# Goldfish in Water Troughs?



## Feival (20 May 2014)

Does anyone have them in their field waters? Do they really keep the water cleaner? We have 7 horses of mixed ages sharing the field, 4 out at night, then they come in and a different 3 go out for the day. I own 2, my friend owns 4 and another lady just the 1, we are all at the yard at different times. So would fish in the water trough benefit us? Who ever see it low fills it up.


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## Shay (20 May 2014)

We have had them - but more for fun that to clear the water.  Someone's daughter won them at a fair.  You'd really need too many fish to be practical to keep the water  / trough clear.  But if they all die suddenly that could perhaps serve as an indicator of a problem.

But if your troughs are not automatic - and it sounds like yours might not be - there is a very real risk of them over heating and dying in hot weather - and of freezing through in the winter.  I know its only a fish, but that seems a pretty rotten way to die to me.  (And yes - I do keep fish as well as horses.  Just not together!)


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## Old Bat (20 May 2014)

I've heard of others doing this but can't quite get my head around the fact that where there's fish there's going to be fish poo....


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## Exploding Chestnuts (20 May 2014)

to keep a goldfish tank clean you need water snails and pond weed,


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## ester (20 May 2014)

The fish people on here would also say that it's really not good for the goldfish!


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## Abby-Lou (20 May 2014)

I was at a friends yard and scooped out a dead one !  didn't look very nice for the goldfish ! and the trough was still pea green !


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## montanna (20 May 2014)

I wouldn't like to drink out of a fish tank, wouldn't want my horse to either! Can also imagine it's quite stressful for the fish?!

It's one of those icky 'once a year, needs must' type jobs isn't it, draining out the trough and giving it a good power hose and scrub - a bit like pulling all the rubber matting out to give it a good clean.

Can't see how it would be of any benefit to either party.


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## Cinnamontoast (20 May 2014)

Fresh water going in contains chlorine which apparently burns the fish-horrible. Pond weed is better and oxygenates the water so helping it stay clear. Clean your trough!


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## muddy_grey (20 May 2014)

I think goldfish are used in other countries to eat mosquito larvae not to keep the trough clean.  Not so much a problem over though.


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## shadeofshyness (20 May 2014)

Horribly cruel for the goldfish. They need plenty of space, air and a powerful filter, as well as weekly water changes with fresh dechlorinated water. Goldfish produce a huge amount of waste compared to tropicals. They do not keep water clean, or clear, in any way at all. The water has to be regularly tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and PH. It also has to go through the water cycle before it is safe for them. You could never keep a water trough cycled and therefore safe for the fish. As it wouldn't be cycled, your horses would be drinking ammonia so not safe for them either.


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## Feival (20 May 2014)

Ah I see, wont do it then, We do clean the trough but it takes planning for us to be there all at the same time, its too heavy even empty to lift without all of us


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## poiuytrewq (20 May 2014)

We got our goldfish from someone who had them in all their water trough's, apparently they bred like wildfire! They look far nicer and happier in my garden pond!


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## atropa (20 May 2014)

shadeofshyness said:



			Horribly cruel for the goldfish. They need plenty of space, air and a powerful filter, as well as weekly water changes with fresh dechlorinated water. Goldfish produce a huge amount of waste compared to tropicals. They do not keep water clean, or clear, in any way at all. The water has to be regularly tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and PH. It also has to go through the water cycle before it is safe for them. You could never keep a water trough cycled and therefore safe for the fish. As it wouldn't be cycled, your horses would be drinking ammonia so not safe for them either.
		
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THIS!

It drives me mad that people see goldfish as an easy pet option. To thrive they actually need quite a complex and large set up. Yes they may survive in small uncycled, unheated, uncleaned bowls but that doesn't mean they should. 
Would never keep them in a trough.


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## 3OldPonies (20 May 2014)

shadeofshyness said:



			Horribly cruel for the goldfish. They need plenty of space, air and a powerful filter, as well as weekly water changes with fresh dechlorinated water. Goldfish produce a huge amount of waste compared to tropicals. They do not keep water clean, or clear, in any way at all. The water has to be regularly tested for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and PH. It also has to go through the water cycle before it is safe for them. You could never keep a water trough cycled and therefore safe for the fish. As it wouldn't be cycled, your horses would be drinking ammonia so not safe for them either.
		
