[ceejay2020]

I have a 100 gallon rubbermaid stock tank for my two horses and I love it. I clean it with vinegar about twice a week and I have never had a problem with it. I don't like galvanized because I don't think they are safe and also because I need to put my stock tank heater in there in the winter and the rubbermaid tank is best for that. I never have bugs in mine

 

[CurlyJammer]

I have several Tuff Stuff tanks and they last pretty well. Mine are going on 17 years old and haven't had to replace them yet. I use 1" chlorine tabs (from the pool store) about 1 every 2-3 weeks in summer to keep the algae down. My tanks are all from 110 to 180 gals and we dump them and clean them weekly. The steel ones don't seem to last as long and cost considerably more.

Please excuse my question, but ... those chlorine tabs... they are safe for drinking water for horses?

 

[horselovinguy]

Please excuse my question, but ... those chlorine tabs... they are safe for drinking water for horses?

I've never used chlorine tablets like used in a swimming pool in troughs....
Places I've worked and lived in the past had public water, so chlorine added along with other "goodies" for sanitary and health reasons.
I do use a cap of bleach to scrub & clean my trough, then rinse well before refilling.
Now, I have well water and that is pumped straight from the ground as it is and the horses love it.

:runninghorse2:...

 

[Dreamcatcher Arabians]

Please excuse my question, but ... those chlorine tabs... they are safe for drinking water for horses?

Yes. 1 tab in 100+ gals of water and they're very slow dissolving. The chlorine ends up being about what you'd find in most areas drinking water. Our area is on well, even the water company, and they do not chlorinate or fluoridate the water.

 

[mred]

I have used both. My metal tank has rusted out the bottom after about 10 to 12 years. My first rubbermaid had a horse step inside and cracked the bottom, would not warranty it. I use a 100 gal rubbermaid for my ponies. It works great and a heater is easy for the winter. I have a heater for it but winter here is just not that cold. My horses have a 150 gal metal tank. When I clean it there is also some rust in the bottom. I have two horses that like to put the front feet in it. I am not sure how long it will hold up. My plans for now is wait. I think the rubbermaid for the ponies will last for years. When the horses punch a hole in the metal one, or it rusts thru, I want to go in, built a concrete pad around when it goes and purchase a concrete tank. The price at the local feed store was the same as the metal. I could not turn it over to empty, but will use a drain in the bottom with a brush. With the pad, I can have the drain empty outside the paddock into a grass area. I can put a float in it to fill it. I don't think the freeze here will crack it. But can use heater if needed. And it is a bigger tank. (I might try fish, not sure.) I do have to put something in my tanks for the squirrels to climb out. More than once, I have had them fall in. Than the tank has to be emptied and cleaned.

 

[Celeste]

I also put a "Squirrel Rescue" stick in my water trough. Not only do I feel bad about the poor squirrel, but if they sit in the water in the sun for a while, you have to scrub out the tank with bleach.

No matter how often it is cleaned, it get algae build up. I also get mosquito larvae in it.

So some frogs laid eggs in the water tank. I started to pour it out, but then I felt guilty and decided to save the tadpoles. So I netted them into a bucket, cleaned the tank, refilled it, and reintroduced the tadpoles. It seems that the crazy things eat algae and mosquito larvae.They have doubled in size.

I don't have current pictures. No hate on the grungy water please. I was in the process of cleaning it. This is the south. Stuff grows here.

 

[Celeste]

My dog has had a galvanized water bucket. I noticed that she always tries to drink out of a plastic one in the yard. I put it in her pen. She is drinking twice as much water out of the plastic.

 

[secuono]

My metal troughs develop holes quickly. One needs to be lined with a rubber liner, it has sooo many holes on bottom. Big one leaks at the seam, another small has never touched the ground, but will need a liner next year.
If it weren't for the fact that I always forget to turn on the heaters, I'd be using plastic!
My sheep have the 1ft tall heavy rubber tubs for troughs. Easy to dump out ice, no rust nor cracking issues. But obviously too small for horses in winter.
I don't worry about algae, it won't harm anything. And deadly blue green algae developing in a tank would mean its quite filthy in general.