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I was just wondering what people's opinions are on providing tap water vs filtered or bottled water for your tortoise. Are there any negative effects associated with tap water?
Health risks associated with tap water?
- Thread starter Sezdawg
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We have very hard water here in Central California. It leaves a mineral deposit on anything it sits on for any length of time. "They" also tell you to not drink out of the hose.
All my animals' waterers are filled with the hose right out of the faucet. I live in the country and have my own water well, so there is no fluoride in my water.
If you're concerned, you can just leave your water sitting in the sun for a few hours. The sun makes the chlorine and fluoride dissipate.
All my animals' waterers are filled with the hose right out of the faucet. I live in the country and have my own water well, so there is no fluoride in my water.
If you're concerned, you can just leave your water sitting in the sun for a few hours. The sun makes the chlorine and fluoride dissipate.
I've been using regular untreated tap water for all of my reptile species since 1979 in several different areas of southern CA. No issues to report.
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Uhhh mine drink rainwater, flood water, muddy water... Hose water is a fine delicacy for my clan and they are certainly no worse for the wear 
I use tap water. No problems here...
What about softened water?
dannel said:
I think you don't need to soften water in normal tap water. It basically just removes the hardness element in water and hardness in water is basically just calcium and less magnesium (usually around 4 : 1 to Ca : Mg ratio).
While both elements are good for human, I don't really know magnesium role for tort, but I think it will have some function as well
I'm interested in Yvonne's case of very hard water though. Have you ever measured the hardness level, Yvonne? And I remember hard water is okay for cattle, but not sure for tortoise.
Sezdawg said:
I use tap water, I think it's at least good enough for pets.
I have no problems either!
O water from our bathroom is ok? I think its salt water.
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Any water that is piped into your house should be potable (drinking) water, no matter what room. I do occasionally use the filtered water from the fridge, but usually it's faucet, hose, or rain water.
Ok because our bathroom tap gets put through the salt water softener, so is that ok?
dannel said:
It's okay, the water will just lack of calcium and magnesium and that's all.
I live in a small town (around 1,500 people) and the water is garbage. It stains the sinks and sometimes it comes out brown. I'm not talking about rusty pipe brown, but just out of the water tower brown during one day every couple months or so. I'm not sure what they do to it, but I don't drink it or let my pets drink it unless I'm out of purified water. I only pay .30 a gallon from a vending machine so it's not that bad. I just refill the jugs every week.
It could be safe, but I don't trust it.
It could be safe, but I don't trust it.
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I live in the UK, no problems with the water here. Sewage systems are right on point! I suppose we need to get one thing right at least....
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i give mine a normal tap water and there are no issues yet.Also,in wild the torts don't get filtered or softened water so their metabolism is built to take in hard water.Still,if you want proper water do as emysemys said earlier,show the water some sun.
The water in my town has a bunch of heavy metals in it as well as various types of bacterium. There is no way I would give any animal or person (unless I really didn't like them ) tap water to drink.
) tap water to drink.
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Sezdawg said:
Tap water is actually better for you than bottled water. Some People don't want to believe it but I have done research on it way back in high school. The government and water company do testing an actually have a more strict tolerance of the quality of water they can put out through the tap as in bottled water they can put whatever in it all they have to do is put "bottled at the source" they just add different stuff to make it clearer or taste better but it's actually not.
My torts get water right of the hose for as long as I've had them...Never had a problem.
Sidenote, I've always wondered if tortoises have some sort of filter when they drink water (only for muddy water, not chlorine or anything of the sort) May sound stupid, but I've never heard one way or another. The reason I wonder is whenever the sprinklers go on in the red foot's cage, certain areas get very muddy. We all know how redfoots love mud, but I always see them drinking it! Sometimes they seem to prefer it over that nice, fresh, clean water dish...
Sidenote, I've always wondered if tortoises have some sort of filter when they drink water (only for muddy water, not chlorine or anything of the sort) May sound stupid, but I've never heard one way or another. The reason I wonder is whenever the sprinklers go on in the red foot's cage, certain areas get very muddy. We all know how redfoots love mud, but I always see them drinking it! Sometimes they seem to prefer it over that nice, fresh, clean water dish...
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