Fish in My Chickens' Water Bucket?

[bobdlee]

This may be the dumbest idea I've ever had but..

I water my chickens via a 5-gallon bucket. I top it off every day and clean/fill it with clean water about once a week (two or three times a week in the summer).

Algae grows very quickly in the bucket, especially in the summer.

So here's the probably dumb idea: I've wondered if I wouldn't have to clean the bucket quite as often if I put a little sucker fish in the there. I remember that's how we would keep our fish tank clean when I was a kid.

I'm worried, though, that it might be unhealthy for there to be a fish (with all of its excrement and whatnot) in the girls' drinking water.

But maybe it would be more healthy somehow?? I suppose stranger things have happened....

Has anyone tried this? What do people think?

 

[b.hromada]

I don't know the answer. But, I would think that they'd eat them?

 

[Soccer Mom]

I've always kept feeder guppies in my stock tanks, but Idk if a five gallon is big enough to have fish in. FYI, those sucker fish are very sensitive to tempature fluctuations. Feeder guppies also eat algae and are extremely hardy little boogers. Plus they are cheap, cheap, cheap.

I wouldn't worry about the poo. My birds have a huge pond filled with fish and frogs and turtles and geese, etc. All critters who "poo" and swim in the water. Hasn't killed 'em yet.

Most likely your birds will eat any fish they can catch and that won't hurt them in the slightest.

 

[bobdlee]

Yeah, they might eat the fish too. But I would guess that the fish would most likely in the bottom two-thirds of the bucket (out of the chickens' reach), since that's where the vast majority of the algae forms.

 

[Emzyyy]

What about Apple Snails?

 

[TXmom]

I have no idea about the fish...but if you add about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar (Organic, with the mother)...the algae and bacteria will be greatly reduced in your waterer, and it's very healthy for your chickens. When I run out of Apple Cider Vinegar, the water turns nasty very quickly.

 

[NancyDz]

Yea I used to use the feeder guppies in my horse tank .. worked good. Also kept out the mosquito larvae.



nancy

 

[b.hromada]

Quote:
Yes! They do an excellent job as well!!!

 

[Chicky Tocks]

Quote:

I'm sorry but this just gave me the most hilarious picture!
Seriously, I'm something fo a tropical fish expert and I can honestly say that a sucker fish wouldn't survive in a chicken water bucket. They need oxygen unlike a goldfish who needs less oxygen and can live in a bowl, a suckerfish (plecostomus) is more tropical and needs bubbles going..not to mention the fluctuation of temps. They are susceptible to ick and this is caused by temp flucts.

 

[The Chicken People]

Fishy eggs?