Water question...

[FoxyAngel]

Is it okay if I just use boiled water for my rat snake? I have been buying water with low Cl in it but now I want to boil it. That okay for him/her right? Oh yeah and how can I find out if its a boy or girl... he's about 7 months now... Thanks!!! :)

~Desirée

[timminsreptiles]

if your using tap water just let it sit for a few days and the clorine will decipate.....boiling it will sterilize the water but will not get rid of chlorine

[Jeff Hathaway]

Chlorinated city water won't hurt a rat snake. If you can drink it, they can drink it. This isn't the case for amphibians, a few sensitive turtles, and perhaps a few species of highly aquatic snakes. Most common pet snakes will be fine with it.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!

[Asian Jon]

why does the chlorine decipate when you leave tapw ater sitting for a few days?

[Slannesh]

it breaks down naturally.

Well actually bonds to other molecules and is no longer just chlorine :)

[Bartman]

Grade 11 chem all over again :rolleyes:

[FoxyAngel]

Thanks!!! :)

~Desirée

[SaIiLdVaEnR]

Originally posted by Bartman
Grade 11 chem all over again :rolleyes:

CRAP! I didn't understand grade 11 chem!!!

Aidan

[Jeff_Favelle]

why does the chlorine decipate when you leave tapw ater sitting for a few days?


Because its a gas. No it doesn't chemically break down. Its Cl2. A gas. So eventually it is "gassed off" from the water.

[Ptindy]

Go Jeff. If your water treatment plant uses chloramine though that's a different story. Chloramine is a mix of chlorine and ammonia. Plants use this because it doesn't dissipate from water like chlorine does, but it is weaker then pure chlorine so they use more. I heard many treatment plants in the states are using this method, I don't know about any in Canada yet though.

Mike

[Jeff Hathaway]

Actually, if they use 'chlorine' (not 'chloramine'), it is usually in the form of aqueous sodium hypochlorite (NaHClO3). Also known as household bleach if it is a 3% solution. Treatment facilities, commercial pools, etc. use a much stronger 10-12% solution. I don't believe that it offgasses as Cl2 (chlorine gas), as it is in a different form already, an HClO3 ion. Rather, it is 'inactivated' by combining with (oxidizing) other molecules in the solution. This is why you have to keep adding 'chlorine' to a swimming pool, for example. Ultraviolet light (sunlight) also inactivates it fairly quickly. Chloramine is less reactive, and therefore sticks around longer, but you would need more.

This is from memory, so feel free to illustrate where I'm wrong. And yes, some treatment plants may use gas chlorine systems (Cl2 gas), which I suppose could 'off-gas' from the water, however I think that it is so reactive that it is all 'used up' in the solution. If your tap water, or swimming pool, off-gased Cl2 gas, that would be considered a health hazard if quantities were significant.

Jeff Hathaway
Sciensational Sssnakes!!