rain barrels

[Warlord]

Question? I will be using 50-60 gal. plastic drums to store rainwater for my garden this year. I want to know if there is anything I can do to keep the water algae free? I don't think its a good idea to add any chemicals to the water without them hurting my precious plants. I thought about making a simple filter using layers of different size rock , pea gravel and fine sand. I would appreciate any info you all have. thank you. :) Warren.

[kitsapFG]

I have two large rain barrels that are linked together and I do not do anything to treat the water for algae. I tend to use the water very regularly (all my container watering is done from the rain barrels) so I am constantly rotating the water and I think that does the trick by itself.

[Backyard Permaculture]

What harm would algae do anyway? Would it not just add a little organic matter to the garden?

[plantoneonme]

What color will the barrels be? In a white barrel algae may become a problem in that it could clog up the plumbing to the outlet...maybe some kind of algae eating fish could help out or shading/screening them to keep too much direct sun off of them. Kim

[Blossome]

I just found out the Pepsi corp sell there 55 gallon jugs for $5 here in bmore. I'm going to get me a few. I think this would be good to check out in other states/cities.

[Warlord]

Thanks for the info guys. By the way I got my 55 gal. drums from a dairy farmer I know. I have both white or blue. They are empty pre-dip and post-dip containers for milking cows. Pre-dip is a peroxide solution and post-dip is an iodine solution. I like these drums because they have threaded holes just the right size for pipe fittings to link them together.

[JudyH]

DH is working on some plans now to put up 2 rain barrels near the chicken coop that is going up. We are putting a gutter on the back side of the chicken coop to collect the rain to funnel into the barrels. The barrels I have are blue food grade. DH picked them up a couple of years ago from I don't even know where LOL