotta make sure that the stuff is pure ammonia or dilute ammonia with no added other things like perfumes and what not