Old Aquarium Water To Water Your Garden?

[Kombat]

"Organic" produce is fertilised with pig and chicken "manure". I think you'll find that such material is full of bacteria, protozoans and fungii. Since pigs are mammals, it is far more likely that produce from organic farms is contaminated with pathogens suitable for other mammalian hosts, like humans. Yet I don't see health warnings on organic produce.

My tank syphonings have been used in the garden for decades.

At least here in the US, we are cautioned not to use our pets' (dogs and cats) feces to fertilize the garden, but as we know cow, horse, chicken, pig, etc, is fine. I'm not sure why. Maybe it has to do with the diet of the animal since that is what produces the feces. Cows, chickens, horses, and pigs are all herbivores AFAIK. Since cats and dogs are carnivores, and they eat processed pet food usually, maybe the feces they produce contains things that could be harmful if transmitted to a vegetable in the soil.

 

[Amerce]

I use the tank water for my orchids and they seem to love it, always flowering for me.

 

[geo7x]

The only reason to be cautious of putting tank water on vegetables would be if you have meds in the tank. Some meds could be harmful.

 

[Lateral Line]

others claim that some forms of Tuberculosis may be communicable.

Indeed so, in fact it is well documented in medical literature that "Fish TB" is communicable to human hosts who work in their tanks with open cuts exposed to tank water. Different scenario however.

 

[noop]

i always water the plants with my old fish water, including the wife's veges. i've tried washing my hair with it too but so far haven't noticed any increased growth

 

[Starfishpower]

if you are really concerned that it might be unsanitary i would recomend going online to a university website and look up the email page and send your question to the head of the botany department. if they can't tell you for sure i don't know who can i actually tried asking my botany proffessor this so i could get back on here and relay what he said... but what he said was confusing. he's really old and does'nt think straight anymore and it was kinda hard to get a definative answer from him, i got the feeling he wasnt understanding the situation and that it was hopeless to think that he ever would so i dropped the subject. if you find out what the answer is i'd be interested in hearing it

 

[Million]

It isn't just the chemicals.

Is it safe to drink swamp water? Since the aquarium water isn't chlorinated there may be all kinds of bacteria/protozoa/fungus/etc. in the water. How that affects a vegetable garden and it's transfer to humans I don't know, but I don't want to be the one that finds out.

Unless there is documented scientific evidence to the contrary, I'm sticking to my story.

Just call me a chicken $&!^

Do not snort your aquarium water! Anyone else watch House MD?

Naegleria fowleri (also known as the brain eating amoeba) is a free living amoeba typically found in warm fresh water, from 25–35 degrees Celsius (77–95 degrees Fahrenheit) in an amoeboid or temporary flagellate stage. It belongs to a group called the Percolozoa or Heterolobosea.

N. fowleri can invade and attack the human nervous system; although this occurs rarely, such an infection will nearly always result in the death of the victim

Don't have nightmares

 

[Lateral Line]

You could also look up the stats for deaths caused by crossing a road. Hey, don't leave home...