Got livestock water troughs with fuzzy green growth in them? The problem with algae in water tanks goes beyond looks. Algae change the quality of water and can dissuade livestock from drinking. Some algae can make livestock sick if they drink too much. It’s not difficult to keep algae out of your water tanks; it just requires that you pay attention.
Here are seven methods you can use to stop algae growth in warm weather.
1. Add a Sulfate
Copper sulfate and zinc sulfate have served as algae prevention for years by livestock producers. With proper use, these should be safe for livestock, except sheep. (Too much copper is toxic to sheep.) Follow veterinarian or extension instructions on a formulation, or purchase one ready-made.
2. Add Barley Straw
Researchers in Great Britain are studying this tactic, and you can find barley-straw products on farm store shelves in the United States. It’s not yet known how barley straw impedes algae growth, but it does. As barley straw decomposes, it deoxygenates the water, so do your own research about how much to add to your water troughs. Be sure the straw you get hasn’t been treated with chemicals, or try one of the commercial barley straw products.
3. Add a Small Amount of Bleach to Livestock Water Troughs
A small amount of bleach added to livestock water troughs shouldn’t affect the water’s taste so much that livestock won’t want to drink it, but it will affect algae’s ability to thrive. Try 2 to 3 ounces of bleach per 50 gallons of water, per the North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
Also Read: Switching Tanks For Hoses Illustrates An Important Farm Lesson
4. Employ Fish Friends
This method is the most fun, because who doesn’t want goldfish in the water troughs? The University of Missouri Extension recommends four to six goldfish per 100 gallons of water. To survive, the fish need water that is 60°F or warmer, so they might do better in a constant-fill tank as opposed to a tank that gets emptied and refilled often. The fish do poop in the tank, so the tank requires cleaning regularly anyway.
5. Keep Animals Out of the Livestock Water Troughs
Another required ingredient for algae growth is organic matter. Colorado State University’s Golden Plains Area Extension points out that organic matter comes from livestock slobbering, urinating and defecating in a tank. Keeping these farmscape staples out of a water tank is impossible. You can, however, limit them by building fencing or rails low enough that your animals can’t slip between them and the tank but high enough that the animals can drink comfortably.
6. Move Livestock Water Troughs to the Shade
Algae requires sunlight to grow, so if you can take away the sun, you’ve solved part of your problem. If the shade you use is a tree canopy, you might be introducing a new problem—bird droppings—but the shady side of a structure or even a separate roof structure are good options. Something as simple as shade cloth suspended above livestock water troughs could help, too.
Also Read: Do You Have A Farm Water Backup Plan?
7. Scrub Livestock Water Troughs Regularly
Roll up your sleeves, grab a stiff-bristled brush and keep your water troughs clean with some manual labor. You might have to do this once a week, more or less, depending on the algae growth you experience. Let your animals drink down the level of water in the tank so you don’t have to waste so much water when you dump, rinse and refill.
This story about how to stop algae in livestock water troughs originally appeared in the July/August 2018 issue of Hobby Farms magazine. Click here to subscribe.
