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barbara (Oscarvv)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 27, 2001 - 6:54 pm: |   |
I don't think this is a life altering tip but I had a revelation when faced with cleaning the water trough. I have tried a stiff brush before and really got nowhere.
I looked around the barn for something to really clean it out and came up with the squeegie used for *scraping* water off of a horse after a bath. I didn't use the rubber side but the hard plastic side and it worked great. Since it is curved I could get around the edges.
Anyone with ideas on how to prevent this slime??
~Barbara |
Angela Spucces (Rubysmom)
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 28, 2001 - 1:30 am: | |
If it's a big "livestock" type of tank I heard putting a few goldfish in there really keeps the slime away.
The goldfish eat the slime and the water stays clean.
I don't have those huge tanks, so I don't know firsthand if it works.
I use a few drops of chlorine bleach to clean the water barrels and scrub with a toilet brush.
Seems to do the trick. Don't splash bleach on your good breeches though.... (aggh, been there done that) |
Emily French (Jcsmoon)
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 28, 2001 - 11:18 am: | |
I just found the BEST thing for stock tanks.... A pool strainer they use to get leaves out with. I bought one for $10. If you go to a hardware store you can by stif bristle brushes with broom handles they use for spreading tar on asphault for about $10.
I turn the watter on and scrub the tank sides with the brush then take the strainer and remove the floaters. If needed I will let the watter run in the tank for 15 minutes to flush it out. Then I add about 1 cup of bleech to kill the yuckies. Every 2 days I use the strainer to remove any new deposits. It is really easy to keep up on and beats draining the 300 gal tank and cleaning it. |
wendy clower (Wendy)
| | Posted on Saturday, Jun 30, 2001 - 6:20 pm: | |
I may be in the minority here, but what I do is wash with clorox all of my 25 gallon tanks about once every 3 months. Then, I fill them almost full and leave a hose barely dripping in the bottom. The horses drink the "older" water and there is always a fresh supply. This seems to keep organisms from attaching to the tank and their water is always cleaned (from the bottom up). When there is a huge rain, I will check. I don't want overflow, but I do check to see that the surface water is always near the top of the tank. This may be impractical for large operations, but if you have 10 horses in one area, this method seems to work best. I think of it as a sort of "continuous flow" type situation that discourages the "gunk" from forming. Once you get the setting on the hose right, all you need to be concerned with is heavy rains or long stretches of drought. |
Michael R. Ventura (Mikev)
| | Posted on Monday, Jul 2, 2001 - 11:27 am: | |
Re: Horse trough "slime."
Here's a trick we use that I learned when I was a skipper on a yacht in the Carribean. Boats have fiberglass water tanks, and slime (actually algae) can and does form in these tanks. We used to add a couple of tablespoons of clorox bleach to the tanks every time we took on water. The chlorine ("clorox") kills the algae and this inhibits the slime.
We add a couple of tablespoons or so of regular clorox bleach to the horse's water trough every 3-4 days and they stay algae/slime free.
Our vet tells us that this miniscule amount of chlorine does not hurt the horses. We use non-chlorinated well water and thus there is no chlorine in the water to begin with. Horses drinking this chlorinated water is no different than a kid swallowing water from as chlorinated swimming pool (pools are over-chlorinated to kill algae/slime).
It's the quickest and easiest method I've found. |
claire sidebottom (Claire)
| | Posted on Friday, Jul 27, 2001 - 12:08 pm: | |
I have found a toilet cleaning brush and hot water works best to get the slime off - not found a solution to stop it forming yet tho! |
Jeanne P. Paul (Jeanne)
| | Posted on Thursday, Jan 10, 2002 - 11:27 pm: | |
I'm from the North East and learned a neat trick that worked well in the summer. My boys love to fish and in the spring they catch me a couple of hornpout or catfish as some may know them. The're bottom feeders. If you put them in your tank you honestly don't have to clean it for the whole summer. When the weather gets really cold you take them out(much larger then when you got them) and let them go back to nature.
It works great and the horses get used to them pretty quick. I've never had a problem with a horse drinking out of the trough.
