General Care Discussion :: Water quality...

[Mandie55]

What's the best water to use for your turts? Because I know when I put them in water straight from the tap it really irritates their eyes, to the point where they can't open them. So when I take them out to feed them I just use water from their tank. But when it comes time to replace the water in their tank I don't really have any choice... I can't exactly afford to buy them bottled water to put in their tank lol. It doesn't seem to bother them when I put it into their tank with water that was there for a while, only when they are in water straight from the tap. I suspect it is chlorine but I'm not really sure. I know in Newfoundland (where I bought them) the water didn't bother them at all but here in Edmonton it does. Is there a solution I can put into their water to remove any harmful chemicals? I know that there is but I just don't know which one to use.

[Bascomb]

Man-55 -- You may be correct about the chlorine. Some cities go crazy with it and you have to use a declorinator of a water conditioner. I have well water and RO water and that is not a problem. When you get this resolved make sure your filter is large enough and the chlorine can do damage to the bacteria that does the nitrafication also. b.

[Nessa]

I use this blue stuff I got from petsmart that is turtle water conditioner. It is like $9 online but I think I got it for $5 and the bottle is pretty big. I'm new to turtles so maybe you should wait for more responses. Here is what I use:
http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... Id=2752597

[BullDog]

There's lots of water conditioners you can buy. Look in the fish section of any petstore, or even walmart. Look for ones that say "removes chlorine".

You can either buy a bottle of that stuff, or let your tank water sit overnight before you put the turts in, and the chlorine will dissipate.

[steve]

If you can let the water sit for 24 hours, the chlorine will evaporate. If they use chloromines in the water, then you will need a water conditioner to neutralize it.

[VanishingReality]

I use reptosafe and I have never had a problem with irritation and it is pretty cheap.

[SpotsMama]

Reptisafe is good because not only does it neutralize chlorine and chloramine, it also does these other things:

Removes Chloramines and Chlorine
Detoxifies Nitrites
Removes toxic Ammonia
Provides essential ions and electrolytes
Helps in hydrating new animals
Stimulates slime coat development providing a natural protective barrier for all types of amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, etc.)
Reduces pH (very important)

The list above is from Zoo Med that sells Reptisafe and that's why it sounds so great, so although it probably does the things on the list, you should know that you can't rely on it to remove all the ammonia and nitrites in your tank because it's effect will be miniscule compared to what you need for turtles.

[imderanged]

I use Reptisafe too. It seems to work well because I test my water and my clorine levels are good.

[res08]

Reptisafe isn't cheap. 8.75 oz for $9. At 3 teaspoons per gallon of water, it won't last very long.

I recommend Seachem Prime. It does everything Reptisafe does + detoxifies nitrates. It's also super concentrated. Just 1 to 2 drops per gallon of water. http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.j ... 0#prodTab1

[meltedspork]

Reptisafe isn't cheap. 8.75 oz for $9. At 3 teaspoons per gallon of water, it won't last very long.

My Reptisafe bottle doesn't have the part about 3 teaspoons per gallon of water, it just says 1 teaspoon per every 5 gallons of water, which is how I have been using it. I have had no problems with it and the water seems just fine to Toby. And the bottle has lasted me a while.

[imderanged]

Yeah, I'm looking at the bottle of reptisafe right now and it is 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons.

[VanishingReality]

Reptisafe isn't cheap. 8.75 oz for $9. At 3 teaspoons per gallon of water, it won't last very long.

That is for if you are using it for a water bowl....

It is a teaspoon per 5 gallons if it is an aquatic habitat.

[res08]

According to nessa's petsmart.com link, "When using in aquatic turtle/amphibian water environments, add 3 teaspoons per gallon on water."

Maybe 1 teaspoon per 5 g is for semi-aquatic reptiles

[VanishingReality]

They are semi aquatic... they don't spend 100% of the time in the water.

[SpotsMama]

1 teaspoon per 5 gallons is right for a turtle tank. More than that and things get slimy.