Removing Water Bowls

How does one make the switch from a water bowl to a water bottle? I have seen Niles drink from the water bottle, so I know he knows that its there and that there is water in it. His water bowl becomes so disgusting day in and day out because he dunks his food. I try to empty it at least twice per day and clean it with soap once per day but that isn't even enough it seems. If I just remove it, do you think he will stop eating as much because he can't dunk his pellets? Mango dunks pellets too, but he has adapted to the water bottle, he will grab a pellet on one side of the cage run over to the water bottle on the other, and hold it to the nozzle so it gets wet. It's just much cleaner. I think Nile's issue is that he drops some pellets or leaves them in to get really mushy and then forgets them, because I find several soggy whole pellets when I go to clean it. I worry about it making him sick.

I think maybe the only way to know is to take away the dish and see if Niles learns to hold his pellets under the water bottle as well. Rowdy also has the pellet dunking habit, but now that I'm home all day, I don't worry about it as I can just keep changing her water. What he may do instead is eat a pellet or two, drink water, eat a pellet or two, drink water, etc.

Even with a water bottle it can get quite dirty as well!!! Food particles can still get into the bottle. You still be forced to scrub it with a bottle scrubber. If you have one one or a few bird, its not that bad changing water bowl.

On days I work, the pellets can be in there for 10 hours, do u think he could get sick from drinking the water?

Well, my conure never did. Of course that doesn't mean it couldn't happen, but there wasn't much I could do other than change it before I ran out the door and as soon as I got home. I worked for the first 9 years I had her.

Just change it out when necessary, like I've said food particles can get into the bottles too. Mine dunks too and they're fine as long as you change them not letting it sit in there for days.