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This ^^^^^^

In total agreement.  Have been a fishy as well as horsey person pretty much since I could walk and that anyone could think goldfish would actually keep water clean is completely beyond me.  They are one of the muckiest fish to keep! If you thought your trough was mucky before with goldfish, even if they did live more than a week you'd have a trough with even more sludge on the bottom, and worse quality water then ever you did before.


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## cider loving mare (20 May 2014)

The kids i look after and me enjoy cleaning the trough on hot days in the summer usually results in everyone getting drenched. In the winter fields we have an old bath so just pull the plug when it needs emptying and cleaning.


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## NZJenny (20 May 2014)

Was endurance riding and horse and I stopped at a nice still part of a river so he could drink.  He stood there with his nose by the water fascinated by the cockabillies that were swimming around his legs.


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## Feival (20 May 2014)

I Think CC would need  'fish are friends not food' tattooed on her brain. She's a bit 'over' friendly with other creatures sometimes. But won't be doing it anyway


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## kerrieberry2 (20 May 2014)

never tired it, never will, my youngster has to put EVERYTHING in his mouth!  I reckon he'd defo have a go at fishing them out!


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## LessThanPerfect (20 May 2014)

3OldPonies said:



			This ^^^^^^

In total agreement.  Have been a fishy as well as horsey person pretty much since I could walk and that anyone could think goldfish would actually keep water clean is completely beyond me.  They are one of the muckiest fish to keep! If you thought your trough was mucky before with goldfish, even if they did live more than a week you'd have a trough with even more sludge on the bottom, and worse quality water then ever you did before.
		
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Completely agree, I used to sell fish filters for tanks and kept a variety of cold water fish myself.  They really are very dirty fish, not compatible with keeping your trough clean at all and not good for the fish either. Sorry, but the whole idea is a big no,no.


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## Feival (20 May 2014)

kerrieberry2 said:



			never tired it, never will, my youngster has to put EVERYTHING in his mouth!  I reckon he'd defo have a go at fishing them out!
		
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CC is the same, yesterday I was oiling her feet with 'silverfeet' hoof oil. she was licking it off as I was putting it on!


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## millikins (20 May 2014)

I think it's very unkind. Also, green water isn't as such dirty, in fact it's probably clean and healthy, just remains still long enough for algae to thrive.


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## NZJenny (21 May 2014)

kerrieberry2 said:



			never tired it, never will, my youngster has to put EVERYTHING in his mouth!  I reckon he'd defo have a go at fishing them out!
		
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LOL - I've got one of those too.  Fishing would keep her occupied for hours.


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## misskk88 (21 May 2014)

We use to put footballs/tennis balls in the water troughs in the fields in really cold winters so that it didnt fully freeze over and stop the horses drinking, also made it easier for us to rebreak the ice. You could see them from a distance spending hours knocking the ball around and trying to dunk it.... I can imagine fish may attract a similar hobby.. not nice for them!


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## ILuvCowparsely (21 May 2014)

The Polo Bear said:



			Does anyone have them in their field waters? Do they really keep the water cleaner? We have 7 horses of mixed ages sharing the field, 4 out at night, then they come in and a different 3 go out for the day. I own 2, my friend owns 4 and another lady just the 1, we are all at the yard at different times. So would fish in the water trough benefit us? Who ever see it low fills it up.
		
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Sadly our troughs are too shallow but in the 70's we always kept them in troughs.  We did start here and they kept the water cleaner by ridding the red worm mosquito lava, they also reduced the trough from freezing in the winter.  There needs to be a part (under ball cock) or such for the fish to escape when there are birds flying down

 That said they are very mucky but since the horses auto filler fill troughs up reg the water was clean as we had a testing kit to see how clear the water was.


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## ILuvCowparsely (21 May 2014)

millikins said:



			I think it's very unkind. Also, green water isn't as such dirty, in fact it's probably clean and healthy, just remains still long enough for algae to thrive.
		
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 Unkind????

 fish have a home
water to swim
natural food in the way of algae???

FWIW the fish swim down to bottom when a large shadow  horse - human- bird- comes over the top of the trough and cast shadow


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## ozpoz (21 May 2014)

It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?


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## Cortez (21 May 2014)

montanna said:



			I wouldn't like to drink out of a fish tank, wouldn't want my horse to either! Can also imagine it's quite stressful for the fish?!

