Goldfish in Water Troughs?

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Does anyone have them in their field waters? Do they really keep the water cleaner? We have 7 horses of mixed ages sharing the field, 4 out at night, then they come in and a different 3 go out for the day. I own 2, my friend owns 4 and another lady just the 1, we are all at the yard at different times. So would fish in the water trough benefit us? Who ever see it low fills it up.
 
We have had them - but more for fun that to clear the water. Someone's daughter won them at a fair. You'd really need too many fish to be practical to keep the water / trough clear. But if they all die suddenly that could perhaps serve as an indicator of a problem.

But if your troughs are not automatic - and it sounds like yours might not be - there is a very real risk of them over heating and dying in hot weather - and of freezing through in the winter. I know its only a fish, but that seems a pretty rotten way to die to me. (And yes - I do keep fish as well as horses. Just not together!)
 
I've heard of others doing this but can't quite get my head around the fact that where there's fish there's going to be fish poo....
 
I was at a friends yard and scooped out a dead one ! didn't look very nice for the goldfish ! and the trough was still pea green !
 
I wouldn't like to drink out of a fish tank, wouldn't want my horse to either! Can also imagine it's quite stressful for the fish?!

It's one of those icky 'once a year, needs must' type jobs isn't it, draining out the trough and giving it a good power hose and scrub - a bit like pulling all the rubber matting out to give it a good clean.

Can't see how it would be of any benefit to either party.
 
Fresh water going in contains chlorine which apparently burns the fish-horrible. Pond weed is better and oxygenates the water so helping it stay clear. Clean your trough!
 
I think goldfish are used in other countries to eat mosquito larvae not to keep the trough clean. Not so much a problem over though.
 
Horribly cruel for the goldfish. They need plenty of space, air and a powerful filter, as well as weekly water changes with fresh dechlorinated water. Goldfish produce a huge amount of waste compared to tropicals. They do not keep water clean, or clear, in any way at all. The water has to be regularly tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and PH. It also has to go through the water cycle before it is safe for them. You could never keep a water trough cycled and therefore safe for the fish. As it wouldn't be cycled, your horses would be drinking ammonia so not safe for them either.
 
Ah I see, wont do it then, We do clean the trough but it takes planning for us to be there all at the same time, its too heavy even empty to lift without all of us
 
We got our goldfish from someone who had them in all their water trough's, apparently they bred like wildfire! They look far nicer and happier in my garden pond!
 
shadeofshyness said:
Horribly cruel for the goldfish. They need plenty of space, air and a powerful filter, as well as weekly water changes with fresh dechlorinated water. Goldfish produce a huge amount of waste compared to tropicals. They do not keep water clean, or clear, in any way at all. The water has to be regularly tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and PH. It also has to go through the water cycle before it is safe for them. You could never keep a water trough cycled and therefore safe for the fish. As it wouldn't be cycled, your horses would be drinking ammonia so not safe for them either.
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THIS!

It drives me mad that people see goldfish as an easy pet option. To thrive they actually need quite a complex and large set up. Yes they may survive in small uncycled, unheated, uncleaned bowls but that doesn't mean they should.
Would never keep them in a trough.
 
shadeofshyness said:
Horribly cruel for the goldfish. They need plenty of space, air and a powerful filter, as well as weekly water changes with fresh dechlorinated water. Goldfish produce a huge amount of waste compared to tropicals. They do not keep water clean, or clear, in any way at all. The water has to be regularly tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and PH. It also has to go through the water cycle before it is safe for them. You could never keep a water trough cycled and therefore safe for the fish. As it wouldn't be cycled, your horses would be drinking ammonia so not safe for them either.
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This ^^^^^^

In total agreement. Have been a fishy as well as horsey person pretty much since I could walk and that anyone could think goldfish would actually keep water clean is completely beyond me. They are one of the muckiest fish to keep! If you thought your trough was mucky before with goldfish, even if they did live more than a week you'd have a trough with even more sludge on the bottom, and worse quality water then ever you did before.
 
