# Controlling Algae in Water Bowls



## HYDROPHILIC (Aug 28, 2009)

Anyone got any cool tips for controlling algal growth on watering bowls?

And before anyone starts taking jabs, yes I do change their water daily, but its hot as Hades in BF SC and I use BIG 3 gallon stainless water pots so they'll have plenty throughout the day. I swear the GSP I'm training can drink 2 gallons a day! The algae starts growing on the sides and is a real pain this time of year when keeping 4 or 5 dogs.

I figured someone on here might have a nice solution besides brush scrubbing water pots every night!


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## John Kelder (Mar 10, 2006)

Saw a reduction in the algae when bowl was placed in shade versus the sun .


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## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

I bet the farmer folks down at the co-op got some ideas. 

Might try Krystal Trough

I too have heard that putting the bowl in the shade helps a lot.


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## Certainty (Apr 17, 2008)

Keeping them in the shade is a definite plus, otherwise it is dumping them, scrubbing them with bleach and refilling them on a daily basis....which is a pain in the back! If there is a simple additive that is safe for the dogs, I would be interested in hearing it!


OK, checked out the Krystal Trough. It sounds safe and not expensive. I will be giving this a try! Only down side I can see is how much I would have to re add after a couple of my diggers splash half the water out of the tubs!


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## Guest (Aug 27, 2010)

I don't know WHAT is going on this year, but it has been THE MOST DISGUSTING year for algae and whatever other crud grows in water bowls. I have never seen it like this. We have bowls fully shaded all day and in cooler parts of the property that are growing crud like never before.

We have a handful of brand new buckets we're using a in a new set of kennels and they are exposed to sun for part of the day. 12 hours later, they actually have an odor on some days???? 

It's disgusting and I can't wait for the weather to cool off. Until then, we bleach, bleach, bleach, scrub and bleach and scrub...

-K


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## jeff t. (Jul 24, 2003)

Why is the presence of algae a problem?


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## BigCountry (Aug 10, 2010)

I heard that ACV ( apple cider vinegar ) works to keep the algae away. I used it with my chickens and it worked. I am sure it could work with your dog's water. You will have to experiment with the amount to use.

I also read that ACV is good for treating hot spots, etc.


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## John Kelder (Mar 10, 2006)

Kristie ,the smell is probably the dead algae .Things got better here from laundry to drinking water when I installed an in line filtration system .Filters easily replaced ,and filters not too pricey . though if I had as many dogs as some of you , I think it would be a weekly filter change .


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## Jim Scarborough (May 5, 2007)

Red water buckets reduce algae by about 75 percent. I don't know why, but algae will grow in a white water bucket in a day or two, while a red bucket doesn't get covered with algae for about a week. It doesn't eliminate the problem, but it certainly reduces it. The only red buckets I could find were plastic, but the dogs haven't chewed them up and they've been working for about six years now.


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## Chris Rosier (Dec 27, 2008)

DRO, Clorox once or twice a week for us. Good topic though, we need to invent something that'll work for this. If a dude can get rich coming up with the little umbrellas that go in fruity drinks we could make a killin off of this. Get busy.


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## HYDROPHILIC (Aug 28, 2009)

I appreciate all the replies. 

Kristie, I've experience the same issues this year. First time I've really ever had a BAD, bad problem. It has been TERRIBLE for algal growth and it stinks, literally! I've scrubbed stainless until I'm tired of it!

My dogs and bowls are shaded 95% of the day. Algae still grows like crazy on the bowls and concrete.

Rosier, you know I'm a toxicologist. I specialize in killing stuff  Maybe I can figure out how to kill algae without killing the dog too!

I have a good friend who ran about 20 GSPs in Missouri. He added a dab of bleach to his water buckets every three or four days but to me that always seems like a REALLY bad idea. 

Organic + Chlorine = Organochlorine = known carcinogen = dead dog = bad deal.

His dogs didn't live past 10 so I'm guessing we have a case study somewhere in there!!

I also worry that the algae itself is producing low levels of toxins.

http://www.nyhealth.gov/environmental/water/drinking/bluegreenalgae.htm

http://petcare.suite101.com/article.cfm/preventing-toxic-blue-green-algae-poisoning-in-dogs-and-cats


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## Steve Shaver (Jan 9, 2003)

Jim Scarborough said:


> Red water buckets reduce algae by about 75 percent. I don't know why, but algae will grow in a white water bucket in a day or two, while a red bucket doesn't get covered with algae for about a week. It doesn't eliminate the problem, but it certainly reduces it. The only red buckets I could find were plastic, but the dogs haven't chewed them up and they've been working for about six years now.