It's one of those icky 'once a year, needs must' type jobs isn't it, draining out the trough and giving it a good power hose and scrub - a bit like pulling all the rubber matting out to give it a good clean.

Can't see how it would be of any benefit to either party.
		
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Once a YEAR!!! Good grief, I clean mine at least twice a month..............


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## Tnavas (21 May 2014)

muddy_grey said:



			I think goldfish are used in other countries to eat mosquito larvae not to keep the trough clean.  Not so much a problem over though.
		
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We use them to keep down Mosquitos and other midge characters that breed in water. Works really well.

One friend has fish over 10 years old in her horses tanks. They get scooped into a bucket every so often and the trough is cleaned out. After a few hours to allow the chlorine to evaporate off they get returned to the trough


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## ester (21 May 2014)

ozpoz said:



			It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?
		
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I think we have different requirements to gold fish....


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## TarrSteps (21 May 2014)

Goldfish are carp. They are pretty sturdy! 

I don't really understand why fish would make the tank dirtier. It's a closed system (I know it's not really but for the purposes of discussion) so they aren't introducing anything into the tank that isn't already there. I presume the squeamishness is because of fish poo  but everything that would be in it is already there. What would horses do if they had to drink out of a pond or lake. . . .

The fish do need cover, not just from predators but from sun. Unless your tank is pond sized they need shade. And they need to be protected from the cold. Carp are tough but in the wild they would just go deeper into the water, where it's warmer, which is not an option. They also need oxygen, so need a large enough area and/or movement in the water.


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## turnbuckle (21 May 2014)

Given my boy's - how can I put this - "different" approach to life, he'd probably think they were a nice tasty new snack!


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## ester (21 May 2014)

I think it is more that the ammonia that the fish are producing are not good for the fish in a closed system, ponds or lakes being a little larger and unlikely to be technically 'overstocked'.


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## Patterdale (21 May 2014)

ozpoz said:



			It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?
		
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Humans and horses are not fish.


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## Patterdale (21 May 2014)

TarrSteps said:



			I don't really understand why fish would make the tank dirtier.
		
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If you get 2 identical bowls of water, put them side by side, and put a living, pooing fish in one and nothing in the other, I know which one I'd bet would end up dirtier...!


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## LessThanPerfect (21 May 2014)

ozpoz said:



			It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?
		
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It is the chlorine present in tap water that is so damaging to fish. However you are right it probably isn't the best it could be for people either, there is some evidence that floridization of water had had a causal effect on the prevalence of thyroid disease in tbe western world.

 It is interesting that thyroid disease didn't exist at all in cats, for example, before the 1970s (tests on historic tissue samples  and reviews of old case records have confirmed this to be the case) but now it is fairly common. Cats are a good indicator of disease patterns in other species because of the way their kidneys process toxins so patterns seen in cats are usually reproduced later in other species, including humans. links are now being made between thyroid disease and flouride intake.


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## Cinnamontoast (21 May 2014)

HGA-12 said:



			Unkind????

 fish have a home
water to swim
natural food in the way of algae???

FWIW the fish swim down to bottom when a large shadow  horse - human- bird- comes over the top of the trough and cast shadow
		
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The clean water going in burns them: this in not ok, in my book. 



ozpoz said:



			It strikes me that if your tap water is so toxic to fish that it is cruel to keep them in it without adding more chemicals, then perhaps it should be filtered for humans and horses?
		
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We can cope, fish can't. This is why tanks have filters.


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## ozpoz (21 May 2014)

Patterdale said:



			Humans and horses are not fish.
		
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well spotted, Patterdale.


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## montanna (21 May 2014)

Cortez said:



			Once a YEAR!!! Good grief, I clean mine at least twice a month..............
		
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Blimey, no way would I need to be power hosing ours every 2 weeks!!! Have never, ever been on a yard that does this either, in all the years of owning horses. They are each done once a year - the troughs in the summer field are done in the Spring just before the horses go out onto them and the troughs in the winter field are done in October time before we swap over. My mare actually prefers to drink the green water from the trough in her field than she does the fresh water in her stable. In fact, every time I have turned her out recently she has gone straight over to the trough as soon as I have turned her out. Can't be doing much wrong!