The kids i look after and me enjoy cleaning the trough on hot days in the summer usually results in everyone getting drenched. In the winter fields we have an old bath so just pull the plug when it needs emptying and cleaning.
 
Was endurance riding and horse and I stopped at a nice still part of a river so he could drink. He stood there with his nose by the water fascinated by the cockabillies that were swimming around his legs.
 
I Think CC would need 'fish are friends not food' tattooed on her brain. She's a bit 'over' friendly with other creatures sometimes. But won't be doing it anyway :D
 
3OldPonies said:
This ^^^^^^

In total agreement. Have been a fishy as well as horsey person pretty much since I could walk and that anyone could think goldfish would actually keep water clean is completely beyond me. They are one of the muckiest fish to keep! If you thought your trough was mucky before with goldfish, even if they did live more than a week you'd have a trough with even more sludge on the bottom, and worse quality water then ever you did before.
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Completely agree, I used to sell fish filters for tanks and kept a variety of cold water fish myself. They really are very dirty fish, not compatible with keeping your trough clean at all and not good for the fish either. Sorry, but the whole idea is a big no,no.
 
I think it's very unkind. Also, green water isn't as such dirty, in fact it's probably clean and healthy, just remains still long enough for algae to thrive.
 
We use to put footballs/tennis balls in the water troughs in the fields in really cold winters so that it didnt fully freeze over and stop the horses drinking, also made it easier for us to rebreak the ice. You could see them from a distance spending hours knocking the ball around and trying to dunk it.... I can imagine fish may attract a similar hobby.. not nice for them!
 
The Polo Bear said:
Does anyone have them in their field waters? Do they really keep the water cleaner? We have 7 horses of mixed ages sharing the field, 4 out at night, then they come in and a different 3 go out for the day. I own 2, my friend owns 4 and another lady just the 1, we are all at the yard at different times. So would fish in the water trough benefit us? Who ever see it low fills it up.
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Sadly our troughs are too shallow but in the 70's we always kept them in troughs. We did start here and they kept the water cleaner by ridding the red worm mosquito lava, they also reduced the trough from freezing in the winter. There needs to be a part (under ball cock) or such for the fish to escape when there are birds flying down

That said they are very mucky but since the horses auto filler fill troughs up reg the water was clean as we had a testing kit to see how clear the water was.
 
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millikins said:
I think it's very unkind. Also, green water isn't as such dirty, in fact it's probably clean and healthy, just remains still long enough for algae to thrive.
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Unkind????

fish have a home
water to swim
natural food in the way of algae???

FWIW the fish swim down to bottom when a large shadow horse - human- bird- comes over the top of the trough and cast shadow
 
It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?
 
montanna said:
I wouldn't like to drink out of a fish tank, wouldn't want my horse to either! Can also imagine it's quite stressful for the fish?!

It's one of those icky 'once a year, needs must' type jobs isn't it, draining out the trough and giving it a good power hose and scrub - a bit like pulling all the rubber matting out to give it a good clean.

Can't see how it would be of any benefit to either party.
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Once a YEAR!!! Good grief, I clean mine at least twice a month..............
 
muddy_grey said:
I think goldfish are used in other countries to eat mosquito larvae not to keep the trough clean. Not so much a problem over though.
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We use them to keep down Mosquitos and other midge characters that breed in water. Works really well.

One friend has fish over 10 years old in her horses tanks. They get scooped into a bucket every so often and the trough is cleaned out. After a few hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate off they get returned to the trough
 
ozpoz said:
It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?
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I think we have different requirements to gold fish....
 
Goldfish are carp. They are pretty sturdy!

I don't really understand why fish would make the tank dirtier. It's a closed system (I know it's not really but for the purposes of discussion) so they aren't introducing anything into the tank that isn't already there. I presume the squeamishness is because of fish poo ;) but everything that would be in it is already there. What would horses do if they had to drink out of a pond or lake. . . .;)

The fish do need cover, not just from predators but from sun. Unless your tank is pond sized they need shade. And they need to be protected from the cold. Carp are tough but in the wild they would just go deeper into the water, where it's warmer, which is not an option. They also need oxygen, so need a large enough area and/or movement in the water.
 
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