 

Hmmm. I have found just the opposite. Well maybe not red but a dark maroon or dark green grows algea pretty quick. I use plastic buckets and the lighter the color the better. I have blue and teal colored buckets that grow hardly nothing.


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## Kelly Greenwood (Dec 18, 2008)

One other thing to do is bleach everything around the kennels. fencing, roofs, concrete, bedding, everything. the other thing that helps is a good ater filtration system.


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## Kevin Hannah (Jan 6, 2003)

HYDROPHILIC said:


> I have a good friend who ran about 20 GSPs in Missouri. He added a dab of bleach to his water buckets every three or four days but to me that always seems like a REALLY bad idea.
> 
> Organic + Chlorine = Organochlorine = known carcinogen = dead dog = bad deal.
> 
> ...


So that would mean that dogs that live in the city on municiple water sources that are exposed to chlorine every day live shorter lives then dogs that drink from wells?

The reaction of chlorine with organics actually creates THM's at trace levels which are know carcinogens.


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## Jason Glavich (Apr 10, 2008)

I use Lowes 5 gallon buckets. Buy em in bulk they take quite a bit of time to grow algae and the buckets are in the sun mostof the day. When they do get nasty they become trash or hunting seats.


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## GTRMAN (Aug 22, 2010)

Please don't kill my dog. We will drink the algae. Sea otters eat it....Seriously, does anyone KNOW if drinking water that has been changed daily, every 2 days, or whatever, will hurt a dog??? I just can't for the life of me believe that it would. My dogs are on free range waterers....As they drink, the bowl refills. There are some good ones that will hang on the side of the kennel. They are really hog waterers. Can't recall the name right now, but got em on Gundogsupply.com. I just wash em out whenever I wash down the pen...if they are gross with algae, i just swish my hand through it, and it cleans right off. And they do collect some algae....but in 10 years of having my pointer drink from them, I never see where he had any problem with it. But surely Goldkist, or whoever distributes cattle water tanks has something like the krystal bowl....or whatever it was called in above posts...that will work well. Ernie has yet to call home to complain to me, so I wouldn't worry about it! He's tough, he can take it!


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## Jay Dufour (Jan 19, 2003)

We use lick zit waterers....no bowls or buckets.....At the end of the PVC run I have a valve that drips and keeps the water cool.


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## HYDROPHILIC (Aug 28, 2009)

Mr. Wizard nerdy words of the day - Chlorine reacts with organic matter producing several byproducts including trihalomethanes (THM) and halogenated acetic acids (HAA). 

A LOT of municipal water supplies have pretty high organic content and still use chlorine as a disinfectant. However, they also filter the water prior to adding the chlorine and some use ozonation as well.

GTRMAN, Double E loves drinking the algae. He considers it just another critter to kill! Maybe that's why he drinks so damn much water!

So when are we patenting this new dog bowl?


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## HYDROPHILIC (Aug 28, 2009)

Actually I believe your dog must have brought this algae in on his coat! I never had a problem before he showed up!! 

Dang LabraGerm! :razz::razz::razz:


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## Maxs Mom (Sep 17, 2009)

Replace the water bowls with small fountains.  I don't think algae grows as fast in moving water. My in laws have fountains all over their property, my dogs think it is pretty cool grandma and grandpa have these fun water bowls. They can climb in, run around and get sprinkled on. Never seen algae in their fountains and they are all in the shade under trees etc.


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## Dave Burton (Mar 22, 2006)

I use 2 gal white buckets and keep a towel hanging on the fence to wipe them out about once a week. Very little growth and it takes little effort to wipe it clean and refill. I used to use 5 gal buckets and I put a couple drops of chlorox in each one about once every two weeks during the summer months and never had a problem.


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## GTRMAN (Aug 22, 2010)

.2 to .3 ounces (6 to 9) ml per 5 gallons of common household bleach once the buckets are clean should do to prevent algae growth...so that is 1.2 to 1.8 mL/gallon of water....get one of those small syringes from the drug store....I think you have one from me...and inject it when you fill the 5 gallon buckets up...That figure came from this web site: http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/articles/feld_algae.html


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## Kevin Hannah (Jan 6, 2003)

GTRMAN said:


> .2 to .3 ounces (6 to 9) ml per 5 gallons of common household bleach once the buckets are clean should do to prevent algae growth...so that is 1.2 to 1.8 mL/gallon of water....get one of those small syringes from the drug store....I think you have one from me...and inject it when you fill the 5 gallon buckets up...That figure came from this web site: http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/articles/feld_algae.html


Those are common residual values in municiple water coming out of everyones tap as well as an FYI


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## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

Maxs Mom said:


> Replace the water bowls with small fountains.  .


