Cleaning Stock Tanks

[Bamadan]

Any of you ever put gold fish in your stock tanks? I've been told they will eat the algae and any larvae in the water. (I've been told a lot of other things as well, most of which did not turn out to be accurate) But it does seem like it ought to work.
Let me know...Thanks

 

[TCRanch]

Was going to try gold fish a few years ago but can't find them around here. Bleach works wonders. For a 300 gal stock tank I use about an ounce and little over 2 oz. in the 600 gal tank.

 

[HanknCali]

Yes have done it going on three years now and very pleased with the results. We put 50 "feeder" goldfish in each 600 gallon water troughs, both large plastic round tanks. The fish have done a good job of keeping the algae growth down. I still scoop the stuff off the top on occasion (during warm months) but mostly the fish keep it eatin down. Lost a few fish last winter during a cold spell when the top of the water froze solid but at about 8 cents each it wasn't a major loss.
As the fish get larger and more die off i just add 10 or 20 back into the tanks as needed. Cheap and easy way to "decrease" algae and larvae production.
It's worth a try

 

[TCRanch]

Here ya go! Found my old post on controlling algae. And I forgot goldfish are a type of carp.

http://cattletoday.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=99742&hilit=algae+in+stock+tanks

 

[1982vett]

I don't clean them. Water in my cow troughs is a lot cleaner than the tanks the regularly drink from.

 

[wbvs58]

I have some big copper sulphate tablets to put in them but the only trouble is they are still sitting on the table on my verandah and have been there for about a year now so can't report on their effectiveness but I felt that a bit of extra copper intake would not hurt.

I would like to try goldfish but carp getting out into our inland waterways is a big problem with our native fishery so would not try it.

Ken

 

[Redgully]

I have some big copper sulphate tablets to put in them but the only trouble is they are still sitting on the table on my verandah and have been there for about a year now so can't report on their effectiveness but I felt that a bit of extra copper intake would not hurt.

I would like to try goldfish but carp getting out into our inland waterways is a big problem with our native fishery so would not try it.

Ken

How about some silver perch?

 

[wbvs58]

I have some big copper sulphate tablets to put in them but the only trouble is they are still sitting on the table on my verandah and have been there for about a year now so can't report on their effectiveness but I felt that a bit of extra copper intake would not hurt.

I would like to try goldfish but carp getting out into our inland waterways is a big problem with our native fishery so would not try it.

Ken

How about some silver perch?

Yeh, do they survive in that small a volume?

Ken

 

[Son of Butch]

As teenager use to put snapping turtles in our cow's long metal stock tank.
Trapped them out of river and stored them in the tank until could get them to town where
a bar/grill owner bought 'em to make turtle soup. I don't remember them bothering the cows
too much. I'd catch about 12-18 nice big ones each summer.

 

[sstterry]

Just a touch of pond dye will keep the algae out too. Same principle as it works in a pond.

 

[Redgully]

I have some big copper sulphate tablets to put in them but the only trouble is they are still sitting on the table on my verandah and have been there for about a year now so can't report on their effectiveness but I felt that a bit of extra copper intake would not hurt.

I would like to try goldfish but carp getting out into our inland waterways is a big problem with our native fishery so would not try it.

Ken

How about some silver perch?

Yeh, do they survive in that small a volume?

Ken

Interesting question, wonder if they would stay small. I guess there is only one way to find out... around here the crows would have them before they had a chance to find out.

 

[wbvs58]

How about some silver perch?

Yeh, do they survive in that small a volume?

Ken

Interesting question, wonder if they would stay small. I guess there is only one way to find out... around here the crows would have them before they had a chance to find out.

There is a hatchery the other side of town, I might try some. Don't know if they have any water left for the fish to swim in, things are pretty desperate around here.

Ken

 

[Redgully]

Yeh, do they survive in that small a volume?

Ken

Interesting question, wonder if they would stay small. I guess there is only one way to find out... around here the crows would have them before they had a chance to find out.

There is a hatchery the other side of town, I might try some. Don't know if they have any water left for the fish to swim in, things are pretty desperate around here.

Ken

I heard you have 100 million coming your way, too late for many and still not going to make it rain. Kind of seems beyond desperate now. The south coast of wa around Esperence is really bad too.

 

[Bamadan]

I'll let you know if it works, I put a few in all my tanks yesterday. I may need to add a few more. Got them (feeder Goldfish) at a local pet store, $.25 each. People at the pet store says they will get up to 8 to 10" if they live long enough. We will see...

 

[76 Bar]

There's a reason they're called feeders :roll: Its acknowledged/anticipated they typically don't live to a ripe old age and certainly haven't been coddled. Its imperative to float the plastic bag they came in the troughs for 30 or so minutes to minimize temperature shock. Initial die off will be significantly more than you might anticipate so buy accordingly. Those that live will be survivalists, reduce algae, gobble up mosquito larvae and reproduce. For the fry to survive and minimize predator depredation (coons and herons, etc) on the resident population its wise to place a piece of pipe in the trough so they have an opportunity to hide/escape. And yes, given the opportunity they can grow quite large and remarkably colorful.

 

[NonTypicalCPA]

We've done it. They definitely help.

 

[greggy]

I'll let you know if it works, I put a few in all my tanks yesterday. I may need to add a few more. Got them (feeder Goldfish) at a local pet store, $.25 each. People at the pet store says they will get up to 8 to 10" if they live long enough. We will see...

Not if the cows get a taste for seafood

 

[greggy]

I thought I would just ask, have cattle died from troughs and tanks that were not cleaned ?