Rusty Galvanized Container - OK for Fish?

[Julles]

Still planning my pond expansion here....

At a garage sale this weekend, I bought an old beat-up galvanized washtub for $2.  The bottom is banged and rusty, but the lady swore it would hold water.

If I scrub it clean (no soap, just a brush and a hose), would it be OK to hold some of my fish, temporarily, while I'm digging the new pond?  I'm just wondering if the rust would cause any ill to the fish.

Thanks

Julles

[tranquility]

Just guessing I would say not...seems to me if its rusty then its leaking metals into the water...sounds dangerous to me...also the fact that if the thing springs a leak and your not around....but, if you clean it up and line it with black plastic---just the cheap stuff from Wal-mart then that will work fine....I used that black plastic on my first pond for 2 or 3 years before I broke down and bought a real liner....
Lawanna

[Vickie]

I have rusty cow tanks at least 4 of them. I have not lost any fish in them yet. I keep Gambusi in mine. But if I were you try putting something like gambusi in it first and see. My fish stay in mine all summer. But they do say it is not good for fish.

[Desertponder]

Yeah, I agree, the rust won't hurt them. I have several galvanized stock tanks that I've had goldies in and they do fine.
I also agree that you could line it with some plastic.
You may not want to go to this kind of trouble but here is what my DH does for my stock tanks........He runs a very thick bead of clear silicone sealer around the inside bottom seam. Let that dry for about a week. Then he takes spray cans of the rubberized undercoating and sprays the inside and outside bottom of the tank. Let that dry for several days. Then he sprays the inside walls of the tank with gray primer. None of this has ever caused any problems with fish or plants. The galvanized tanks will still continue to rust but it does help protect them some and they don't leak.

[Double S]

I have an old wash tub too. I use it for plants, but add a feeder gf or two. Also have stock tanks with lilies and gf. None have died.  But I don't know if any of mine have rust or not. If so, not too bad or I would known it.