Foam in Stock Tank

[JeffK-MN]

My neighbor has been having a oily scummy foam in his stock tank for a horse.
He has rinsed it with a hose but a few days it comes back.
It just started when he put the tank heater in the tank. The water is cool to the touch. It has a smell like a fish aquarium.
He asked the farm store about the heater. They had no idea.
He asked the vet. She said the heater is to big for the tank. It is a 70 gal. Rubber maid tank.
Thanks for the info Jeff
I have a metal tank he can use it is from the tank.

 

[Aaron]

My neighbor has been having a oily scummy foam in his stock tank for a horse.
He has rinsed it with a hose but a few days it comes back.
It just started when he put the tank heater in the tank. The water is cool to the touch. It has a smell like a fish aquarium.
He asked the farm store about the heater. They had no idea.
He asked the vet. She said the heater is to big for the tank. It is a 70 gal. Rubber maid tank.
Thanks for the info Jeff
I have a metal tank he can use it is from the tank.

I would suspect the water source.

Where I keep my bulls, the shallow well is very shallow and is fed by underground channels of surface water which contain a lot of organic matter and grows lots of algae oily scum crud when the water is warm in the trough. Crystal clear when it is cold.

Glad my bulls aren't fussy drinkers like your neighbor's horse.

 

[JeffK-MN]

Thanks for the info. He is having his water tested. It is the same as the house.
He is also realy cleaning the tank with bleach.
Jeff

 

[elkwc]

I use the same 1,500 watt heaters in the poly tanks for my horses that I do in the larger tanks for the cattle. They are temperature controlled so shouldn't be an issue. Like the previous poster I'm sure it is the water. Algae, moss will grow all winter due to the water never freezing. I add clorox at yimes to control it.

 

[Aaron]

I use the same 1,500 watt heaters in the poly tanks for my horses that I do in the larger tanks for the cattle. They are temperature controlled so shouldn't be an issue. Like the previous poster I'm sure it is the water. Algae, moss will grow all winter due to the water never freezing. I add clorox at yimes to control it.

 

[JeffK-MN]

Thanks again for the info Jeff

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

My tanks will get "froth" on the surface of the water when I put heaters in them if water is low (too warm). Doesn't hurt anything.

 

[JeffK-MN]

Thanks I just talked to my neighbot and the cleaning did the trick the horse is drinking from the tank and no more foam at all.
He took it to the car wash and scraped a lot of algae from the bottom of the tank.
Thanks for the great info Jeff