• PLEASE NOTE - the TEAS facebook page has been hacked, take extreme care when visiting the page, for further information visit here

Algae In Water Bottle Nozzle?

Status
Not open for further replies.

Ruby Inferno

Teenage Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 18, 2014
Messages
632
Reaction score
446
Points
450
Location
England, UK
Usually when I wash the water bottles, I just give them a good shake (after being soaked for a while in pet-safe cleaning solution). However earlier I decided to use a cotton bud soaked in the pet safe cleaning solution. When I used a cotton bud to clean one of my piggies' water bottles, dark green came off on the cotton bud. Is this algae? If I give them a good clean, will it be okay to use or do I need to use new water bottles?

Their current water bottles are not easy to clean, you can unscrew the nozzle but you can't take off the actual metal bit. One of my piggies has chewed the bit that attaches the metal nozzle to the plastic part connecting to the nozzle, so I can take it off and clean it, but with the other bottle I can't.

I feel stupid for not properly cleaning the nozzles...
 
As long as you have removed all the algae and sanitized the bottle in hot water it should be ok.
 
The sink I use for the water bottle things actually doesn't have a functioning hot water tap... maybe that's how it grew in the first place. I'll be sure to make use of the kettle instead!
 
Thanks. :P

Is the algae poisonous to piggies? I'm really worried now...
Yes it is harmful. That is why I clean their bottles each week.
Try not to worry, as long as they are ok at the moment they can have fresh bottles now.
 
That bottle is the same bottle my piggy has been using since May 2014, whereas the chewed bottle is newer.

It's kind of hard not to worry, I have no idea how long that algae has been there. :(
 
That bottle is the same bottle my piggy has been using since May 2014, whereas the chewed bottle is newer.

It's kind of hard not to worry, I have no idea how long that algae has been there. :(
If it has wear and tear in the bottle, buy a new one. If not, then give it a good clean and sanitise, :)
 
I can clean the chewed one because I can take everything apart, but the old one is impossible to clean properly so I will throw that one away.

Thanks for putting my mind at ease. :)
 
That bottle is the same bottle my piggy has been using since May 2014, whereas the chewed bottle is newer.

It's kind of hard not to worry, I have no idea how long that algae has been there. :(


Don't worry! If your guinea pigs are OK - no harm has been done.

Nozzles do get dirty . I know some forum members don't like using cotton buds ( in case the end comes off) so it would be worth hearing how they clean their nozzles.

I use cotton buds to clean the nozzle and just make sure the cotton end is still on after I have cleaned.

I use hot soapy water and sterilise with boiling water.
 
Thanks, but my only concern is, wouldn't boiling water melt the plastic water bottles? Or would this just be for the metal nozzles?
 
Thanks, but my only concern is, wouldn't boiling water melt the plastic water bottles? Or would this just be for the metal nozzles?
Boiling water is my preference . I use the glass bottles made by living world. The plastic part of the nozzle seems OK in boiling water. If you have plastic bottles, you will probably prefer to use pet safe disinfectant instead.
 
I use a pet safe disinfectant anyway. I have an old mug that had its handle broken off, I could use that to put the metal part of the bottles in boiling water and just use hot water for the plastic?
 
I use a pet safe disinfectant anyway. I have an old mug that had its handle broken off, I could use that to put the metal part of the bottles in boiling water and just use hot water for the plastic?
disinfectant for both should be fine
 
I use a strong salt solution with warm water to clean bottles & spouts. I soak the spouts for about half an hour. The salt kills the algae & then I clean them out with a cotton bud with a piece of J-cloth over the end & rinse very thoroughly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top