Treating Water??

[sulferhead]

Hi i read somewhere that you should treat your snakes, beardies, all reptiles in general, water. alot of city water is treated with chlorine and other assorted chemicals. this would make sense as I treat the water in my fish tanks with prime to remove these chemicals that are harmful to fish. Does any body do this? Thoughts on the effects of these chemicals on your snakes?

[alessia55]

Nope. My snakes get tap water. If it's good for me to drink, it should be ok for them. I don't treat it with anything.

[Revenant]

I age my snakes' water. Not all tap water is equal. Mine comes out of the tap smelling like a swimming pool. On the fish tank testing strips, the chlorine is off the stinking charts. This is the first place I've lived that I won't drink water straight from the tap. If I'm behind on aging it, I'll buy some gallon jugs for them.


Edited to add:

I've heard of others with heavily treated tap water aging it, but I haven't heard of using primer in it before. Surely some of the primers would be just as bad for them to drink? I'll have to check my fish tank primer, but I'm sure it has poison control warnings on it.

Edited again:

Yeah, if nothing else, I think the sodium content would be just as potentially harmful to herps as trace heavy metals.

[infernalis]

I have a well, so I don't have to treat mine.

Just buy a jug of distilled water, like 80 cents at the grocery store, unless you have a big collection, that should last quite a while.

[Ivalynfyre]

I'm curious - is there any possibility of any sort of mineral deficiency with using filtered or distilled water? The tap water here isn't exactly the best and there's an extra filtered pitcher thing lying around I've started using for my reptiles.

[jaleely]

I do bottled water, because we have a water softener (adds salt). We go through a number of those big 5 gallon bottles a month. We refill at a water store for a few cents a gallon : ) We have us, dogs, fish, snakes, etc though.

[Revenant]

I'm curious - is there any possibility of any sort of mineral deficiency with using filtered or distilled water? The tap water here isn't exactly the best and there's an extra filtered pitcher thing lying around I've started using for my reptiles.

I've heard (just from keepers, no study to point you towards) that that was a risk with distilled. I don't know for certain.

[infernalis]

I've heard (just from keepers, no study to point you towards) that that was a risk with distilled. I don't know for certain.

Reptiles do not require nutrients in their water. Heck, keep them right and many reptiles could live just fine without a water bowl at all. Many species of reptiles get all the water they need from the prey they eat. It's through proper water conservation that they survive in deserts, drought and other conditions that do not favor drinking.

There is no risk in giving distilled water.

Nutrients come from their food.

[RandyRhoads]

:wacky:Of course you should treat your snakes water don't you know they flouridate it in attempt to control and mellow out the snake population. :wacky:

Fish on the other hand....all RO/DI water.

[Abby]

The tap water is great where I live. I do nothing to my water.

[Snakeman8]

Tap water is good here also

[shuga]

When I bought my set-up, it came with Reptisafe Water treatment. Should i be using it?
I have been, but will stop if it isnt safe. Here is the advertisement given by the company, also printed on the bottle.

Instant terrarium water conditioner to make habitats more friendly to all species of snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, amphibians, hermit crabs and arachnids.

When used in habitat water or drinking water, ReptiSafe water conditioner instantly removes chlorine, chloramines, and ammonia; adds essential electrolytes, stimulates the protective slime coat development and reduces pH. Instantly makes water safer for all types of snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, amphibians, hermit crabs and arachnids. ReptiSafe is the only terrarium water conditioner on the market. For use in reptile bowls, chameleon drip water systems, or aquatic turtle tanks. Contains no harsh chemicals.

Ingredients:
Purified Water, Herbal Extracts, Organic Colloids, Organic Chelating Agents, Electolytes, Essential Vitamins and Minerals.

Directions for Use:
When adding to pet's drinking water, use 2 drops of ReptiSafe per 8 ounces (1 cup) of water. Repeat every time you change the water.

When using to condition water in the habitat, use 1 teaspoon of ReptiSafe per 5 gallons of water. Use to treat all new and replacement water, and whenever adding new reptiles to the habitat.

When using in aquatic turtle/amphibian water environments, add 3 teaspoons per gallon on water.

Available in a 8.75 fl oz bottle.

Made in the USA

[Gungirl]

I think that water treatment stuff is crap. I don't use anything in my water and I'm not about to add anything to my snakes water either.

[Lankyrob]

We fill up a jug once a week and let it sit out, we use this for refilling water bowls for all our snakes. The main reason for this is it saves us walking from the living room where the snakes are to the kitchen each time we need to fill a bowl :)

[Falconeer999]

I've always used spring water for any of my creatures (and my kid when she was a baby). I figure if there is anything in the water, just because it isn't affecting my 170lb body, doesn't mean it won't affect their significantly smaller bodies.

A couple gallons of spring water bought for $1.70-2.00 will last a couple months and isn't too much more expensive than tap water. And, like Lankyrob said - saves a trip or two going back and forth to the kitchen!

[Danimal]

I keep jugs and rotate them like other people have mentioned (mostly to allow it to acclimate to room temp) and I know chlorine will evaporate over time but, in most cases it shouldn't harm your animal. Years ago people would fill fish tanks and through the process of balancing the water and adjusting temp, enough time (24H or so) would pass that folks didn't feel the need to condition the water. I was one of those. I don't believe this is considered a best practice now. :) This is a small thing, water conditioner, to be debating.

If there were a problem, then someone here would surely voice it. :) However, I would still encourage you to keep reading and then learn through your own husbandry.
If you are concerned and the treatment is not harmful to your animal then better to err on the side of caution.

[shaunyboy]

up in Scotland we have soft water,it's some of the best water on the planet,so my snakes do just fine on tap water

cheers shaun

[bcoop1234]

Im sure you can get away with not treating your water for the most part but just to be safe i use Repti Safe water conditioner.

[rmfsnakes32]

I dont do anything to my tap water. Between boyfriend and I we have 40 plus snakes and they do just fine!

[h3h]

Are we really discussing this in length??:wacky:

Snakes are from outside. Where animal excrement, and urine is on and in everything. I'd imagine it'd be a luxury to drink from their own "brand." (I'm not talking Aquafina folks.) My snakes poop, swim, and drink in/from their water. Usually in that order. As long as it doesn't eat the worm I don't think I'm concerned...I might not even be concerned if one of my snakes did eat the worm...lol

- h3