Good Luck,
Jeanne |
Laurie Spry
Member
Username: redhen
Post Number: 8
Registered: 4-2007
| | Posted on Monday, May 28, 2007 - 3:32 pm: | |
Found this 'thread' today and just wondering - any problems adding goldfish? Any bacteria they harbor that might hurt a horse? I will do the bleach thing and hope the horses keep drinking, but I've meant to try fish and thought I'd check with you guys...thanks! |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose
Post Number: 2849
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Monday, May 28, 2007 - 11:13 pm: | |
I've had fish in a couple of my tanks for several years at the suggestion of anothe horse owner friend who said they helped keep the tanks clean. The fish I have are the plain, cheap goldfish. They were about 1" long when I bought them. They are now about 6" long and look really healthy; however, we still have "gunk" in our tanks. Maybe I should have gotten catfish? We don't get the floating stuff on the surface, but the sides of the tank still get coated with a layer of crusty, greenish brown algae. |
Muffi Delaney
Member
Username: muffi
Post Number: 145
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 12:45 am: | |
When I lived in Arizona the tank would green in one week due to the heat. What we did to try to forgo the Green so much was to take one of those Cholorine tablets you toss in pools, and only shave a small amount off the tablet every morning - mix it in very well. Remember just a little. Plus we did drain the tank every other week and scrub it out with Baking Soda then rinse well. worked for us - we have a big 200 or so gallon rubber-maid type tank - we used a hose to drain it down hill with suction - the trees there loved it. and I felt good when the water was clear for the horses. Another trick I used was to keep a 4 inch Fish Tank net there to scoop out the dead bugs that want to have a pool party in the tanks. I filled it up twice a day then - with at least 15 - 20 gallons for 2 horses. |
leslie Bennett
New Member
Username: benbern
Post Number: 5
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 12:56 am: | |
We had a square black scouring pad with a handle to slide you hand into that was for cleaning grills. I use some bleach when I can not get the tougher stuff off. If you wad up baling twine it makes a great scrubber. I let the horses drink down the water and rinse it out each time I refill, which is daily now in Arizona. Then scrub it out as needed. |
Lori
Member
Username: maggienm
Post Number: 469
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 1:11 am: | |
A few years ago we had fish in a house tank, there was certain kind of fish we got to keep the tank clean.
Sorry, I don't remember the name, but they really kept the tank clean. I don't know if they would work in a water tank. |
Dove2
Member
Username: dove2
Post Number: 187
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 6:05 am: | |
Was it a Placostomus (sp?)? |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 18569
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 6:14 am: | |
Hello All,
No matter the type fish, the food they ingest has to somewhere, I think it is a basic law of physics... But goldfish feces may be less of a problem to control than rapidly blooming green algae. I don't know of any harm to the horses from ingesting such water.
Chlorine is a good way to control algae but I suggest a accurate measurement technique. I don't think you can actually make the water toxic without massive overdoses but you might put in more than is palatable preventing drinking. The correct amount is dependent on so many factors (temperature, sunlight exposure, amount of organic contamination, surface area, etc) that I don't think there is a general rule other than to titrate the amount to the least amount needed every day to 2 days that controls algae growth.
DrO |
Borderline Farm
Member
Username: deedrott
Post Number: 13
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 9:39 am: | |
Well folks - it's been 20+ years of SLIME and every chemical, scrapper, brush, fish etc. and slaving every winter and summer to clean that SLIME from the water tanks and the only thing that really, really works is every 1 1/2 - 2 months is - a POWER WASHER - cleans the tanks like NEW!!. Other than that - we did install a few automatic (Nelson) waterers in the fields - but they too need to be cleaned, and scoured once a month or so. Thats my experience and it now works, well - every 2 months we pull all the tanks up by the barn - power wash and it takes about an hour to do 6-8 100 gallon tanks. We also have well water that makes it somewhat worse. Good Luck. |
Corinne Meadows
Member
Username: corinne
Post Number: 1035
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 10:24 am: | |
We have fish in our tanks....they eat what they can but algae still gets in there. I bet the power washing is also the best bet...with a clorox solution! LOL |
Kathy J. Clymer
Member
Username: tweeter
Post Number: 30
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 12:02 pm: | |
After 35 years with horses I have decided that the problem with water tanks is that they are almost always too large. If you have 100 gal tanks and they have water sitting in them in the summer months for more than 2 or 3 days then the tank is too large. Think about it...you like nice fresh water so do the horses and water that has been sitting in the hot sun for days is not fresh and algae starts to grow. So I solved my problem....got rid of my 100 gal tanks and now I have 50 gal tanks that I do not fill to the top I would say we put about 40 gal in the tank. In two days the water is ready to be re-filled and we dump what is remaining spray with the hose and fill with fresh water. I have been doing this the last 2 summers and the tanks look brand new...no algae at all. I found that my horses stayed away from the tanks if I used bleach...they did not like the smell or taste, can't say I blame them I'm a well water person and hate to drink city water with chemicals. Anyway, something for you to try... works
for me. |
Ann S
Member
Username: annes
Post Number: 198
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 12:03 pm: | |
When the horses are in another field and I don't need the tank that day, this works for me: empty and leave sitting in the hot sun. The sun "bakes" the green slime into dry flakes and then it brushes off really easy. My husband just bought a pressure washer and it did a great job but the best part is that he did it! |
Patricia Bell
Member
Username: boomer
Post Number: 267
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 3:25 pm: | |
I have 8 horses and use 8 smaller water buckets. I guess they might be 20 gallons or so. I fill them daily, it's a little more work but I don't get near the growth problem and it's easy to just wipe them out with a simple soap and hose water bath once a month or so. I think the trick is there isn't standing water. They drink the water down so there is always air to dry the sides. |
Laurie Spry
Member
Username: redhen
Post Number: 9
Registered: 4-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 7:12 pm: | |
Thanks for all the tips...sounds like fish won't really help all that much. I do move the tank into the shade in summer, which helps a bit...guess I'll just stick with elbow grease! I, also, use the net to scoop bugs/tree seeds out and on the days I don't clean it I let it overflow which sluices out some junk. |
Angie J.
