# Algae in water



## Kaitie09 (Apr 24, 2012)

I'm having a problem with the algae growth in my goat's water. I have a 40-50 gallon black plastic trough. I clean it our pretty regularly, but with this weird heat/cold thing going on right now, the algae will spring up for a few days then die off. On BYC I've heard of using apple cider vinegar or pennies, but how will they work for goats? Also, will that help with the mosquitoes when it get hot? During the summer, I'm usually emptying it every other day because it gets so many larva in it.


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## ksalvagno (Apr 25, 2012)

Not really sure. I use 5 gallon water buckets so they get cleaned on a regular basis and the water doesn't sit in them. They get new water every day.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 25, 2012)

We use smaller tubs, so they are refilled daily, if not twice a day.


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## Kaitie09 (Apr 25, 2012)

We had previously used buckets, we tried 1-5 gallons, and even bought a grain feeder and filled that,  but the Boers would knock them down or flip them, and we could not place them high because we have a pygmy. This is the best way for us to water the goats, because it is heavy enough that the Boers cannot push it over and the pygmy can reach it. Even with the buckets in the summer, we would still have mosquito larva in it after a day.


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## ksalvagno (Apr 25, 2012)

I would go ahead and try the apple cider vinegar. The worst that happens is that it doesn't work.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 25, 2012)

We use these, 

http://www.jefferslivestock.com/fortex-rubber-feeder-tub/camid/LIV/cp/FX-R8/

But it holds more like 10 to 15 gallons in the smaller ones and their is a bigger one that holds probably 30 or 40 gallons,  I use the size container that they need to hold enough water for a day, and dump it each day.  

I do use a smaller bucket, I believe it is 2 gallon livestock pail, if I just have a couple animals in a pen. 

I have never had our boer goats tip them over, 

As far as adding something to the water, I am not sure about that.


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## 20kidsonhill (Apr 25, 2012)

I also had noticed that one particular tub of mine develops algae faster than the others, it is like once they start to do this it is in the pores of the tub.  If you haven't washed it with bleach water, and let it sit and dry out in the sun for a couple days, I woulld try that.  Maybe just using another water container while you soak it and dry it.


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## marliah (Apr 25, 2012)

apple cider vinegar, I put a splash in every time I fill a pail and so far havent had any algae.

Works for all our animals, chickens, guinease, ducks, rabbit.


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## Chris (Apr 25, 2012)

Add some Blue or Black food coloring to the water all you'll need to do is tint the water so it blocks the light. 
The copper penny "trick" might work IF you use a penny pre-mid 1982 they contain 95% copper 5% zinc. Pennies newer than 1982 are 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper.
As for ACV, I would think that the "mother" in the unfiltered ACV would "feed" the algae.


Chris


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## drdoolittle (Apr 28, 2012)

I've used ACV, and it really does work.  Although, I do usually refill my water buckets once a day and scrub them out once a week.  Even doing that, if I don't have the ACV in the water during the summer, the algae goes crazy.


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## elevan (Apr 28, 2012)

Another option is barley (straw or seed).  Put it into a burlap or muslin "baggie" and drop into the water trough.


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## Icp7147 (Apr 28, 2012)

A very small amount of non scented bleach or hydrogen peroxcide can safely be used for cattle. not sure about goats. I also know farmers that will put a trout or perch in there for the summer to est anything in there


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## treeclimber233 (May 3, 2012)

Is there any place you can put the bucket in shade?  Without enough sunlight the algea cannot live.  Also a small fish (goldfish or guppies) in the bucket will eat any larvae.  And the mosquito larva can take up to 7 - 10 days to mature into a full grown mosquito.


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## Straw Hat Kikos (May 20, 2012)

Put some bleach in them. The bleach should keep the algae from growing. If you get a 55g. barrel and attach a little automatic waterer into it so it's like a trough that the can drink out of but fills itself when it gets down to a certain point, then you could put some fish into it. That way you clean it less and because it's 55g. then you don't need to change it all the time, and the fish will eat the algae as it grows.


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## EllieMay (Jun 13, 2012)

Elevan, is this the barley straw treatment you use??
They sell this at the feed stores.
I was thinking of getting some of this today since we have a large tank that algae seems to love.









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