otos & algae from creek rocks

[Grumble69]

I'm rural and have a creek that flows from on my property. There are all kinds of rocks that are covered in algae. I could potentially keep them fed for the rest of their lives. I'm confident the water is unpolluted. But I'm not sure if there would be other concerns like naturally occurring bacteria, protozoas, etc.

I'll end up playing it safe unless I hear from others that use rocks in a similar manner. It's kind of in the same vein as the threads on algae farms.

 

[wildroseofky]

I pick wild greens from my yard for my snails. I live out in the country and do not use chemicals on my property. I have a several springs on it too. I would use algae from them if I needed too. Some would say no but I say harvest some and put it in a glass jar. You can then change the water out several times to eliminate anything harmful. You could also use your own rocks and get the algae to grow on them. Then just add rocks as needed. When they are cleaned, remove them and put them in the algae jar to start over.

 

[henningc]

The only worry would be parasites. I personally would do it with out thinking twice. I have never had an issue with using things straight out of nature. The other thing is, we have enough medications now days to kill just about anything.