Automatic water (ers) ???

[julieb]

[SIZE=14pt]Good Morning, I know most of you probably have large troughs for water, but i am wondering if any one has the auto waters that hang on the fence, that is what we use. well anyway i am wondering if there are any tips for the algae???? it seems like it collects in there so quick after i clean it out...i did buy some barley balls but my girls will think it is a game and throw them out of the tank they were bigger than i thought so in the fountain they will go....just wondering if there is something safe for animals..Thanks

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[chandab]

After reading as much as I have lately about the uses for apple cider vinegar; I decided to try that in my water tanks. They do seem to have less algae and crap in them with the ACV than they did without. I read somewhere that you add a cup per 6 gallons of water, not sure how it would work with an automatic waterer. If you can create shade over your water that would help too, as the sun really gets the algae growing.

 

[JumpinJackFarm]

I think it is the time of year with the algae.

I don't have auto waterers....we have BIG aluminum barrels. We dump it out and clean it up twice a week due to all the algae.

When we first moved here in 99 .... the original bathtub (1941) was in the pasture being used as water supply for the sheep they had. We didn't have any barnyard critters at the time and one of our sons friends found goldfish in it months later. I have heard gold fish are great for the eco system of a BIG waterer ...they keep down the mosquito larve too ( I believe the live off the larve and algae)

* I have tried the barley bags in my Koi pond ....they don't do a thing

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[MeadowRidge Farm]

I think the algae is terrible this year. I have one 55 gal and one 35 gal black rubber tanks, in my mares pasture, it gets filled 2 times a day and cleaned every other day, it looks so crapy. I have tried differant things, from listerine to cider vinegar, and I didnt think any of it made much of a differance. I've been told to put goldfish in it, but I dont like the thought of my horses drinking water that the fish have pooped in..goldfish are dirty little beggers...I have a 65 gal tank of them in the house! I also think my horses would probably play "catch the fishy" with them, and I am sure I would find a cat or two in the tank going after them. Hope someone gets on here and lets us all know what works really good. Ce

 

[julieb]

I think the algae is terrible this year. I have one 55 gal and one 35 gal in my mares pasture, it gets filled 2 times a day and cleaned every other day, it looks so crapy. I have tried differant things, from listerine to cider vinegar, and I didnt think any of it made much of a differance. I've been told to put goldfish in it, but I dont like the thought of my horses drinking water that the fish have pooped in..goldfish are dirty little beggers...I have a 65 gal tank of them in the house! I also think my horses would probably play "catch the fishy" with them, and I am sure I would find a cat or two in the tank going after them. Hope someone gets on here and lets us all know what works really good. Ce

[SIZE=14pt]Oh Corinne to funny :new_rofl: :new_rofl: Thanks i needed a laugh today [/SIZE]

[SIZE=14pt]Ya know now that i have put my thinking cap on

: i wonder if that stuff that you put in a bird bath would help it is a couple of drops and it is safe for birds

: wouldnt ya think there would be something out there? It just really bugs me i wouldnt want to drink that water

: Well maybe someone will come on here with the miracle solution

: [/SIZE]

 

[GlacierRidge]

If you could get it under a roof or under cover somehow, that really does help control most of the algae (for me, anyway). But I do have an auto waterer outside, and I just scrub it with bleach once a week or so.

 

[NCdonkeygirl]

I have a problem with algae in my dog water. I switched to a stainless bowl from a plastic one and it helped a little, but the algae is still there. I haven't seen as much of it in the donkey water which is wierd since it comes from the same hose. I used to teach biology and one day I brought in some of my dogs' water to make slides of-you would not believe what was in there! There were microscopic animals in the water eating the algae. It was absolutely fascinating to watch-yet horrifying at the same time. I think about those little critters every time I see the algae. I don't think they're harmful, but it grosses me out knowing they are in there. Of course without them the algae problem might be worse! Makes you wonder what we'd be drinking if we took the filter off the faucet!