Member
Username: ajudson1
Post Number: 1222
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, May 29, 2007 - 8:41 pm: | |
I don't fill mine any fuller than they will drink in 2-3 days then dump, scrub, and rinse. I use a stiff pad with a handle, think I got it at Wal Mart for scrubbing toilets.
I also dump a few "chugs" of Apple Cider Vinegar in every time we fill it. It helps a little and might help keep bugs off the horses too as they sweat it out. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 18577
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 6:49 am: | |
Anjie, oral apple cider vinegar has no known properties to repel flies and the vinegar is not sweated out: acetic acid is prime fuel for the cells and is used as a energy source.
DrO |
Angie J.
Member
Username: ajudson1
Post Number: 1223
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 9:18 am: | |
Well, I did say "MIGHT" help keep bugs off.
"MIGHT" help with arthritic joints too or "might" just lighten the pocketbook. 
(love my name spelled that way, btw, ) |
Kathy J. Clymer
Member
Username: tweeter
Post Number: 31
Registered: 10-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 30, 2007 - 10:44 am: | |
Angie
How much apple cider do you put in?? I have been using it for the past year for my joints and I "think" it works. My knees don't hurt as bad when I take it on a regular basis. I have friends who have halter Qtr Horses and they put it in the water daily and swear that it helps with the hair coat and over all condition of the horses. They put 1 cup in a 5gal bucket of water and the horses drink it with no problem and look wonderful. I have used it on dogs for "hot spots" and it works great for that. |
Judi Gordon
Member
Username: jgordo03
Post Number: 168
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 3:24 pm: | |
I put a silver dollar and a large muslin bag of lavender flowers in my tank. The pioneers would put silver dollars in their water to keep it from going bad while they crossed the country and lavender is supposed to help kill bacteria as well. I find it keeps the slim from forming for about four weeks. |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: mrose
Post Number: 2864
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 8:58 pm: | |
Judi, I bet if the pioneers had an extra silver dollar, they hid it in the bottom of their water so no one would find it! |
Angie J.
Member
Username: ajudson1
Post Number: 1225
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, May 31, 2007 - 10:00 pm: | |
And where do we find a real 100% silver dollar these days?
