Aussie Finch Forum

i have water fountain which grows algae on it and whenever the pump stops the birds are straight down to the algae pecking at it and obviously eating the dark green algae. i have no idea if this is bad or good, does not seem to harm the birds.

Any suggestions, good or bad. all species especially the africans seem to love it!!!

Isnt it some form of spirulina? I know that spirulina is very expensive, think I saw some at a bird sale for something like $12 for 100g

vaguely recall someone mentioning that it can interfere with calcium absorption .

Interesting, considering it was for sale at a bird sale.

Spirulina is used by some people as a vitamin and protein supplement for their birds. Just sprinkle a little?? powder on their soaked seed or soft food, as simple as that. Suggest reading further on the subject as it has a number of other benefits.
I found some useful info on Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirulina_ ... plement%29" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (I know its not a peer reviewed site but it can save a lot of time in research).
Hopefully their is a chemist/scientist on the forum that can enlighten us on the benefits or side effects of Spirulina.

Is the algae in the fountains spirulina ?

Will try and find the thread posted about calcium .

Cant find it maybe whoever posted it can elaborate more on the subject ....Have had a look on google and so far I found the black algae can kill birds but nothing about the green algae .

Are we throwing away a valuable food source when we scrub the water bowls ?

$12 per 100g sheesh = $120 per kilo ...I knew it was good stuff but WOW .

From memory it is also used as a colour enhancer.
This post may have solved a querie we have had with my Orange Weavers. Their colour seems to be more red and brighter than most others I see around.
As I do not feed them colour food and my diet for them is nothing special it was a mystery.
The key maybe in the Algae that grows in the ponds I use as a water supply for my birds.
In areas where I use large earthen ware water bowls unlike most people I donot scrub my bowls clean. I simply wash the dishes out and replace with fresh water.
As a result the bowls have Algae in them but clear water. For good or bad its a habit I gained from the old old avis that were my mentors.

Makes sense , Flamingos are pink because of the algae they feed on .

Maybe we could all do to go back to basics instead of all this buy buy buy to produce healthy birds , after all nature provides it all in the wild doesn't she.

Spirulina is a specific type of algae that grows in alkaline salt water lakes, coincidentally where flamingoes also feed.
So it is not the same as the algae which grows in our water bowls, ponds etc.

Spirulina is high in amino acids (for proteins) and carotenoids (used to make colour pigments and vitamin A), B vitamins, iron and many trace minerals and chlorophyll. So it is quite a concentrated source of nutrients.

The main risk with using it is that if it has been harvested from waterways contaminated with heavy metals, then the spirulina will contain high levels of these which could be dangerous to the birds. It also needs to be free of bacteria and algal toxins which can cause death.

Some people also experience fevers, stomach aches/nausea, allergies, dizziness, thirst and even constipation after taking spirulina, but this is usually an individual reaction or occurs if excessive amounts are taken.

I am sure that the algae in water bowls is fine and if the orange bishops are eating it would certainly account for their bright colouration.
However, the risk is that during certain environmental conditions the algae may produce toxins which can cause liver failure and other problems which will kill birds.

This can be minimised if, as Eorix has done, the water is changed regularly and food and faecal matter don't increase the level of organic nutrients in the water, particularly during warm weather.

thankyou all for your advice, much appreciated. so from all this i gather that the upshot is if the water is kept clean that the algae is not too much of a problem, it is a dark green colour(if that makes any difference) algae and as i said the birds definitely enjoy pecking at it. the birds do seem to have had their colours enhance recently, though i put this down to good health, i wonder if it is the algae?????