General Care Discussion :: how long without water?

[Farshad.roger]

hello guys
my spare tank is busy now and i cant put my RES there when i change his water
so i keep him out of water in a box for 1 day , isnt it dangerous for him? and generally...how long are they able to live without water
thank you

[BiteyBits]

Does it really take you an entire day to change the water?

Yeah, you can keep him out of the water he will be ok. People dry dock their turtles overnight for treatments and it's fine. They need to dry off for a little bit every day to prevent shell rot anyway, when they bask. If it's hot and longer than a few hours, I'd say mist him with some water so he stays hydrated. Or, if you prefer to have him in water, consider a plastic container that will fit him.

As to how long without water, I don't know. It would depend, I suppose, on things like the temperature, if he's in sunlight, and general health of turtle to begin with. But i don't have an idea on the range of time, sorry.

[Farshad.roger]

thanks for the answer
well no it dosent take that long ,my problem is the chlorine in the water , it takes 1 day till it goes away(vet said) i dont know
i think i need one of those liquids that cleans the water from chlorine

[marisa]

When I used to use chlorinated water but didn't have a dechlorinator, I would fill larger containers of water the day before I did a water change and let the bottles stand open to let the chlorine dissipate. Then I could immediately put my RES in the water when I refilled the tank. (This works well for smaller tanks but can take a bit of planning.)

[Listen97]

Maybe mine are more resilient or I've been luck in the four places (in three different states) i've lived, but i've never worried about chlorine, never used conditioner and never had water that had been standing. I've always just done a clean and fill at the same time. And if you are using a Python you basically are using tap water anyways, and if chlorine is bad you would use a chemical to treat it. Personally if you don't see chlorine stains in your toilet or sink, the levels are probably within tolerable limits, check them and you can probably get away with a water change alone, if they are a little high get the chlorine treatment they sell at pet stores.

[BiteyBits]

Even small amounts of chlorine can irritate the eyes, which is the concern with chlorine that it will irritate the eyes. It does to mine, I always know if water is chlorinated. And the amount in drinking water should be fairly small amount to make it safe for household use/drinking, but it can still be detrimental to a tank.

Chlorine doesn't stain. It evaporates. If the water had minerals or not enough chlorine and therefore bacteria, that will leave a stain.