What's in your water?

[Strutter769]

Although they say my town has some of the best water in IL, I don't like the calcium etc. that is left at the bottom of the water dish. Tried distilled, bit that gets pricey with this number of animals. Do you think (Brita) filtered water is beneficial in any way, or is the process a bit of a time waste?

Let me know what you think.

Thanks!

[Caylan]

Try daily water changes. Vinegar takes care of calcium like no tomorrow though.

[Strutter769]

What about spraying the animal? I'd imagine they'd like to not have that build-up everywhere, wouldn't ya think?

[infernalis]

As reptiles shed their skin, this is an unnecessary worry.

However, wal mart does sell gallon jugs of distilled water for 88 cents each.

[Gungirl]

I use tap water but if I ever need to use bottled for some crazy reason I can get gallons at Hannafords supermarket for 50 cents each. I normally have 6-8 gallons on hand for emergency anyways.

[Norm66]

I think the brita only gets rid of chlorine, I don't think it would help your calcium buildup. I really wouldn't worry about it myself. If you do go bottled though is distilled really what you want to use? I know it's a no-no with fish but I don't know if it would matter for reptiles or not. Something about all the minerals being pulled out of distilled water....not really sure.

[shaunyboy]

tap water in Scotland is pretty fresh mate

so i've no worries using it

cheers shaun

[alessia55]

I use tap water for my snakes, and Brita water for myself

[millertime89]

I use tap for both, but I've contempleted going all distilled for my snakes.

[Strutter769]

If you do go bottled though is distilled really what you want to use? I know it's a no-no with fish but I don't know if it would matter for reptiles or not. Something about all the minerals being pulled out of distilled water....not really sure.

I was wondering the same, if filtering pulls out essential minerals, etc.

[Terranaut]

Do not use distilled water. The lack of mineral and salt content messes with the way water is absorbed through cell membranes and could eventually kill your reptile.
Google it for better a explanation. It's well documented.

[KidComet]

Do not use distilled water. The lack of mineral and salt content messes with the way water is absorbed through cell membranes and could eventually kill your reptile.
Google it for better a explanation. It's well documented.
Woah! So you'd prefer tap to give your snake over bottled water?

[Strutter769]

Thanks for the info!

[Gungirl]

I never said in my post the kind of water I keep on hand in jugs.. If I am going to buy bottled water I buy spring water. Once I move I am going to have a well. The area in which I am house shopping is mostly off the grid so a well is the only choice. I love well water, near the mountains it is so good!

[infernalis]

I love well water, near the mountains it is so good!

That's what we have. One of the cleanest aquifers anyone could ever hope for, flows right under my house.

Our shallow (40 foot) well has never ran dry. Usually it's quite the opposite!.

[shaunyboy]

That's what we have. One of the cleanest aquifers anyone could ever hope for, flows right under my house.

Our shallow (40 foot) well has never ran dry. Usually it's quite the opposite!.

so do you pull your water straight from the ground Wayne,via a filter system ?

so your NOT hooked into the national water grid then ?

cheers shaun

[Strutter769]

So, we bought a really nice rat rack that holds up to 16 10-gallon tanks and has a really nice watering system. We asked what water he uses, and his response: "Reverse osmosis."

Since I didn't want to sound like a moron (especially in front of a US Army helicopter pilot), I didn't ask.

Since I don't have to explain my moron-ness to you guys, I humbly ask.... "Whaaaat?"

PS. Googled "Osmosis for idiots." I'm more ignorant than a dummy apparently.

[Gungirl]

So, we bought a really nice rat rack that holds up to 16 10-gallon tanks and has a really nice watering system. We asked what water he uses, and his response: "Reverse osmosis."

Since I didn't want to sound like a moron (especially in front of a US Army helicopter pilot), I didn't ask.

Since I don't have to explain my moron-ness to you guys, I humbly ask.... "Whaaaat?"

PS. Googled "Osmosis for idiots." I'm more ignorant than a dummy apparently.

