Dogs, right?
I've also noticed moving water helps a lot. I initially tried mosquito dunks, but like you mentioned, the residue wasn't ideal. Switched to a small aquarium pump—worked great until algae clogged it up...solar sounds like a smarter choice.
I've been thinking about solar too, but honestly, I'm still a bit skeptical about reliability. I mean, cloudy days happen, right? And batteries aren't exactly cheap or maintenance-free. I tried a small solar fountain pump last summer—worked fine at first, but after a few cloudy days, it just sputtered out. Maybe I just got unlucky with a cheap model, but it left me wondering if solar setups are really worth the upfront cost.
On the algae issue, have you tried shading your tank or barrel? I rigged up a simple tarp cover last year, and it cut down algae growth significantly. Not perfect, but definitely helped. Also makes me wonder if anyone's experimented with copper fittings or something similar to naturally inhibit algae growth without chemicals...would that even be safe for watering plants?
I totally get your hesitation about solar—I had a similar experience with some cheap garden lights that barely lasted a season. But my neighbor invested in a better-quality setup, and it's been going strong even through cloudy weeks. Maybe quality really does make the difference here...
"Maybe quality really does make the difference here..."
Yeah, quality definitely plays a role, but sometimes even decent gear can fail under the wrong conditions. I built a rain barrel setup last year—nothing fancy, just basic barrels and fittings from the hardware store. Worked great until a heavy storm hit and overflowed the whole thing, flooding my flower beds. Lesson learned: planning for worst-case scenarios matters just as much as equipment quality... or maybe I'm just unlucky?
