Goldfish in water troughs?

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JillA

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Two separate people have told me about this now - apparently if you keep goldfish in your water troughs they keep the water clean by feeding on the sediment, algae etc. I did ask in a shop a few years ago and they said well fish excrete waste as well but those who told me swear it works well. You obviously have to stop it freezing over or freezing solid - anyone done it and find it works?
 
They'll definitely eat midge larvae and bugs and will certainly sift through sediment but they wont eat it all - and they'll produce their own waste which will add to the sediment.
I've never done it but from a welfare point of view I think if the trough were 40 gallons or larger, and self filling then I suppose it's alright. Personally I think a sponge does a better job though!
 
I have seen fish life in a large cattle trough, the trough only stays clean when the cattle have access to it because they drink such large volume that with or without fish the water is replenish with fresh in such amounts. Fish add fairly large amounts of toxins to the water so they may remove some of the green algae and all the midges but the add their own waste-so no they are not good for water tanks.
 
My fish would hate to be in a trough as they love whizzing about through their plants and weeds and snoozing in the shallows when it is warm. Also in the winter they go to the bottom of the pond and sleep until spring. I would have thought a water trough in use during the winter would be too busy for them - also the ice on my trough is far thicker than on the pond and you have to be so careful breaking the ice as the shock can kill the fish - I tend to take a fence post to bash the ice on the trough as it is frozen solid.

Having kept horses for years I have noticed that in the last 10 years or so the troughs get green so quickly now.
 
I can't think this would be pleasant for either the fish or the horse! I'd stick to just cleaning the trough out every now and then. I know it's not the nicest job (esp when you get splashed in the face with mucky sludgy water) and in cold weather when your hands 'burn' from the cold but Im a bit anal about my horse always having fresh, clean water!
 
Goldfish will increase the green algae due to the waste they produce. It's really not humane to put them in a trough and just leave them to it :(
 
JillA said:
Two separate people have told me about this now - apparently if you keep goldfish in your water troughs they keep the water clean by feeding on the sediment, algae etc. I did ask in a shop a few years ago and they said well fish excrete waste as well but those who told me swear it works well. You obviously have to stop it freezing over or freezing solid - anyone done it and find it works?
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We always kept gold fish in troughs back in the 70's and through till a few years here but our troughs are too shallow and unless you have some stone for them to hide the birds get the. If they are self filling tanks then then will have the centre piece with the ball cock to hid under , other wise put something in the. Yes they will have waste in there but usually sinks, but then I would wash the trough out at least every two months, but they do keep the lava out the water asnd do stop it freezing to some extent, but then when mega freeze we have a spare tank for them to be transfer ed into, in our common room
 
EQUIDAE said:
Goldfish will increase the green algae due to the waste they produce. It's really not humane to put them in a trough and just leave them to it :(
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This.

What about looking at the silver discs that you put into your troughs to keep them clean, I am sure some kind person will remember what they are and add it the thread (do they work too?).
 
Why is it not humane ?if it's a large trough they are in no different situation to my outdoor gold fish .
And some of those are pushing twenty so it can't be that bad a way to live .
 
I think this would be cruel. We put a lot of effort into keeping our goldfish alive (it's not that easy) so I can't imagine how good for them it would be to plonk them in a water trough. We once had two die because the water was a bit cold when we changed it. We looked into how to look after the fish properly as we didn't want to kill the remaining one and it's actually quite complex! It's much easier to keep a horse alive. I now appreciate that they have needs as much as any pet and buying them for the prupose of keeping your troughs clean(if it even works, I seem to spen a lot of time keeping the green in the goldfish tank under control!) is not right. Also any reputable pet shop, ie who sell healthy fish likely to survive will not simply sell you the fish without evidence that you have an appropriate tank, filter etc etc. I'm sure people would be quick enough to comment if someone who knew nothing about horses and had made no effort to find out how to meet their needs purchased a horse, it's no less cruel just because it's a goldfish
 
