Would aquarium water be bad for chickens?

[Kisura]

Would you consider using water from a fresh water fish tank to water your chickens? We have a 30gal heavily planted freshwater tank; we change the water every week. We test the water regularly and maintain it at 5-10 ppm nitrate, 0 nitrite, 0 ammonia, and 7.2ph. During the summer we put it on the garden, but have recently started thinking about giving it to the chickens. We have been giving the chickens a floating plant (like duckweed) when we clean it and it’s their favorite treat after mealworms. Thoughts?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Maybe I’m just a germophobe but I think I would be grossed out drinking it even kept clean, fish can carry salmonella so that may be a concern but then again chickens can too. All that said though, animals can drink some disgusting things by their own choice like my chickens prefer dirty muddy/probably poopy puddles over clean water and many dogs drink from toilets or used to do it might be okay but I personally would think it’d be better to give them fresh clean water but idk. How long would the water stay in there? I go out to top it off/refill every day and some totally replace daily. One of my chickens has drunken from my fish pond before as well as stolen their food though and she’s fine but I don’t think I would intentionally give it as their only water but idk. Maybe you could mix it into a compost pile or something? So the nutrients get added to it and not wasted?

 

[Folly's place]

As garden fertilizer, for ornamentals, it's great. For vegetables, or waterers, no way.
Mary

 

[MarkJr]

Thanks for the comment Mary. I’m curious why you wouldn’t use the aquarium water for vegetables or waterers?

Would you drink it straight?

Some vegetables have the ability to draw moistures contamination directly into the produce. This uptake has caused lettuce recalls just this past summer.

 

[MarkJr]

And my nitrate numbers were far off the safe scale.

 

[Wolfie2]

I normally siphon my aquarium directly into the flower bed (right under the window) But I will sometime catch into 5 gal buckets if weather has been dry and other plants can use the water. One "flower bed"that gets a lot of this water has papaya, guava. pineapple and banana plants in it. We have eaten off all these plants with no ill effects.

 

[PopoMyers]

If I have fresh water source for my girls, why would I give them "used" water? Even if the chemicals are tested at low levels, could the water contain other contaminants? Personally, I dump it in my garden. Plants love it.

 

[My2butterflies]

For a secondary water source, sure. Why not? I don’t see how it could hurt as long as it isn’t from a gravel cleaning or after meds added.
My birds love drinking from my pond in the warmer months.

I however wouldn’t have that be their only water. Plants use up nutrients in the water that other plants/animals also need. So why give them only used water if fresh water is available?

 

[Kisura]

Maybe I’m just a germophobe but I think I would be grossed out drinking it even kept clean, fish can carry salmonella so that may be a concern but then again chickens can too. All that said though, animals can drink some disgusting things by their own choice like my chickens prefer dirty muddy/probably poopy puddles over clean water and many dogs drink from toilets or used to do it might be okay but I personally would think it’d be better to give them fresh clean water but idk. How long would the water stay in there? I go out to top it off/refill every day and some totally replace daily. One of my chickens has drunken from my fish pond before as well as stolen their food though and she’s fine but I don’t think I would intentionally give it as their only water but idk. Maybe you could mix it into a compost pile or something? So the nutrients get added to it and not wasted?

I’m a bit of a germaphobe myself, and normally stay on the side of caution (unless, I’m siphoning “clean” chicken drinking water). I’ve not given aquarium water to the chickens, largely because i agree with so much said here: why? There is more risk than benefit, and I have clean water available. I was just curious about it as a possibility. Of course, I have now started all sorts of projects so the aquarium water and chicken poop don’t get wasted

 

[Kisura]

If I have fresh water source for my girls, why would I give them "used" water? Even if the chemicals are tested at low levels, could the water contain other contaminants? Personally, I dump it in my garden. Plants love it.

You just summarized my decision. I don’t think it’d hurt them, but it’s not necessay to find out. I do have clean water available and can use the aquarium water elsewhere .