Water source

[iLik3LIzards]

So I'm all set up, just waiting for the expo this sunday. Until my gf brings up an issue and ruins my whole day. My water has chlorine and floride in it, I'm pretty sure this is bad but hoping it's fine. I guess the only other alternative would be to buy gallons of spring water everyday. But thats not going to happen. So basically just wondering if my water is too hazardous and if I would have to resort to buying spring water.

 

[Chamified]

you must buy spring water or r.o water if you drank chlorine it wouldnt be good same with your cham

 

[Olimpia]

You can't get a tap filter? Or one of those britta filter jugs? They get rid of that stuff for you to drink, so I assume the water is safe for your chams.

 

[ChamOh]

let the water sit out for 24 hrs in a jug, which will allow the chlorine to evaporate.

It's a heated topic (run a search), but it seems like many people are okay with this method. it depends on your water quality to begin with among other things.

 

[serenitystarlite]

I buy spring water for me and my chams. I refuse to drink tap water, even if it's filtered. There's always stuff floating in ours!

 

[ChamFreak]

brita filter = $20 bucks and good for a long time. let air evap for 2 hours... your good

 

[xanthoman]

water quality?

water quality is of course an issue and should not be overlooked. and part of your decision might be based on the quality of your tap water to begin with , hereb in the nw we have pretty good tap water as a whole, but most residentia;l water is also high in copper. for those who have the resources, of course true ro quality water would be the way to go, but for those who dont, there are things you can do short of R.O. its largely a matter of how much one is willing to spend, i am sure there are many successful keepers who do not use RO. anything is preferable to tap water and doing nothing at all. like the previous poster said for less than $30 you can use a brita or faucet mounted filter, for $40-100 you can get a large undersink carbon filter that installs in about a 1/2 hr. for $100-300 you can get multi stage undersink filter assemblies. low end ro systems start at about $300 and go up from there. chlorine is a gas and evaporates over about 24hrs (depending on several variables), so if your water stands over night, that shouldnt be an issue, and if you dont manage to get the flouride out, well at least your cham will have good teeth. and of course in all seriousness, one could aways consider a water delivery service like sparklets or something jmo

 

[Elizadolots]

If you're afraid of your tap water, then you need to do something. I think Olimpia has offered up an inexpensive solution.

My husband won't drink our tap water (I will) so he bought 5 gallon water jugs. We have "water stores" around here where they do the filtration process then sell the water for like 50 cents a gallon. I would think if you have such places around (I know, I find it weird: "the water store? we have to buy water?") then that's another possible solution that doesn't cost loads.

Just letting the water sit will clear out chlorine, but many cities use an alternative which is not so easily dissipated and, as far as I know, nothing removes Fluoride. I've read some scary things about Fluoride, and it's in the tap water in lots of places....but it doesn't get as much attention as Chlorine.

I've seen it suggested that Chlorine is so quickly dissipated that if it's in your sprayer, it's not in the cage...it vanishes that quickly when the water is a "spray" or "mist".

If you knew that the only issue was Chlorine, then tap water would likely be fine.

I believe you can call your local water authority and ask what they use for their purification process.

 

[Elizadolots]

A comment on the Fluoride. This is from Chris Anderson's Chameleon E zine:

Fluoride has a narrow safety range. In mammals, deficiency is associated with dental caries and with osteoporosis in the aged. Fluoride toxicity (fluorosis), due to accumulation from long-term consumption of high levels, is associated with deformed bones and soft, mottled, and irregularly worn teeth. Animals fed diets deficient in protein, calcium, and vitamin C are more susceptible to fluorosis. Water sources containing high levels of fluoride are found in parts of Arkansas, California, South Carolina, and Texas and may be a risk for fluorosis. In reptiles, fluorosis can mimic the signs of metabolic bone disease (MBD).