simionet said:
I think this would be cruel. We put a lot of effort into keeping our goldfish alive (it's not that easy) so I can't imagine how good for them it would be to plonk them in a water trough. We once had two die because the water was a bit cold when we changed it. We looked into how to look after the fish properly as we didn't want to kill the remaining one and it's actually quite complex! It's much easier to keep a horse alive. I now appreciate that they have needs as much as any pet and buying them for the prupose of keeping your troughs clean(if it even works, I seem to spen a lot of time keeping the green in the goldfish tank under control!) is not right. Also any reputable pet shop, ie who sell healthy fish likely to survive will not simply sell you the fish without evidence that you have an appropriate tank, filter etc etc. I'm sure people would be quick enough to comment if someone who knew nothing about horses and had made no effort to find out how to meet their needs purchased a horse, it's no less cruel just because it's a goldfish
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Just because you can't keep your goldfish alive does not means it's difficult .
Mine live in a an outdoor water feature they are not fed from mid to end of October to end of March ish when the water warms up ,they have lived through weeks of sub zero temperatures ( you use a a ball full holes to ensure they can get up for oxygen if they choose ) they feed in summer on what lives in the water but I do feed them in spring but they would probably be fine with nothing btw most goldfish die from over feeding .
All have lived over ten years and our oldest will be almost twenty I lose one now and again the last one three years ago I replace them with tiny cheap pet shop bought goldfish they grow and thrive from the day they go in ( always after quarantine in water taken from the pond )
However I don't think a small plastic trough would be a good place for a gold fish and you would need to remember to provide oxygenated water by taking water out the trough and letting it run daily if the horses where away from the field and nothing was drinking from the trough .
The silver disks look easier .
 
Really don't think it's fair on the fish. Fresh chlorinated water is bad for fish. Green algae may be unsightly but it isn't dirty. Goldfish need places to hide from predators. A freestanding trough is not a big enough volume of water to prevent dramatic temperature changes in summer and not deep enough to avoid freezing solid in winter.
 
The pond shops near me sell you whatever you want, they don't ask for 'evidence'!

Self-filling troughs from the mains =highly chlorinated water. There's a reason you're meant to dechlorinate water before adding fish-it can kill them and burns their gills. Even standing water filled by hose contains chloromine, another noxious substance for fish. Chloromine can stay for weeks. I think it's extremely cruel. Just because they're fish doesn't mean they should be treated that way.

Goldfish require a filter in any pond, because they are dirty fish. The nitrates they produce, plus warmth and sunlight=algae and green water. I don't want my horse drinking goldfish poo! (Actually, he always drinks from the ball clock bit, little swine!)
 
Freaked me out when I found them in a trough at last yard....got to wondering what happened if the horses sucked them up whilst drinking....or thought they were a carrot...
 
simionet said:
I think this would be cruel. We put a lot of effort into keeping our goldfish alive (it's not that easy) so I can't imagine how good for them it would be to plonk them in a water trough. We once had two die because the water was a bit cold when we changed it. We looked into how to look after the fish properly as we didn't want to kill the remaining one and it's actually quite complex! It's much easier to keep a horse alive. I now appreciate that they have needs as much as any pet and buying them for the prupose of keeping your troughs clean(if it even works, I seem to spen a lot of time keeping the green in the goldfish tank under control!) is not right. Also any reputable pet shop, ie who sell healthy fish likely to survive will not simply sell you the fish without evidence that you have an appropriate tank, filter etc etc. I'm sure people would be quick enough to comment if someone who knew nothing about horses and had made no effort to find out how to meet their needs purchased a horse, it's no less cruel just because it's a goldfish
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How horrid us keeping goldfish in water and a huge trough, I mean they cannot do what comes natural to them - swimming - eating - being kept in a huge trough instead of a poky glass tank / bowl - how cruel are we. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.


Some of our fish at PF were there for years - they survived.


What I hate and will prob get shot down for saying it is birds in cages - or large birds kept as pets unnaturally in a house instead of in the skies.

That IMO is unfair as they cannot fly or even fly free where as fish can still swim and do what comes naturally
 
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Well I have 2 goldfish in my yard trough. They have been in there for 3 years now. The trough is a huge house header tank some 3 foot deep and fed via a bowser from rain water off the stables roof.
I felt sorry for the fish in their little bio tank so I liberated them. They have a solar powered air stone in there and I feed them. They have grown and seem extremely happy in what must now seem like a lake to them.
 
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