I am pretty sure that reverse osmosis can be one of 2 things it is either recycled water or sea water that the salt has been removed from.

[Terranaut]

Reverse osmosis uses a membrane and pressure to filter water. Doesn't need to be sea water to start. So in a nutshell its filtered water.

[hellosugaree]

Sounds like some people need to brush up on their water knowledge. Distilled water is not a filtration process in the literal sense. Distilled water is evaporated and then condensed and collected. The process of distillation removes all salts and minerals from the water, since these things do not evaporate with the water, but are left behind. I would not recommend distilled water for animals as trace minerals are probably important for normal functions. If you don't want to use tap water, get bottled spring water instead of distilled.

[Terranaut]

As I said. RO is filtered not distilled.

[hellosugaree]

As I said. RO is filtered not distilled.

I wasn't talking about you!

[Terranaut]

Lol. Ok. Sorry :)

[hellosugaree]

Haha, terranaut, I just noticed your subtitle thing below your name... awesome.

[Kratos]

So if distilled water is not good for our reptiles then I must ask.

I have the repti fogger in my snakes viv and the instructions say to not use tap water or bottled water only distilled because the minerals will break the thingy that makes the fog. So will this be a bad thing for my brb using the fogger with distilled water?

Is it bad for my brb not the fogger.

[mykee]

Keep in mind that for millions and millions of years, (2000 years if you're a Creationist...) these creatures drank (and still do) out of bacteria-ridden mud puddles all around the world. I don't think anyones tap water is going to kill their reptiles.

[Trollbie]

Keep in mind that for millions and millions of years, (2000 years if you're a Creationist...) these creatures drank (and still do) out of bacteria-ridden mud puddles all around the world. I don't think anyones tap water is going to kill their reptiles.

But isn't chlorine (and potential other chemicals) still a concern?

[Lankyrob]

So if distilled water is not good for our reptiles then I must ask.

I have the repti fogger in my snakes viv and the instructions say to not use tap water or bottled water only distilled because the minerals will break the thingy that makes the fog. So will this be a bad thing for my brb using the fogger with distilled water?

Is it bad for my brb not the fogger.


Not sure with BRB;s but with GTP;s they rarely drink from a water bowl - they drink the water that gathers on their scales so i would want "normal" water coming through the fogger. If hte BRB drinks from a water bowl then i dont see it being a problem.

[Terranaut]

So if distilled water is not good for our reptiles then I must ask.

I have the repti fogger in my snakes viv and the instructions say to not use tap water or bottled water only distilled because the minerals will break the thingy that makes the fog. So will this be a bad thing for my brb using the fogger with distilled water?

Is it bad for my brb not the fogger.

You use distilled so the heat element doesn't get covered in scale.
Hydrating the air is not the same as the snake.

[Kratos]

Awsome thanks guys.

[hellosugaree]

You use distilled so the heat element doesn't get covered in scale.
Hydrating the air is not the same as the snake.

Yes. I will add that distilled water will not hurt your snake. It just might not be sufficient to sustain them as a sole source of water for drinking due to lack of minerals. This is my speculation.

[hellosugaree]

But isn't chlorine (and potential other chemicals) still a concern?

It probably wont instantly kill your snake but I'm sure its not good for them. Levels of chemicals safe for humans might be harmful to other animals like snakes. Plenty of people, including myself, use tap water with no problems but that doesn't mean it is optimal. Also regarding the snakes drinking from puddles comment: this is true, but if you pull a snake from the wild, chances are it has parasites or other nasties. Plus the environment, diet, and everything is totally different for captive snakes vs wild snakes. You'll also note that most wild snakes do not survive to be adults. Because snakes get eaten in the wild does that mean we should feed 95% of our hatchlings to our dogs? True snakes can often tolerate poor conditions with some luck, but that doesn't by any means mean it is optimal. Captive husbandry is a different game all together. That being said, tap water is probably okay unless you live somewhere with particularly terrible water.

[mykee]

Exactly Sir.