Yes.
Algae is not fond of oxygen or running water.

Wonder if a small pump trough system would work?


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## Angie B (Sep 30, 2003)

Okay... So those of you with waterers.... When the vet asks you how much water your dog is consuming what do you say?

Clean the buckets every day with bleach and you'll be fine.

Angie


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## T-Pines (Apr 17, 2007)

I do not have personal experience with this, however one of the uses for food grade diatemacous earth is to keep algae growth down in water sources during hot summer months.
I use food grade diatemacous earth for other reasons and happened to read on the web site that it helps keep algae growth down.
The web site is Wolf Creek Ranch, they are located in California, you could try to call them and see if it is worth a try.
The food grade D. E. is good for your dogs anyway and not very expensive.
Colleen


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## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

Angie B said:


> Okay... So those of you with waterers.... When the vet asks you how much water your dog is consuming what do you say?
> Angie


No water fountain for me, and there's no way I could answer that question. 

Guess I figure so long as my dog has water available I figure she's getting enough to drink (not sure what I could do to make her drink more anyway?).


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## Angie B (Sep 30, 2003)

TN_LAB said:


> No water fountain for me, and there's no way I could answer that question.
> 
> Guess I figure so long as my dog has water available I figure she's getting enough to drink (not sure what I could do to make her drink more anyway?).


Does that hold true with a sick dog???

Angie


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## jeff t. (Jul 24, 2003)

Angie B said:


> Does that hold true with a sick dog???
> 
> Angie


Good point...pretty basic that we need to know if there are changes in our dogs' eating, drinking, urination and stools.


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## TN_LAB (Jul 26, 2008)

Angie B said:


> Does that hold true with a sick dog???
> 
> Angie


Yes


TN_LAB said:


> (not sure what I could do to make her drink more anyway?).


Even without a auto-watering system, I'd think it'd be difficult to monitor dogs water intake (splashing, evaporation, etc). Seems food intake, stool and behavior would be lot simpler. 

No doubt you'd need a better method to monitor a sick dog, and you make a valid point about dealing with sick dogs and monitoring water intake and if the dog appears to be sick, you might want to break out the bucket. However, i think the basis of this thread has to do with healthy dogs (lots of special things need to be done for sick dogs).


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## Brad B (Apr 29, 2004)

All my runs are on stainless auto-waterers. And each run is isolated by a valve so if I wished, I could turn it off and see how much a sick dog is drinking.

My water is pretty funky looking out of the well so each week I drop the pans and rub out the sediment. Not sure if it's algae or just dirt but it washes out very easily.


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## GTRMAN (Aug 22, 2010)

> Okay... So those of you with waterers.... When the vet asks you how much water your dog is consuming what do you say?


I simply tell him how much each dog is consuming in liters or gallons. GPI makes digital in line meters that hook directly onto each hose bib....at each cleaning the display reads how many gallons or liters (mine is set to liters) each kennel has taken in. Just reset it every time you finish washing. They are pretty cheap, and easily found online or at tractor supply. It also keeps a running total of each kennel. So, you soooorrt of know how much washing you do for each pen....you can know your water used on that particular kennel.


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## Cedarswamp (Apr 29, 2008)

I have the algae problem on two buckets where they get some sun during the day. I started adding bleach to the water, let it sit while scooping/spraying, then rinsing the kennel with that water, the algae level is basically none and the runs always smell really clean.


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## Bec (May 30, 2021)

Jim Scarborough said:


> Red water buckets reduce algae by about 75 percent. I don't know why, but algae will grow in a white water bucket in a day or two, while a red bucket doesn't get covered with algae for about a week. It doesn't eliminate the problem, but it certainly reduces it. The only red buckets I could find were plastic, but the dogs haven't chewed them up and they've been working for about six years now.


This is not true. My 5 gal red water bucket in my outside kennel grows algae like no body's business. I've used 1" chlorine tablets then grew concerned that it might be toxic to my dogs, so I stopped using them. I've used pond additive, to still have chlorine grow. In the desert with 120 plus temps, it gets filled almost daily, sometime 2-3 times but winter time it grows.


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