fish pond as a source of water

[Bubba]

I really didn't want to explain. In short I have had the roots rot and it turns into a biotoxin! I put two dogs down sadly before I figured it out. Lost over 50 koi, 100 goldfish among other animals. I even started to lose hair because I was putting my hands in the water. You know when its happening they turn purple. Before you jump on me for my dogs you need to understand the lengths I go through to help my animals. There was nothing I could do (3 Vets had no idea) and they kept getting sicker. I figured it out after I changed houses. I had yet again another mass die off in one of my outdoor tanks. I knew right then what it was, took a root squeezed it into another tank, everything was dead by morning. Its nasty stuff but I have NEVER heard anything about it on the web and really didn't want to tell people about another cheap poison they can use..... Maybe it was just my plants, maybe they had a fungus that rotted. IDK and didn't care to keep playing with it. I now use only cattails, bamboo and lilys in my tanks and ponds.

Bubba

PS You won't have a problem with elephant ears UNTIL they rot. They were great at cleaning the water. I use an ecosystem approach to my outdoor tanks. Fish, Plants, Sand, Insects, Oxygen and Snails.

This might have been a one off thing idk, is it really worth finding out the hard way?

 

[momoftwinsinwi]

Here's my pond in the background, I would be afraid something would get them, that's why I don't let them free range, the neighbors let there's free range but I know when one of my boys goes exploring on the backside of the pond, he's found the fox dens with lots and lots of "feathers" around them...I think the fox are stealing the neighbors chickens....

 

[Zenbirder]

Bubba, thanks for the info and I am really sorry for your losses. You may have done me a great big favor. We have a pond and sometimes people have given us starts of pond plants. I would never even have thought to say no because of toxic rotting. Perhaps the loss of your your poor dogs and fish helped save others.

 

[chickbea]

I have a teeny weeny fish pond (100 +/- gallons). I add fresh water a couple of times a week, and have a small pump. My girls don't drink out of it very often, but I have seen them do it and it hasn't seemed to cause any harm.

 

[gallery2000]

I was thinking of extending my chicken pen out into the pond. This way my chickens will be protected against unknown predators such as minks, alligators, and giant fish.

 

[devora]

holy cow, not giant fish!!

 

[gallery2000]

I tried to eat elephant ear roots once and I almost died. My throat and mouth swelled up like a balloon. My neighbor stabbed a little hole in my neck for me to breath. Emergency room doctor told me that I had an anaphylatic reaction or severe allergy to that root. He told me not to eat it again. I listened to his instructions and I did not eat it again. However, I saw on the internet that elephant ear roots tea is good for certain medical problems. I dipped EE roots in boiling water to make tea. I inspected the EE roots tea I just made carefully to make sure there was no roots in there. I took a sip and my throat swelled up like a ball. Lucky me, I injected myself with an epi-pen that the doctor gave to me and called 911. I am still alive today but very afraid of EE.

 

[Bubba]

WAIT AFTER you had an allergic reaction to the root you made a TEA out of it??? Wow why would you even risk that, whew your lucky or did I miss read that?

Bubba

 

[dlhunicorn]

I have a pond my birds have access to though I must admit I would prefer they not have access...there are many things that can go wrong with water particularly if algae is present... I always have a fresh water source (alternative to the pond) at three different place around the edge to encourage them to drink from the waterer and not the pond (not only that but they tend to poo in the pon and this encourages alge growth in my pond!)

 

[Mac]

Thanks for the EE information Bubba, and I too am sorry to hear what you had to go through with your animals and yourself. Been there, done that, and it really sucks.

I'm posting this while looking fondly out the window at "Dumbo" my EE that I've had outside in a huge pot for years. He is truly spectacular. Along with the 11 chickens I've inherited with the farm I bought is a 1 acre spring fed pond, very clean and over filled with catfish. I was planning to plant Dumbo on the water's edge when I finally move out there. Now I will NOT.


Thanks again so very much; you just gave me a great save sharing your experiences.
Mac