 

[xanthoman]

that is good information. it would be interesting to know the numbers on what the diagnosed cases of flourosis in reptiles was. i think most well kept cams are probably pretty good in the areas of protein, calcium and vitamin c. i think most municipalities offer water quality info and water test kits on their website

 

[iLik3LIzards]

Thanks for the quick responses. I guess I have to go see how much jugs of water cost. I thought I’d never actually BUY water. I have colonies so I didn’t have to go to the store everyday. Damn this sucks. So brita filters don’t filter floride? Crud, this may have just squashed my chameleon dreams. Any of you who use filters with floride water notice anything with ure herps?

 

[Elizadolots]

I'm guessing a lot of them are misdiagnosed as having MBD....

Every U.S. citizen should be able to contact their local water authority and get the information "what is in my water?". That's not a political statement, I believe it's true that they are required to be ready and able to provide that information to you.

I'm tuned into the Fluoride issue because I've known 2 children who had really horrible "baby teeth" issues and in both cases, their parents had assumed the water in San Diego is fluoridated. It is not.

In my very humble opinion, anyone thinking of owning a chameleon should check their water authority's website for the list of what is added to the water. That should be an important part of deciding whether tap water is appropriate or not. If our water were fluoridated, then my chameleons would be getting the "water store" water that my husband and daughter drink.

**edited to add**

From the BRITA website:

Brita® Faucet Filters and Pitcher Filters have been tested and verified to remove only a trace amount of fluoride over the life of a filter. (Many brands of bottled waters do not contain the level of fluoride recommended by dentists.)

 

[summoner12]

(I know, I find it weird: "the water store? we have to buy water?")

You don't get a monthly water bill for the water you use out of the tap?

 

[iLik3LIzards]

Eliza, I'm looking at the water quality report and it actually doesnt say anything about floride. Is this somthing they normally add to their reports?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Eliza, I'm looking at the water quality report and it actually doesnt say anything about floride. Is this somthing they normally add to their reports?

Where are you located?

-Brad

 

[Elizadolots]

I'm chagrined because I just went to my Water Authority site and it said that since 2007 all California sites have been provided with fluoridated water...my bad. Sometimes, it's a pain being ancient.... I'll switch the chameleons to filtered water tomorrow morning.

iLik3LIzards, I think you might need to call them if you can't find the info online. I just think that legally, they have to be ready to give that to you.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Here is the explanation of how water is treated here (there is fluoride added to our tap water):

http://www.denverwater.org/WaterQuality/TreatmentProcess/

I have never used anything but water straight out of the tap for all of our animals (I don't even treat the water for the fish) and we have had no problems.
I don't set it out for 24 hours ... it is sprayed into enclosures minutes after it comes out of the faucet.
We don't buy bottled water for ourselves either, of course we are lucky to have very good water here and I might feel differently if we lived somewhere else.

-Brad

 

[xanthoman]

i dont think all municipalities use flouride. i think it depends on the individual state, county, or water district. i am pretty certain i remember a public vote on a flouride initiative before they put it in our (wa.) water (like 30 years ago) anyway the point is, i think brad is right, whether you have flouride or not might depend on your location, on the other hand it may be every where by now? flouride has been a hotly contested issue for sometime, and because of that, i think that maybe some water providers tend to be discreet in their posting on info of it or tuck it away in the fine print. i havent actually looked, im just a pessmist. my general rule of thumb is i dont give my chams anything i wouldnt drink myself , not very scientific i know. jmo

 

[iLik3LIzards]

Sorry for late response. I replied much earlier but must have clicked preview instead of submit. Anyways, my new town has not used floride since 2006. Thanks for the headsup Eliza. I assumed being a city and all it'd have fluoride added. I'm stoked it doesnt though, now I can def still get my cham sunday. Thanks again ppl.

 

[Elizadolots]

It absolutely depends on where you are...so, Brad Ramsey, you don't think that fluoride in the water is an issue for misting and 'water drip" when it comes to chameleons?