I have a small pond with goldfish. On my plants, I've been using "The recipe" http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/803019/, which consists of water, beer, household ammonia, Epsom salt, Tea Tree oil, molasses, and liquid seaweed. If this mixture is sprayed on the plants near the pond and some of it drops into the water, will this harm the fish?
Jo-Ann
Will this harm fish?
The ammonia would for sure.
The ammonia will certainly cause a problem. It's absolutely, unequivocally lethal to fish.
Epsom salt is magnesium sulfate. It will increase the Gh of pond water and is used as a treatment for Dropsy in fish. It is also an ingrediant in plant foods. It will increase both plant growth and aglae growth.
Molasses, a by product of sugar processing, and liquid seeweed can both add to the bio load of the pond causing increased algae and lowered oxygen levels.
Tea Tree Oil is made from the Melaleuca alternifolia tree and similar to or maybe the same as the primary ingredient in Melafix, which is Cajeput oil from a tree which is related to the Melaleuca species, and is also known as White Tea Tree, White Tree, and Swamp Tea Tree. Melafix is a beneficial antibacterial used for pond fish. So you might be safe there. Might.
Beer? Well beer is mainly alcohol, water, hops and barley with fermentation sugars. The alcohol may have dissipated depending on how fresh the solution was. The other ingrediants would also add to the bio load of the pond, causing increased algae and decreased oxygen levels.
So - in the final analysis, with the possible exception of the Tee Tree Oil and the Epsom Salts, all the other ingredients are definitley not good for ponds with fish.
I'm curious as to what the formulation is supposed to do for plants?
I suppose that depends on what you mean by 'a little over spray'?
How much is a little. If you are wanting know if basically none gets in the pond, then no I don't think it would hurt. If you are spraying it frequently or if the wind picks up and very much get in it, then I would say yes it could hurt your fish
I would not spray anything like that. Wouldn't the sugar attract nuisance insects to your plants?
The formula is just a foliar spray for plants. All of the ingredients contribute towards plant growth. I guess I won't be using this spray around the pond.
Jo-Ann
Why would you want to waste beer like that?
lol mm!
Have you noticed a big difference in your plants jomon? Between the beer, liquid seaweed and the tea tree oil, I can imagine that might be kind of an expensive little spray. But if it's worth it...
BTW: What are you spraying for? There must be a safer alternative not to mention better things to do with the beer than give it to plant bugs to drink . . .
art_n_garden, I just started using it about a month ago on some brug cuttings. Since I've never done cuttings before, it's hard for me to say if they great growth I'm having is due to the spray or the brug's natural growth. Some folks swear by it. The formula wasn't very expensive for me. We usually have beer, and I already had the liquid seaweed and the tea tree oil. Plus at the rate of 1 tablespoon per gallon, a little goes a long way. I really won't be able to tell how effective it is until next spring & summer when everything in the garden starts to wake up.
Jo-Ann