# Rabbit manure for fertilizer?



## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

I recently heard of an oldtimer who used rabbit manure to fertilize plants in his aquariums. He has passed away so I cant call on his knowledge.  Has anyone else tried this in their aquariums? I used to keep rabbits a couple years ago, and read you could take the manure from the rabbit and put it straight around your plants with no need for composting. I've done this with no ill effects. In the spring I plan on getting back into Rabbits. I was just wondering if anyone has used it and what their method was.


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## bratyboy2 (Feb 5, 2008)

maybe in a garden but i would not recommend this in an aquarium.


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## NatalieT (Mar 20, 2007)

I am a big fan of rabbit manure in gardens, and if I had rabbits I would have already tried it in my own aquarium--but I would suggest that you try it out with a small quantity, and keep an eye on what happens. (And please tell me how it works!)

A plant growing in the garden has all the fresh air it can use, and lots of dirt to stick its roots in, while the plants and fish in your aquarium are stuck in that glass tank, that doesn't hold much dirt, air, or water when you compare it with the whole outdoors!


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## Sugar Cone (Jan 2, 2010)

So what do you do? Just take one little pellet of poop and put it under the substrate at the roots like a tablet? You might want to consider what foods the rabbit eats, though I have no idea if they eat anything toxic to aquariums, or if it would still be toxic once its been .. lets say 'processed'.


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## NatalieT (Mar 20, 2007)

Sugar Cone said:


> You might want to consider what foods the rabbit eats, though I have no idea if they eat anything toxic to aquariums, or if it would still be toxic once its been .. lets say 'processed'.


Unless the rabbit is getting some kind of medication, I wouldn't worry about that: "rabbit food" is mostly hay, with some grains and maybe soybeans and other plant products mixed in.


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## bosmahe1 (May 14, 2005)

I would think that it would be safer than the Osmocote and Jobes Plant Spikes that some people use since, it wouldn't have urea in it. Like the previous post indicated, it is "processed" Timothy Hay, alfalfa and other grains.

hmmm, I never realized I had a substrate pellet maker at home. Her name is "Cinnamon"! :biggrin:


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## Jeanine (Apr 4, 2009)

I just did a quick check to see how the NPK measures up on rabbit manure and here it is: 2.4 - 1.4 - .60. So there you have it. Not really sure how it would be for aquatic plants. I think if you did collect any you would have to be careful to get stuff the rabbits haven't peed on. 

I won't have rabbits for quite a while yet, so it will be a while before I will be able to try it. However if any of you rabbit owners out there want to try it and report back or if you have tried it in the past. I'd love to know.


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