Purified or tap water?

[lilyskip]

I've been filling Huxley's water bowl with pure drinking water (from one of those 2.5gal jugs) every two-three days, or as it gets dirty (which is rarely less than every 2-3 days).
1) is this often enough?
2) do I need to use filtered drinking water, or is tap water okay?

[Jeff_Favelle]

Tap water is fine. Just fine.

[Andy_G]

If tap water in your area is drinkable then it should be fine, but where I am it sometomes comes out brown because they treat it with so much crap it's unbelievable, so I use bottled myself.

[Linds]

The chemicals in tap water have been linked to miscarriages in mammals (amongst other ailments). Now no studies have been done on reptiles and tap water, but I wouldn't want to risk it. I personally don't drink tap water regularily, so I don't expect my animals to either. Not like our bodies thrive on chlorine, and I'm sure theirs doesn't either! I'll try to find the study on tap water and mammals, it was a few years ago but I'll give it a shot ;)

As for your cleaning schedule, thats fine IMHO :)

[Pixie]

The frequency of your water dish cleanings seems fine. If the bowl and water are still clean, no need to rush and change it just because it's been exactly 24 hours!

Tap water is fine but it is preferable to let it sit out for a few hours, preferably a whole day to let the chlorine evaporate. What I do is have a bottle or two filled at all times near my cage setups. That way it's ready to refill some dishes right then.

Pixie

[Jeff_Favelle]

Actually, chlorine is a major part of our ATP production (energy) and the sodium/potassium pump in animal cells. Its an anion that is most plentiful in nature and animal cells as its used to balance positivley-charged Na cations on the other side of the cell membrane. Its a very very important element. Without it, animals couldn't live because the other anions on the periodic table (Fluorine and Bromine) are way too reactive. But how much is used in reptiles is under debate.

Let me put it this way:

Electricity also causes cancer (undifferentiated mitosis) through mutating cells to forget their G-zero Lock. Does that mean you're not going to put heat tape or light in with your snakes/lizards anymore??

Its all relative.

[Katt]

Ok Jeff, let's see you survive a chlorine gassing!!!

<laugh> :P

[Linds]

Really? I've never heard anything good about chlorine before. How come bleach is so toxic then?

I couldn't find the exact one... but these are good enough...

http://www.tdh.state.tx.us/phpep/dpn/ISSUES/dpn61n23.pdf

http://www.joyfullivingservices.com/trihalomethanes.html

http://www.bewellnaturally.net/HTML/Library/Articles/tapwater.html

http://lists.isb.sdnpk.org/pipermail/eco-list-old/1998-February/000928.html

[Colonel SB]

Jeff is right it has to do with the concentration of the chlorine...sure pure chloine is bad (chlorine gas also has other toxins in it). Just look at filtered water with frog the water is pure no ions in it and it kills them due to osmosis. So like Jeff said it's all relative.

[lilyskip]

Thanks so much for the information, guys!!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Chlorine gas Cl2 is a LOT different than Chlorine ions (Cl-) in solution. The chlorine gas is used to kill buggies and algae in the water. It pretty much dissipates after an hour or so, depending on how much it movement it has had (ie pouring, shaking around, etc etc). The real bad guys in tap water are Chloramines. They don't degrade into ions and are relatively stable for long periods of time. FDA (in the States) is saying they are good, but some studies say they are bad. Poo-ie, I say. I've been drinking water for just about ever and all the babies I've birthed are just fine, LOL!

But yeah, chlorine gas is bad in large amounts. Its mustard gas (ala WW1 and WW2). It will kill. But that's why its used. To kill harmful bacteria, diatoms, protists, and algae. I think its effects on reptiles are minimal. Maybe not amphibians though. But reptiles do not drink nearly as much as we do, so even though they are smaller, they are not bio-accumulating any toxins in their water like we would.

Amphibians I wouldn't be so confident about. But when I bred frogs and tropical salamanders, I would always use "green" water. That was my secret, heh heh.

[fanmaninacan]

LOL!

OMG..
TAP WATER IS FINE!!!!!

T.P

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL!

OMG..
TAP WATER IS FINE!!!!!

T.P


Heh heh...exactly!!

[killaclown]

gese jeff tallk in english.lol j\k

[Jeff_Favelle]

Ha ha, you know what's funny? I was hammered (vodka-orange) when I wrote that and it was completely off of memory!! Ha ha, my last cell biology course was 3rd year and was 6 years ago! I had to dig up a text book just to make sure I was somewhat right!!

Too funny.

But I won't do it again, LOL! :D

[lilyskip]

lol Jeff...some of my friends can speak fluently in foreign languages when they're drunk, but stumble through simple sentences while sober. Same effect, I guess!

[Colonel SB]

That is the stage we like to call professor Jeff

[Jeff_Favelle]

Lilyskip, are you saying that I stumble when I'm sober?? Thanks for that!! LOL! ;)

Heh heh "professor". Kinda scary.

[drewlowe]

I use spring water. I don't mind paying the extra money cause i drink it myself.

[lilyskip]

haha, jeff, i've been meaning to talk to you about that sober-stumbling... ;)

[Jeff_Favelle]

LOL!

[stretch]

I just buy a dechlorinator (the kind for fish tanks), drop a couple drops in the water then no more chlorine. Its as simple as that. Its cheaper then buying bottled water.

[Jeff_Favelle]

Sodium Thiosulfate is what you want.

[Linds]

Originally posted by stretch
I just buy a dechlorinator (the kind for fish tanks), drop a couple drops in the water then no more chlorine. Its as simple as that. Its cheaper then buying bottled water.

There is more chemicals in water to worry about than chlorine...

[stretch]

If its good enough for fish to live in its good enough for a snake to drink.