Clean water

[Adam1992]

I have a random question. I i have well water and tap water but wouldn't drink either so I don't want to jto give it to my animals either. I was just wondering if api stress coat would be ok to treat the with.the bottle saids it has the healing power of aloe vera. I know it's for fish but would it be safe to treat my snakes water with it.

[cchardwick]

I have well water too and I don't drink it, but I do give it to all of my animals. I actually had it tested and it came out OK. It tastes really good, I just prefer to use bottled water or water from a filter unit at the grocery store just to take out everything before I drink it. Personally I wouldn't use any additives for your animals water.

[Starscream]

I personally use bottled water. The local tap water is treated with chloramine, and it tastes absolutely terrible, so I'm not giving it to my snake. Bottled water doesn't have chlorine or choramine, has minerals, and tastes a heck of a lot better, so it passes the "if it's good enough for me, it's good enough for my reptiles" test.

On the other hand, distilled water is not a good idea. No minerals.

[MD_Pythons]

I just use bottled water.

[SDA]

I use and trust reptisafe in all my snake's water. Have forever and it removes chlorine instantly. Do you need it? Nope but I have it and use it every water change. I drink tap water and so do my snakes. Then again I don't live in the middle of some city with lead pipes or a valley ruined by decades of fertilizer so I don't need to worry about toxins. My water utility posts annual test results so I know what's in my water.

[Crowfingers]

I would not use the API water de-chlorinator, it works by binding chlorine to make it less/non-toxic for fish (by turning it into chloride, which is not nearly as toxic to fish), then the charcoal or biological filter in the tank breaks down/ removes the chloride from the water column. Since the snake bowl does not have a filter or a bacterial colony, it just binds the chlorine but does not remove it...yes it is bound and not harmful to a fishes gills and slime coat but I'm not sure how it functions once ingested by a reptile. It also only binds chlorine - most US water is treated with chloramine (a combo of chlorine and ammonia), so really you bind the chlorine then just leave a higher concentration of ammonia.

I use Deer Park bottled water, mostly because that is what my snake seems to prefer, and I live in a city with terrible pool-water from the tap. From keeping fish for years I just can't give it to my pets.

This is a good article on how dechlorinators work (aimed at fish) but the science it the same http://completegoldfishcare.com/gold...itioner-guide/

[Adam1992]

So would the well water be safe until I can get some reptile safe since the water comes from a natural spring. I just want my animals to be as safe and healthy
as possible.

[SDA]

Nobody knows what is in your well but you. If you want to make sure it is safe, get it tested.