Keeping the water trough clean..

[TXMissy]

Hello ya'll!

I recently saw a video where a gentleman suggested using Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing to kill algae and such in cow/horses water trough. He said it takes the oxygen out of the water and is safe for cattle and horses. So my question is... has anyone ever done this? what do you use to keep the algae and stuff out of your water troughs? I try to clean my once a week. I hate to see it dirty, but it is also expensive to keep dumping and filling it. Texas is having a hella drought and cleaning the trough every day is not an option.

Thanks!

 

[secuono]

Algae won't hurt anything, unless it's blue-green algae.

It's made with an organic biocide, might as well buy that instead?
Glutaraldehyde.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/233705/Laundry_Bluing.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi4hcydmbj5AhWSVjUKHcdMAAoQFnoECB8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0TvPhr8hk7bxSYd2GwHkLF

 

[TXMissy]

Algae won't hurt anything, unless it's blue-green algae.

It's made with an organic biocide, might as well buy that instead?
Glutaraldehyde.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/233705/Laundry_Bluing.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwi4hcydmbj5AhWSVjUKHcdMAAoQFnoECB8QAQ&usg=AOvVaw0TvPhr8hk7bxSYd2GwHkLF

Okay thanks! I wasn't sure. I read about how the water should be clean and it's almost impossible. I do not have much shade. I did move it to be against the house the afternoon it will be shaded. Its green algae I think..like an Army green color.

 

[secuono]

Are they dropping food into it? That'll make algae worse.
Shade will definitely help.
Is it city water or well water?
Well may have too much organic matter and may need to be checked out.

 

[farmerjan]

How big of a trough is it? If it is at least 100 gallons, go get a half dozen feeder goldfish at the pet store and put them in there. They will keep the algae down some, will eat all the mosquito larvae, clean up any feed that gets spilled in there... as long as you add water daily or every other day or if it is on an automatic fill, they will be fine. We keep goldfish in all the water troughs as long as it doesn't get so hot as to "cook them". If on an auto fill of some sort, they will be fine. If moved to the side of a building for some shade they will be okay. I put a "cinder block" in them for a place to get out of the sun and to hide from the miserable blue herons that sometimes decide to go fishing....

 

[Ridgetop]

1/8 tsp household bleach to 2 liters of water will also keep algae from forming. We used it in our rabbit bottles before I installed the auto waterers.

 

[TXMissy]

Are they dropping food into it? That'll make algae worse.
Shade will definitely help.
Is it city water or well water?
Well may have too much organic matter and may need to be checked out.

It is city water. No, they are not dropping anything in it. We get crazy winds out of the south sometimes, so hay gets blown in there, or grass, or chicken feathers sometimes. I have a fish net I am going to use to get that type of stuff out. Its only 50 gallons and I only have 3 goats.

 

[TXMissy]

How big of a trough is it? If it is at least 100 gallons, go get a half dozen feeder goldfish at the pet store and put them in there. They will keep the algae down some, will eat all the mosquito larvae, clean up any feed that gets spilled in there... as long as you add water daily or every other day or if it is on an automatic fill, they will be fine. We keep goldfish in all the water troughs as long as it doesn't get so hot as to "cook them". If on an auto fill of some sort, they will be fine. If moved to the side of a building for some shade they will be okay. I put a "cinder block" in them for a place to get out of the sun and to hide from the miserable blue herons that sometimes decide to go fishing....

Hi! It is only 50. I only have 3 goats.

 

[wolf]

How big of a trough is it? If it is at least 100 gallons, go get a half dozen feeder goldfish at the pet store and put them in there. They will keep the algae down some, will eat all the mosquito larvae, clean up any feed that gets spilled in there... as long as you add water daily or every other day or if it is on an automatic fill, they will be fine. We keep goldfish in all the water troughs as long as it doesn't get so hot as to "cook them". If on an auto fill of some sort, they will be fine. If moved to the side of a building for some shade they will be okay. I put a "cinder block" in them for a place to get out of the sun and to hide from the miserable blue herons that sometimes decide to go fishing....

Goldfish excrete a lot of urea.

 

[Peaceful Meadows Farm]

Hello ya'll!

I recently saw a video where a gentleman suggested using Mrs. Stewart's Liquid Bluing to kill algae and such in cow/horses water trough. He said it takes the oxygen out of the water and is safe for cattle and horses. So my question is... has anyone ever done this? what do you use to keep the algae and stuff out of your water troughs? I try to clean my once a week. I hate to see it dirty, but it is also expensive to keep dumping and filling it. Texas is having a hella drought and cleaning the trough every day is not an option.

Thanks!

I use a product called Saturday Lime for algae in the tank. It works well to keep algae from growing and is non toxic. I have dairy goat, so won't use anything that is potentially toxic.