General Care Discussion :: Softened Tap Water

[Tweed21]

I have been cleaning my turtle tank with tap water that I drink and that is slightly softened by our town. I am just wondering if I could treat water that is softened by our town and our home is safe for my turtles. I know there is some salt and didn't know if that could harm the turtles in any way. Is the pH the only thing that I have to be worried about when it comes to the water.

[Kallistos]

pH is one of the factors, but chlorine, chloramine, nitrates/nitrites should also be removed. Try Amquel (+) or ReptiSafe. Amquel is cheaper, if you'd like to test the water, you can buy a test kit and see if everything is safe.

[cam722]

I'd be more worried about the chlorine and chloramine.. I had hard water and other than making the glass a mess and some mineral deposits.. the turtles were fine in it.. heck even my fish did good If it's town/city water, you really should treat it as RESowner said

[steve]

Check your local aquarium supply store for materials that can test your water quality and adjust your pH levels. pH levels between 6-8 is normally considered safe for RES.

I would test for ammonia and pH.

[marisa]

The water where I'm living is well water and is quite hard and goes through a water softener, so some salt is in it. Although I've been using spring water in my turtles' indoor tanks, they were outside in stock tanks during the day this past summer, and the water used in the stock tanks was the house water that's been through a softener. My turtles had no problems living in it. The amount of salt left in the water should be minimal. Some people actually add aquarium salt to tank water to help cut down on bacteria. I don't think your turtles will be damaged by it. You could have it tested and/or find out from the town how much salt is in it if you're really concerned.

If the town water is treated with chloramine or chlorine, use a dechlorinator to remove it. Testing your water regularly for the substances mentioned above will help you maintain water quality.

[Andrew7769]

yea my water is well water and it is very hard, my turt has some shell issues so i bought a piece of natral wood that is supposed to naturally soften the water...its nice looking addition to his tank so if it dosent work im not complaining lol i just have to get a test kit to see how its working...

[kklemesrud]

So, I have well water w/no chlorine/chloramine added by any town. But I do have a home water softener. So, should I still get my water tested/treated for any other reason since I know that I won't have to treat for the chlorine/chloramine and a little salt in the water must not be too bothersome according to what I'm reading here?

[steve]

Are you only thinking of a hardness test? Freshwater aquarium salt is fine, just follow the directions.

[mikee]

Salt will not hurt your turtles if in moderation. I add a little when changing the water. Too much is not a good idea. I use enough to bearly move the hydrometer guage indicator. Make sure you use aquarium salt. When brushing off their carapace, I use plain table salt in a warm water solution.