Allotments 4 All

I ahve just read an article in a monthly gardening magazine where Bob said he puts a couple of goldfish in his water butt to keep the gnat larvae away.  Does anyone else do this and do you need to keep the lids on or off???

I have friends in Wakefield who have goldfish in their water butts for exactly the same reason.

If I remember rightly they dont have lids on theirs.

Personally I wouldn't. It's cruel to the fish.

I kep a goldfish in my large water butt (1, 000 ltr)at the lottie, it's a lot larger than a goldfish bowl, that's for sure, and it's probably larger than a lot of garden ponds. goldfish survive ( and breed) in tiny (less than 100 ltr) ponds, so a 200ltr butt is huge to them!! ;)

It's not cruel at all. It's a much larger volume than a tank.....

We have one in our water butt (no lid). Have no problem with larvae.

I wouldn't put a large number of fish in there, but 1 or 2 is fine.

Mentioned in Gardener's World as well- definitely without lid!

QuotePersonally I wouldn't. It's cruel to the fish.

But much more cruel to the mosquito larve.

QuoteMentioned in Gardener's World as well- definitely without lid!

Looks like their researchers have been trawling my websites again.  8)

Are you worried that you might fish one out in the watering can and put on the garden.

Just get one that's too big to go through the tap.