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## Tnavas (21 May 2014)

cinnamontoast said:



			The clean water going in burns them: this in not ok, in my book
		
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The amount going in that is then diluted by the existing water makes the effect of chlorine negligible, as I said in an earlier post a friend has some that have been in her water troughs for over 10 years. Goldfish are tough!

Montanna, my mare prefers the green water in her trough to her fresh clean stable water yet they both come from the same water source.


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## TarrSteps (21 May 2014)

Patterdale said:



			If you get 2 identical bowls of water, put them side by side, and put a living, pooing fish in one and nothing in the other, I know which one I'd bet would end up dirtier...!
		
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Two points. 

Do you add food to the bowls? Would you drink a bowl of fish food?

How water LOOKS is not a reliable indicator of its potability. Dirty looking water can be reasonably safe to drink and crystal clear stuff can kill you. Plus, you're not a horse. If horses couldn't drink out of ponds there wouldn't be many horses in the world.

Maybe all the horses that prefer trough water would be even more keen on fish water?


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## shadeofshyness (21 May 2014)

HGA-12 said:



			Unkind????

 fish have a home
water to swim
natural food in the way of algae???

FWIW the fish swim down to bottom when a large shadow  horse - human- bird- comes over the top of the trough and cast shadow
		
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Water to swim? Oh dear. 

Water has to be fully cycled and filtered for goldfish to survive. It is not just for them to swim in.


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## assuan (21 May 2014)

I've used Barley Staw logs in the water troughs.
(like these http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Barley-Straw-Logs-1-x-2pk-Natural-Control-For-Pond-Algae-/181411027639)

They work really well to keep the water clean. Actaully put one into a full trough that was very pea green and after a few days it was relatively clear.
I weight them down with stones or put them in the enclosed section with the ball valve, so the neds cant eat them!

I've also read somewhere that putting a piece of copper pipe in the trough works; or using copper suplphate as an addative, which I'm sure is fine for the horses, but I couldnt be wrong.


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## shadeofshyness (21 May 2014)

atropa said:



			THIS!

It drives me mad that people see goldfish as an easy pet option. To thrive they actually need quite a complex and large set up. Yes they may survive in small uncycled, unheated, uncleaned bowls but that doesn't mean they should. 
Would never keep them in a trough.
		
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Same here - I hit the roof when people bring out the stupid stories 'oh we kept ten goldfish in a cup of tea when I was 9 and they all lived to be 8 years old so it's fine they're tough' yes ok thanks for that - why did they die aged 8 when they can live over 20 years and were they the correct size or horribly stunted and were they simply surviving rather than thriving? Blood boiling...


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## JPJPJP (21 May 2014)

this is one of the most bonkers ideas I have ever heard!


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## ILuvCowparsely (21 May 2014)

cinnamontoast said:



			The clean water going in burns them: this in not ok, in my book. 



We can cope, fish can't. This is why tanks have filters.
		
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 well they thrived on it  as they grew and grew then were transferred into a local pond most were 6 years old 

Well in the past 45 years or so we have always used tap water in the troughs and no fish has died or got ill in all that time.


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## Moomin1 (21 May 2014)

Absolute no go in my book.


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## Moomin1 (21 May 2014)

HGA-12 said:



			well they thrived on it  as they grew and grew then were transferred into a local pond most were 6 years old 

Well in the past 45 years or so we have always used tap water in the troughs and no fish has died or got ill in all that time.
		
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I know of people who have had horses many many years, kept them on ragwort, with barbed wire fencing etc etc, and never once had a horse die or get ill on them.  Doesn't make it correct or acceptable for them to be kept like that.

Fish are subject to the Animal Welfare Act and therefore the five freedoms  need to be met.  Keeping fish in a trough where they have nowhere to hide or get out of the sunlight is not acceptable.


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## hobo (21 May 2014)

We have goldfish in one of our troughs, but it is 1500lts and 100 cows drink out of it and they have a long plastic pipe to hide in. We never feed them and when the cows drink they swim up and eat what the cows spits in the water. They have also survived when the odd cow poops in the tank and we have to fish them out so we can clean it out. I bought them about 15 years ago and though some are not the original ones I have never bought any more and we still have 5, I bought 7 originally.
I think their 5 freedoms are more than met, much more than a small tank with a filter in a house.


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## Honey08 (21 May 2014)

Generally I think its a silly idea, and can't be that good for the fish.

