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Guinea Pig Poo Root Tabs?

Ben M

Ben M

Member
Joined
1 Sep 2009
Messages
662
Hi, I've been thinking of putting some root tabs in my planted nano, and have come across the idea of using guinea pig poo instead. As I have 2 guinea pigs I was wondering if anyone has ever tried this, and if there are any problems it can cause?

Cheers,
Ben
 
Martin in China said:
I would watch out with a heavy bio load fertilise in a tank, as we always try to minimise this with WC
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If ben only uses a very small amount buried quite deep in the substrate I doubt it would be any problem. Im hoping Darrel will chip in as to whether its ok or not.
 
I would be careful. I think guinea pigs don't produce urine, it being locked up as urea based salt in the dung. Thus you would be putting urea in your tank which can/will break down to ammonia with obvious consequences for your live stock and filter bacteria.
 
Hi all,
ian_m said:
I think guinea pigs don't produce urine, it being locked up as urea based salt in the dung.
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Interesting, I didn't know that, but I've never kept Guinea Pigs.

I don't think it will matter as long as you don't over do it. Rodents and Lagomorphs are very efficient at retrieving the nutrients from their food, they have an enlarged caecum and eat their own soft faeces, so the hard pellets are largely indigestible structural carbohydrates (lignins etc) having had 2 passes through the digestive system.

If the pellets contain some urea it may actually be an advantage. Because they are in the substrate any ammonia resulting from the microbial decomposition of urea: (NH2)2CO + H2O → CO2 + 2NH3) should be scavenged pretty efficiently by your plant roots.

cheers Darrel
 
dw1305 said:
Hi all, Interesting, I didn't know that, but I've never kept Guinea Pigs.

I don't think it will matter as long as you don't over do it. Rodents and Lagomorphs are very efficient at retrieving the nutrients from their food, they have an enlarged caecum and eat their own soft faeces, so the hard pellets are largely indigestible structural carbohydrates (lignins etc) having had 2 passes through the digestive system.

If the pellets contain some urea it may actually be an advantage. Because they are in the substrate any ammonia resulting from the microbial decomposition of urea: (NH2)2CO + H2O → CO2 + 2NH3) should be scavenged pretty efficiently by your plant roots.

cheers Darrel
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Awesome that. Was hoping youd jump in darrel. Im sure its put the ops mind at rest. Think ill raid my little girls Gerbil cage :)
 
dw1305 said:
eat their own soft faeces, so the hard pellets are largely indigestible structural carbohydrates (lignins etc) having had 2 passes through the digestive system.
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The soft feaces they eat is usualy only produced early in the day, they eat that in order to gain some Vit K and B. Not all food passes twice.;)
 
You guys really know your shi.......(cough) :D
 
There's a dude on another "planted tank forum" who is a proponent of organics in the substrate. He produced a thread "Toxic Ten" one of which was dog poo:eek::sick: He mixes it with soil and caps it with about 2.5cm of very fine sand creating anaerobic conditions, and swears that in a well balanced system it is beneficial:)
 
Would it be beter to dry the poop out first?
Don't have guinea pigs now, but did a long time ago, lovely little animals, and this is an interesting idea!

Edit: just seen the above post, really couldn't do that.........ughhhh
 
o_OOnly if you don't want to to get your fingers dirty...either way always wash your hands afterwards...;)

Drying maybe a good idea for larger scale terrestrial applications...as manure dries the nutrients concentrate on a weight and volume basis...but I'm not sure it'd be of any advantage in an aquatic environment, especially given the small amount we're talking about.
 
Oh right, thanks. Was just thinking about any posible nasties being introduced to the tank, if the poop was....recently passed.....;)
 
Troi said:
.just heat it up in a friend's oven to about 140 degrees C, gas mark 1:)
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Good call ;)
I don't think my family would ever eat a oven cooked meal again if i did that in our oven :lol:
But what they don't know, won't hurt them ...;)
 
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