sounds a little... fishy!

Question
Hi,

My girlfriend is bringing her horse home to our place and is telling me she is going to get a goldfish or two to eat the algae in the water tank. I'm worried about the horse. Will putting a fish in the horse's drinking water affect the horse? She says they do it at work and all the horses are fiine but I'm still worried about it. Wouldn't drinking up fish poop be counter-active to the fish eating up the algae?

Thanks

Answer
Hi Bryan,

Thank you for your question.  As fishy as this practice sounds, it is a common practice to help keep water troughs clean.  I haven't seen any research to prove that it is an unsafe practice...but my personal preference in keeping tanks clean does not include fish :)  In your girlfriend's defense, many people swear by the practice.

The most important practice in keeping tanks algae free is to clean and scrub them regularly...daily when it is very hot out and tubs (especially black ones) are in direct sunlight.  As it gets colder and/or horses are emptying it more quickly, every 2-3 days may be frequent enough cleaning.  

I prefer to add copper sulfate to tanks to keep them clean.  Copper sulfate is very effective at keeping algae out of the tanks, it is inexpensive to use and it is a feed ingredient used in livestock feeds to increase copper levels, suggesting the product is already designated safe for animal consumption.  You need only use a small amount per tank (1 teaspoon treats 1500 gallons of water so a pinch is enough for a 150 gallon tank). Copper sulfate is available in large quantities in most feed stores...I used to repackage it into smaller tubs and sell it for water treatment (water troughs as well as swimming pools). Keep in mind that Copper has a toxic level for all livestock so do not over treat...and do not use it if sheep will have access to the water as they are the most sensitive to high copper levels.  Don't let that disclaimer discourage you, it is quite safe as long as you pay attention to how much you use.  And it is certainly more safe than the Bleach that many people suggest using.  Not only would the bleach be harmful to the horse, but it kills of the bacteria in the cecum of the horse, ruining the horse's hindgut efficiency.

I hope that dispells the fishiness.

Thanks, Corlena