At my last house we found a goldfish in the pond when we took some plants out, we'd lived there three years and never cleaned the pond or fed it.  I saw the previous owners and mentioned it, they had had two and saw the cat with one, and presumed both had been caught.  It lived in the bottom under a load  of weeds.  We never did feed it, it looked a good colour and size as it was.

We have well water where I now live, the well has fed these houses for over 300 years and hasn't ever been cleaned.  Its also full of frogs and toads.  It tastes gorgeous, and so much better than regular tap water!


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## shadeofshyness (22 May 2014)

Moomin1 said:



			I know of people who have had horses many many years, kept them on ragwort, with barbed wire fencing etc etc, and never once had a horse die or get ill on them.  Doesn't make it correct or acceptable for them to be kept like that.

Fish are subject to the Animal Welfare Act and therefore the five freedoms  need to be met.  Keeping fish in a trough where they have nowhere to hide or get out of the sunlight is not acceptable.
		
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I think I've said this before (I think it was you anyway!) but I love your fish related posts


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## windand rain (22 May 2014)

I have found that the best way and cheapest in terms of metered at is to use large tub trugs and scrup them out every other day at least. Wet days the water lasts two days hot days I clean them daily but I am lucky and have mains tap water available at all times. We did have a trough but it got green and horrid very quickly so I was constantly wasting water tipping it out. They have three large tup trugs for 2 ponies


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## Tnavas (22 May 2014)

Tip for keeping concrete troughs clean.
Empty, clean and rinse, then rub powdered chalk into the concrete and refill. Keeps the trough clean for ages.


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## ILuvCowparsely (23 May 2014)

Moomin1 said:



			I know of people who have had horses many many years, kept them on ragwort, with barbed wire fencing etc etc, and never once had a horse die or get ill on them.  Doesn't make it correct or acceptable for them to be kept like that.

Fish are subject to the Animal Welfare Act and therefore the five freedoms  need to be met.  Keeping fish in a trough where they have nowhere to hide or get out of the sunlight is not acceptable.
		
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 I agree with the  the cover bit , I thought I had said it in this thread.  NO it was another thread about goldfish in troughs we used to use large blocks to make a hidy hole at the bottom like a brick house where they could get under the roof brick for safety or troughs with the center ball cock area which has a covered bit  is where they used to hide when they wanted out of the sun and danger


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## hairycob (23 May 2014)

I can't help but think Jason would have thought they were carrots.


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## 3OldPonies (23 May 2014)

ester said:



			I think it is more that the ammonia that the fish are producing are not good for the fish in a closed system, ponds or lakes being a little larger and unlikely to be technically 'overstocked'.
		
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Ponds and lakes have a larger surface area so oxygen exchanges more freely than in a tank.  That is why fishkeepers use venturi and air pumps to provide fish with enought oxygen in the water.

Keeping goldfish in a water trough is just WRONG!  They might live a while, they may not, but either way there's no way they are going to live a natural life span which can be 40+ years.  Anyone who says their fish died at 8 in a goldfish bowl and that is a good life doesn't know much.  We have fish in our pond at home that were bought when I was a kid and are still going strong (I'm 42 by the way).

Apart from all of that though, what on earth is wrong with a bit of effort and elbow grease to keep a trough clean and with filled with fresh water?  Why do so many people seem to want shortcuts to doing stuff properly these days?


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## Field04 (23 May 2014)

How big a trough do you all use?  I am a bit lost as to why some people are saying a trough is too small for a goldfish.  I have a 400 litre trough with some rocks in it for the fish to hide under.  I have two goldfish and don't give them any extra food.  I think they are much happier than when they were in 40 litre fish tank in the kitchen.  Please do tell me if this is too small as I;m pretty sure some fish ponds in gardens aren;t much bigger.  And I would like to bet that enough people use tap water from a hose in their fish ponds as well.


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## Field04 (23 May 2014)

How big a trough do you all use?  I am a bit lost as to why some people are saying a trough is too small for a goldfish.  I have a 400 litre trough with some rocks in it for the fish to hide under.  I have two goldfish and don't give them any extra food.  I think they are much happier than when they were in 40 litre fish tank in the kitchen.  Please do tell me if this is too small as I;m pretty sure some fish ponds in gardens aren;t much bigger.  And I would like to bet that enough people use tap water from a hose in their fish ponds as well.


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