Algae in water buckets - Page 2

Im in the UK, and the Algae problem is something I deal with daily, not only with the dogs, but in water bottles that our Guinea Pigs have and our water containers that the chickens use.

Unfortunately if you have water and light it happens.

Are we talking algae actually growing on top of the water in a  few hours time? Or just some green stuff stuck to the bottom of the bucket if you don't clean it daily? I never get floating algae, not even in my dogs swimming trough that only gets dumped once a week or so. I can't imagine a bucket filled a few times a day "and" cleaned daily would form algae as described. I gotta be honest, my dogs water dish hasn't been bleached or scrubbed in months. A few times a day (since I work at home) I check the water and add more or dump, if it looks dirty and refill. I don't normally do more than hose it out with some pressure if it has some shavings in it and my stainless bowl barely has any green, just a bit in the bend at the bottom. Now that I feel totally outdone with my dog bowl cleanliness. I'm going to go pour some bleach in and scrub to my hearts content.

On a side not (your a horrible owner if you don't give your dogs Fiji bottled water) LOL

 I don't live in California, but in cooler, more often over-cast, and rainier Washington.  I get green junk in the buckets, too.  Also in the enclosed water dispensers.   This happens even with bottled water  (the dogs refuse to drink water that has gone through a hose) and the buckets/dispensers are rinsed with chlorine every few days.  The water in the sun is as green as quickly as the water in the shade.  I don't even know if it is --all I know is that is some sort of green vegetation. 

I grew up on water that smelled like Clorox in Cincinnati, Ohio.  That is why Moutain Dew was my sole source of fluids from age 9 until just three years ago.

An Excellent way to stop/ slow down algae and at the same time is GREAT for the dogs!!!  Add Apple Cider Vinager to the water at the rate of 1/4 cup to 1 gal water.  The water stays good ....  I am now putting this in ALL the animals water!!
(was just for just the birds - but for some time now everybody gets it!!)

Apple Cider vinegar is rich in the vitamins, minerals and trace elements found in apples, especially potassium. It will normalize pH levels in the stomach, improve digestion and the assimilation of nutrients.

A few more benefits of Oral Apple Cider Vinegar are:

*Reduces intestinal and fecal odors.
*Aids in digestion.
*Helps to break down minerals and fats.
*Assists the animal to assimilate proteins.
*Assists the animal to convert food better.
*It lowers the pH of the digestive tract which will make an environment less welcoming to pathogens therefore will reduce common infections and increases resistance to disease.
*Improves stamina and fertility.
*It is a great overall tonic that will improve the general well being of the animal.

Adding Apple Cider Vinegar will discourage algae growth as well as increase a multitude of other beneficial potentials.

Benefits of Topical Apple Cider Vinegar are:

*Breaks Down Grease - Animal will shine for a show or a pic if used in their bath water.
*Pain Reliever - If applied to minor wounds and burns it will decrease the pain and promote healing.
*Minor Bleeding - Cuts and abrasions can also be treated with Cider Vinegar, a water-soluble dietary fiber (apple pectin) found in apples and Cider Vinegar, binds to toxins in the body and assists in their removal.
*Skin Conditioner - Relieves dry, itchy or infected skin and hair problems.


Cautions:
Apple Cider Vinegar should be applied to the skin diluted. I always keep a spray bottle handy in the barn and kitchen.

 Do not use metal water dishes (except stainless steal).
Vinegar should not be used internally with animals that have an irritated lining of the intestinal tract.

 

I have algae as well but it is a good one.I never bleach the horse troughs..the kiddie pools nor any buckets of water.I have well water.I keep the water going on a trickle in the horse troughs as well as the kiddie pools.My three dogs enjoy as well as my horses.Periodically I will dump the water in one and just lay it out in the sun.

I use stainless steel buckets for the dogs, rinsed every afternoon then refilled with fresh water.  Once a week I use a scrubber pad and clean inside and out.  I still get the little bits of alge in the corners, a bit more scrubbing and it's out.   The harder buckets are the sheep/geese/ducks/ponies/mules water troughs.   

I'm going to look more into the reverse osmosis, my city well water is horrible.

Common knowledge that bleach in the water makes it drinkable. Doesn't require an "engineer" or a doctorate degree to figure that one out.

Hodie brags...Source: I am an environmental engineer, among other things.

We use heavy plastic livestock feed buckets in our kennels.  I am in Texas, it is upper 90's here every day.  We rinse the water buckets daily and put fresh water in and only occassionally have algae problems w/ our buckets-maybe the rare bucket every few months.  We are on well water.

Adding a few drops of bleach in a dog's water bucket, pan etc., is a method that is older than the hills. It prevents the green algae from forming. As Hodie said, bleach will clean the algae of any surface as well.

Until 5 weeks ago, I lived in S.E. Colorado. The drinking water doesn't taste very good. In the little town of Lamar, Colorado, there are water stands throughout the town. If you put a quarter in the stand, it will put out a gallon of reverse osmosis drinking water. A dollar will get you 5 gallons. We would fill up 5 gallon containers. If we did not add a few drops of bleach, a film of algae would form in the corners of the containers.