Strange substance in water bowl

[OtterGoRun]

If my snakes go in their water, it gets a filmy crud covered layer on top. Could that be what you're seeing?

[L.West]

My water bowls are made of ceramic - I sanitize/clean them every 2nd day faithfully.

It wasn't alot of stuff just a floating slime ball really - that is the only way to describe it. Almost like when you see oil floating on top of the water - but it was white/clearish in color. I should of taken a darn picture - sorry!

Maybe I should start cleaning the bowls every day??

[Skiploder]

My water bowls are made of ceramic - I sanitize/clean them every 2nd day faithfully.

It wasn't alot of stuff just a floating slime ball really - that is the only way to describe it. Almost like when you see oil floating on top of the water - but it was white/clearish in color. I should of taken a darn picture - sorry!

Maybe I should start cleaning the bowls every day??

The bacteria I referenced, depending on the strain, can run the gamut from clear to pinkish to red. I've had it in one bowl and for whatever reason, it would come back as quickly as I cleaned it out. It was like it was colonized.

Wash it and sanitize it again. If it comes back. Toss the bowl and replace it.

[L.West]

To Skiploader - so you don't think any harm came to my snake?? And, you don't think this is related to an RI coming on??

Thanks for your help.

[L.West]

This just came to me - a perfect description of it would like when you see a jellyfish in the water - that color and consistancy.

Hope this helps clarify.

[Skiploder]

This just came to me - a perfect description of it would like when you see a jellyfish in the water - that color and consistancy.

Hope this helps clarify.

Yep.

I don't think it can harm your snake.

Do this, replace the water bowl.

Take the old one and put it on a shelf somewhere with water. See if it still grows the slime.

[L.West]

Oh thank god its not the beginning signs of an RI. I checked him thoroughly and he looks and sounds great.

I will take the bowl out and see what happens. It could also be the heat in the tub creating that environment for bacteria to grow also.

Thanks for your help on this.

[JLC]

I saw something just like that a long time ago when I was in High School chemistry class. (This was a LONG time ago! LOL) We had lab stations that were "ours" for the duration of the school year, so we kept some things in the drawers that no one else messed with. We had a beaker of distilled water left over the weekend in our drawer. The beaker was perfectly clean when the water was put in it. I don't remember why it was left there, but when we came back to school on Monday, that perfectly clean, clear water had what looked like a jelly-fish blob floating in it. It was actually pretty cool. The chem teacher (who was actually a biology teacher by profession and taught chem because no one else would) said it was probably some kind of bacterial bloom.

Anyhow...just wanted to point out that it can happen even under very clean conditions. So it's not surprising to find something like that in a snake enclosure, even if it's kept clean and tidy.

I'm glad Skiploder knows more about it than I do!

[L.West]

Thanks JLC - the funny thing is that it was actually distilled water that I put in their bowls since I don't use our tap water.

Is distilled water okay or should I be buying something else.

[JLC]

Thanks JLC - the funny thing is that it was actually distilled water that I put in their bowls since I don't use our tap water.

Is distilled water okay or should I be buying something else.

I wonder if there's something about the distillation process that makes that water more prone to bacterial growth? Maybe certain minerals inhibit the growth normally? I'm totally throwing out baseless speculations here. I know nothing of bacteria or how/why it grows.



As for what to give the herps...I don't know if there's anything specifically wrong with giving distilled water, but I don't believe it's necessary. Regular tap water is fine. And if you're just too paranoid about your tap water, plain bottled drinking water is fine. There may be benefits to the minerals naturally found in water. (Such as inhibiting the growth of freaky mutant bacteria... )