Dogs drinking from fish ponds - Page 2

Jyl,
I spent many years designing filtration systems for aquariums, ponds and multi tank systems.  I designed and sold systems for home aquariums to ugrading and enhancing Public Aquariums.  I owned a wholesale Marine Fish and invert company selling to Pet stores and Aquariums across the country.  I have just a little experience with filtration and water quality.  

Jim,

With all that experience and expertise you have would you PLEASE explain to all the customers that I deal with want to put gold fish in bowls!!!! Gold fish can NOT live in a bowl!!!!!!!!!!!!!!      GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

I am very tempted to bouse that glass fish bowl off of the foreheads!! Most of the customers that I talk to are SHOCKED that gold fish live longer than a year or so... the same customers almost drop dead when I tell them the oldest Koi on record was 226 years old.

Then I love it when someone comes in and wants to set up a 10 gallon salt water tank... because the want Nemo.


P.S- Jim, I wanted to mention I have a Black Skirt tetra that is 17 years old!!
 

double post....

Double post AGAIN.... what is up with this??

Anyone else having issues posting??

I'd be more concerned over dogs leaving morsels of food in the water as they have a drink. Keeping water clean is a pain as-is.  Glad to talk fish :)

Sooo, Jim, my dogs are probably fine to sneak a sip out of my maaaayyyybeeeee 50 gallon pond w/it's 2 small comets my son picked out? I don't put anything in the water. It has a simple carbon filter and of course I have to add water frequently since it's small enough to lose a decent amount w/evaporation this dry summer. The fish do fine; they're several years old, and the dogs have never been worse for the wear that I've noticed....

When I first got on it was for the purpose of helping my girlfriend find out about contracts when buying a dog.   And yes a comment I had read had me write concerning the health of dogs drinking from fish ponds.                Let me clearify...Not All dogs  develop problems from fish pond water....many factors are involved.   The age of the dog,  it's general health,  and how and much water is ingested  when allowed to drink.   If the fish pond being substituted for daily fresh water on a regular basis.     How clean the fish pond is kept is another factor.           Look at it this way a fish pond in the back yard is a contained enviornment, the only water source is you and rain.   The water level is constantly shifting  due to  water source  and evaporation, changing the chemical make up of the water.           Then we add things we can not control, that affect the fish pond.    The visitors.....a fish pond is an inviting place to all types of creatures looking for a drink, and sometimes a swim.  From frogs to squirrels, foxes, skunks, racoons  and even mice and rats.  This list can go on and on depending upon where you live.  Every animal gets thirsty and will drink from a pond, especially  when no one is around, and it is close by.         Not to mention the ones that decide to go for a swim to cool down or get rid of those pesky fleas.     Not only do animal visitors  drink and swim in these fish ponds,   they have also been know to defecate in the ponds.        If that is not enough,   depending upon where you are located, there could be airborne pestisides, fertilizers, and even leaves that can affect a dogs health that get into the fish pond.         The filtaration systems out there today are great.... and fish ponds, when tended to  properly are beautiful and relaxing to to sit by.            And Yes, a sip now and then is not harmful.          But consider if your "puppies consider the fish pond theirs"  then they are drinking out of it probably every chance they get.... and puppies are still developing putting them at a higher risk for problems, along with the older dogs, who already have some health issues, due to aging.