Welcome to my pond - Swim, wade, or sit on the bank

[Pork Pie]

1. I hate chlorine taste, so I sure don't want to give it to my birds...
2. Too much is toxic...
3. It doesn't stop algae growth, which is what we are targeting mainly...

Erm, ok

 

[Ravynscroft]

Erm, ok

What?

 

[Pork Pie]

What?

I'm saying, fine!

 

[Ravynscroft]

I'm saying, fine! 

Oh... thought you had more questions, lol...

Seriously, I don't worry about 'bacteria' per se... if the water gets fowled, I clean it out... but I don't sterilize everything for my birds... just like with kids, a little dirt never hurt...

 

[irfxr]

How in the summer do you keep the water in the barrel from getting real hot ??

 

[Pork Pie]

Oh... thought you had more questions, lol...

Seriously, I don't worry about 'bacteria' per se... if the water gets fowled, I clean it out... but I don't sterilize everything for my birds... just like with kids, a little dirt never hurt...

neither do I - its pointless, since they drink from puddles and other gross places (chickens, that is

- kids, given half a chance, maybe!). I do put a splash of bleach in the water reservoir, but I'm comfortable with that kinda thing as I used to work as a chemist in water treatment plants, many moons ago.

Benny quite rightly suggested stopping sunlight getting to the piping, if algae is the issue - you don't think that would work, or is the copper sulphate to flush the existing algae out?

 

[Pork Pie]

How in the summer do you keep the water in the barrel from getting real hot ??

Try to keep it in the shade (add bottles of frozen water / ice) and offer alternative sources of water throughout the day (i.e. from sources that are cooler)

 

[Ravynscroft]

neither do I - its pointless, since they drink from puddles and other gross places (chickens, that is   - kids, given half a chance, maybe!). I do put a splash of bleach in the water reservoir, but I'm comfortable with that kinda thing as I used to work as a chemist in water treatment plants, many moons ago.

Benny quite rightly suggested stopping sunlight getting to the piping, if algae is the issue - you don't think that would work, or is the copper sulphate to flush the existing algae out? 

No, it doesn't flush out existing... in fact, if you don't make sure all algae is gone before refilling with it, the algae will still spread... albeit much slower... it just prevents, not remove... but if there's no algae and you don't skip it in a fill up, algae never starts...

Shading the lines should work just fine...

 

[Pork Pie]

No, it doesn't flush out existing... in fact, if you don't make sure all algae is gone before refilling with it, the algae will still spread... albeit much slower... it just prevents, not remove... but if there's no algae and you don't skip it in a fill up, algae never starts...

Shading the lines should work just fine...

gotcha

 

[Ravynscroft]

gotcha

Same fee... I expect that cheque will be in the post soon...