Agua Quandry

[OldRugger]

I have just finished setting up my first ever BP in her tank and have read everything possible on this site to help me get it right the first time.... one thing I can not find is: Is it ok to use regular tap water in her bowl? I am afraid of the chlorine and other chemicals needed to be safe for us to drink, but are those same additives harmful to the snake?

[Stewart_Reptiles]

All you have to do is let the water sit for 24 hours if it worries you or you can use something like a brita filter.

I drink tap water, so do the dogs and so do the snakes. We are all fine

The only thing you have to be cautious about with tap water is when you are using it with fish or frogs etc

[Insane]

I've had my BPs for 2 years and always gave them tap water; never had any issues. I did recently start giving them distilled water within the last 3 months, for no particular reason other than we had it on hand. I haven't noticed any differences in their behavior or overall health since the change. I may keep with the distilled water since it takes so long for them to go through a couple gallons anyway it's not really an inconvenience, but there has been nothing that has made me feel like tap water was not safe to use. However, that's only with 2 years of use so who knows what problems it might cause down the line? Maybe another more seasoned owner will be able to give some more insight.

I will note that not all tap water is the same, some areas may need more treatment than other and in turn have more chemicals. If you want to be safe, I'd suggest using distilled water anyway. I get mine from Walmart at $1.15 a gal and a gallon lasts about a month between 10 snakes and 2 geckos, so it should last you quite some time.

Congrats on the new (or soon to come?) purchase! Ball Pythons are awesome and terribly addicting So make sure you share some pics!

[zina10]

I wouldn't drink distilled water nor give it to my animals.
I've often heard it has bad health consequences, esp. if you drink it for more then a couple of weeks. I haven't researched it deeply, but a quick google search brought this up:

http://www.mercola.com/article/water...lled_water.htm

http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/d...led-water.html

Even though I haven't researched it, so feel free to look into it further, I HAVE always heard its bad for you...

Just a heads up

[Reinz]

If tap water is good enough for me, my three dogs, and cat, it's good enough for my snakes.

[OldRugger]

I never expected to be this worried about a BP but it doesn't take long for them to grow on ya... literally! I appreciate the feedback to ease my mind.

I just successfully fed her for the first time. Wow she's fast.

[cletus]

Like others have said, I drink my tap water so my pets get it too. They more than likely drink less than sanitary water in wild. I think my tap water is good enough.