I have done it but only in the spring,summer,and fall when they were outdoors and actively growing. There is a lake and the Colorado River right down the mountain from us. During the winter if I am having to keep them in the garage and they are staying wetter without as much sunlight, I worry more about bacteria etc. I would wait until spring when you plant them outside. I'm sure they will love it -natural fish fertilizer!! A friend of mine waters his orchids and other house plants with his aquarium water - swears by it! (just make sure it is a freshwater lake not brackish).

It would really depend on the lake water?? Out here it's so polluted with all sorts of bacteria, chemicals and crap I wouldn't even put my toes in the water for fear they would fall off.

It is freshwater and we eat the fish from it but you are right I think it will be better to do this during the summer when they are outside. Hubby used to dump the icewater out of the ice chest that had the fish in it in my flower bed after he cleaned them and they really perked up from that a lot but that was outside plants. By the way is compost tea supposed to smell like crap, lol. I bought a gallon of it a couple of weeks ago and forgot about it. Opened it up to give some to the plants and it smelled like sewage. Yuck. Is this still ok to use?

The compost tea that I make smells kind of funky but the concentrate that I buy doesn't. I use aquarium water from tank changes when I remember but DS is usually the one to change the tanks and he just dumps it out back.
Karyn

I use lake water for the ones at the Parents. They love it. And I can "sink" the pots into the late until the bubbles stop then watch the water run out. No doubting if they got enough water!

Besides - all the natural fertilizers in it.

During the winter though? I wouldn't bother.

We make our own compost tea.. I have left it set and forgot about it and it was pretty stinky...LOL I have never smelled commercial stuff.. We also chunk the fish heads and stuff in a 5 gal bucket of water and let it set for a coulpe of days then use that water in the garden..

never thought about using the water from my aquariums on my plants, now that's a good idea. Thanks Karyn.

I dont know if I would use it while they were inside..might stink, lol. I think its a good idea for while they are outside though. Just watch out for snails.

all i know is that I will be using rain water for my cuttings, that is what TCTopCat uses.

I will be getting out the buckets tomorrow, supposed to rain here.

In the summer time thats what I usually do is use rain water to water my beds. Better than wasting water from the hose. Just gotta keep em covered so skiters dont start breeding.

If we have another summer like the last one and I counted on rain water, all my plants would have died. lol We had one of the driest years on record in this area.
Karyn

Thats some good ideas. Thanks everyone. I might have every cat in the neighborhood sniffing around this summer, lol. I met a lady the other day that has raised tree planters like the ones at the mall that she turned into koi ponds with liners and she put a spigot on the side and uses that water to water her plants with. She says its tall enough that it gets replenished with rain water most of the time but if it gets too low she will fill buckets and let them sit a couple of days then fill it back up. She says the fish waste is good for the plants.

"Fish waste" - polite word for fish emulsion?

Or is fish emulsion just fish parts that have been run through an osterizer and then let ferment?

Oh ewwwwww, that sounds gross, even to me. . ..

Fermented Fish anyone? bleeeeech. . . .

I was wondering if fish emulsion meant putting leftover fish parts in the blender, lol. If so I can have all I want for free of that, lol. Anyone want to buy some fish juice, lol. Gross

FISH juice?!?!?

Ok - let me get past the gagging part. . . .

Ok. There - stomach is staying down. . .

F4F - have you CONSIDERED that as something to augment your Brug Bug? Osterizing your own organic "Fish Juice" like TerraCycle?

Ah - fish juice. . .jeezuz that gags me to even think about. I just picture it in a juice glass - like orange juice.

Anyway -gross-ness-ious-ness aside. . .ya know? Pretty neat idea, no?

Yes, actually I have but not while in the garage, lol. I may do that with some of the outdoors ones later. Hate to waste all that dead bait.

No - I meant - like your own little business.

I often water my plants with water from our indoor koi pond (54 gal tub next to the bed :D) and it makes them grow like crazy. if the water seems clean, go for it.

homemade fish juice..o uck..O I hope you'd have a seperate blender for that, lol. hmmm..does this pina colada smell fishy to you? lmao!

Oh, the possibilities. Fisharitas, fishacolada, fishaquaries. Lol!

ohhhhhhhh nnnnnasty!