Apple cider vinegar and stock tanks ***UPDATE on post #11***

[Rusty Hills Farm]

I dumped and scrubbed my stock tank on Monday. Today, while the water is crystal clear, it's also got those @#$% bugs in it already, even though our temps are in the 40s and it's been raining for days.

Has anyone ever used apple cider vinegar to get rid of these bugs? I've got a 300 gal tank. How much vinegar should I use?

Or does anyone know of another way to get rid of them and keep them from coming back?

Thanks for any suggestions!


Rusty

 

[patandchickens]

DO NOT ever put vinegar in a galvanized stock tank - it makes the zinc and cadmium and suchlike soluble and can poison the water. Really. (Don't put acids like ACV or copper sulphate in a galvanized waterer, either, same reason).

If it is a plastic-type stock tank, then it would be ok. However I do not think it is likely to solve your problem, certainly not in an economical way.

What KIND of 'bugs' are they? Mosquito larvae? Other tiny swimmy things? Either dump and refill every 3 days or so (if they're tiny swimmy bugs, scrub the tank at that time), or put one or two goldfish or a few mosquitofish in there [and then *don't* dump the tank, at least not before netting fish out

]. BTW, little "bugs" in the water are not actually hurting anything -- not a health hazard for your critters to drink, it's just an aesthetic issue. Unless they're mosquito larvae in which case *they* aren't a problem but the adults obviously are.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Oops. It's a Rubbermaid 300 gal tank, not a galvanized one. And I think the bugs may be water beetles, but I'm really not sure. They seem to swim using wings under water. These guys are REALLY big for only 3 days in the tank. And the tank really was clean. I scrubbed and scrubbed because someone had thrown muddy rocks in it.

I worry about liver flukes or something similar, but I've never been good about identifying the various bugs.

I worry because I've got a 5-week-old filly in that pasture.

Thanks for your help!

Rusty

edited to add that it costs about $5 every time I dump and refill that tank, which is why I am looking for a better solution.

 

[PoultryScienceAggie]

I would put 3-4 goldfish in the tank. They should take care of the problem. Plus they are fun to look at!

 

[MissPrissy]

Gold fish is an idea unless you have birds that use the tank too. Yes, you can add ACV, too. For 300 gallons I would put a gallon in there.

I have the rubbermaid stock tanks and LOVE them.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

For 300 gallons I would put a gallon in there.

Thanks. That's what I am gonna do!

 

[CountryMom]

We use goldfish. I have never had an issue with birds eating them out of the stock tanks, but then my friend's Mom had for a while. She put in a few lids to old coolers (Igloo type) to float on top of all their different troughs. That gave the fish something to get under. Now she is retired and living at their other ranch. My girlfriend still has a few monster goldfish in her stock tanks!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
There are lots of pond insects that, as adults, fly around looking for new bodies of water to colonize. Puddles, ponds, etc.

If your critters are insects (water beetles, water boatmen, etc) they are not going to hurt your livestock. But fish may not eat them (many types of pond insects with 'wandering' adults are distasteful to fish), and ACV may well not impress them very much... many of these things make a fine living in pretty acidic types of ponds etc.

I'd really suggest just not worrying about it

Have fun,

Pat

 

[kstaven]

1 cup for 50 gallons works on ours. It also has the side benefit of increasing lactation volumes of our cows!

And before anyone asks ... No I do not have a scientific peer reviewed study to back that up. Just years of simple observation and noting volumes on the same cows when I don't do it up against using it.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

It also has the side benefit of increasing lactation volumes of our cows!

Since I have a lactating mare in that pasture with her foal, this would be a really good thing!

Thanks for the tip!