Kathy, not a cup per 5 gallons for sure! Don't measure, just dump some in, use more in the summer, less in the winter. |
Shelley
Member
Username: sswiley
Post Number: 375
Registered: 1-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 - 11:36 am: | |
One more thing to add here, not so much about slime. I like to dump my water troughs once a week (they are only about 25 gallons). This is to dump out any mosquito eggs that have been laid, I read some where that it takes a little over a week for their egg to hatch. This also takes care of algae and bits of hay etc. Another way to control mosquito eggs is to pour a small amout of mineral oil in, it will add a thin layer to the top of the water and suffocate the eggs. Dont do this if you have fish, I think it will suffocate them too. |
Kate T
New Member
Username: ktrezise
Post Number: 3
Registered: 3-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, Jun 3, 2007 - 3:53 pm: | |
I find those metal scourers you can get really cheaply for scrubbing pots are the best for removing slime from my trough - they get into the corners much better than a brush |
Ilona A
Member
Username: ilona
Post Number: 579
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 7, 2007 - 12:16 am: | |
I know I'm late to the mix, however I clean with a scrub brush and clorox once a week, rinse well, and overflow the tanks every second day. It tends to keep the water fresh, sweet and clean. I do also add apple-cider vinegar for stone abrasion (Dr. O contests this as an effective intervention). I have heard that a sprig of lavender helps algae reduction. |
Vicki Zaneis
Member
Username: vickiann
Post Number: 450
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007 - 9:46 am: | |
Check this product out for helping to maintain a healthy water tank -- web site: KrystalTrough.com
I've just used this for the first time this week. Water tanks in Florida grow algae and get a bad odor very quickly. I've been scrubbing mine with a brush and dumping (weekly) more frequently than I would like -- water is a precious resource. Using this product you only need to begin with a CLEAN trough and add a packet of Krystal Trough, which will treat 10 to 500 gallons. It is All-natural, biodegradable, even safe for fish, birds as well as all animals. It was developed by a veterinarian. |
KATHLEEN WHEAT
Member
Username: kathleen
Post Number: 691
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007 - 10:44 am: | |
VIcki,
How much does this product cost? It sounds like a great product.
Kathleen |
Vicki Zaneis
Member
Username: vickiann
Post Number: 451
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007 - 6:55 pm: | |
I bought it about a year ago and didn't use it because I had not adequately researched the harmlessness to the animals. Like many, I was reluctant to try something new to me. It was not expensive, and I don't remember where I bought it or what it cost, but know that it was from a catalog and was a reasonable price. So far I am having good results. It is recommended to use a packet weekly, but since it is made for such huge amounts of water one can take that into consideration. One envelope treats up to 500 gallons. One box of envelopes treats up to 2000 gallons of water. I certainly like the idea of mixing a bit in weekly and not dumping out 100 + gallons of water that has gone bad, plus time spent scrubbing, etc. |
Ann
Member
Username: dres
Post Number: 1347
Registered: 10-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007 - 7:21 pm: | |
you know I don't think folks realize how PRECIOUS water is..I go to my daughter's home, she lives near a golf course ( wasted pasture but that is for another post) and folks are watering down their driveways? huh.. Think they know what a broom is..?
We have a low producing well.. we make due by being very thrifty with water.. when your well runs out you fast realize how important WATER is.. So i agree if this product will help me conserve with the water tanks... I'm buying..
On the first day God created horses, on the second day he painted them with spots.. |
Kim
Member
Username: twhgait
Post Number: 211
Registered: 11-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 13, 2007 - 7:59 pm: | |
Vicki, thanks so much for that link! I think I may give this stuff a try! I too, hate wasting water, but every Sunday, I dump and scrub and re-fill! |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 18689
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 14, 2007 - 8:00 am: | |
Concerning the Krystal Trough as a general policy we do not recommend using any product that will not list it's ingredients and concentration. A cursory perusal of the site and I cannot find what is in it. Does anyone have a container of the product that lists the ingredients?
DrO |
KATHLEEN WHEAT
Member
Username: kathleen
Post Number: 692
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 14, 2007 - 11:39 am: | |
I sent an email a few days ago asking for more information than was on the website and for pricing. Have not heard back yet.
Kathleen |
Sullivan's Cutting Horses
Member
Username: sully
Post Number: 107
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Friday, Sep 7, 2007 - 1:57 pm: | |
I know this is an old post, but a new problem for me at the moment. I went to the website of Krystal and this is all they had about the ingredients.
6. What's in Krystal Trough Water Purifier?
As a veterinarian, safety was of critical importance to me in developing this product. My clients trust me to help keep their animals healthy. Krystal Trough contains all-natural microbes and enzymes. Unlike other products, it contains no copper or bleach. The active ingredients in Krystal Trough have been designated as "GRAS" by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or "Generally Recognized As Safe." The same ingredients used in Krystal Trough are also used to help keep water clean in shrimp and fish farms.
Sully |
Vicki Zaneis
Member
Username: vickiann
Post Number: 503
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Sep 7, 2007 - 5:27 pm: | |
I am sorry to say that I missed the June posts after mine about the Krystal Trough, and though I had the empty box for this product, I threw it out only a few days ago! When I was using it, the product did seem to help a great deal, but after using it for a month or so, I have been back to my old practice of scrubbing out the tank as soon as green begins to accumulate, then dumping and starting over again with new water. I'm kind of a purist, and felt a little nervous about adding anything to the drinking water. Though made in the U.S., it was packaged in China. If I can find anything listing the ingredients in my barn, I will post them. |
