Water Spots/Water Source

[Seffers93]

Hey guys,
I was reading a thread where someone was explaining how they saw water spots in a picture someone posted, and they started asking what kind of water was being used. I just noticed a couple days ago that my plants also have water spots on them. Is this from using water that isn't clean? I just use water out of the faucet. Should I change my water source? He said something about using bottled water if it has been treated or filtered. How do I know if it has been treated?
Thanks guys!

 

[cuso]

What do the spots look like if the just whiteish circles that's just water evaporating and leaving a mark. And iv asked the same question a long time ago when I first started and I doesn't hurt if the water is filtered or treated but if its good enuf for u to drink it should be good for them

 

[Seffers93]

Yeah, it's just where the water evaporated off of the leaves. I thought that might mean something.. lol

 

[Angsty]

I always use distilled water

 

[Elizadolots]

It depends on what's in your water. Some communities fluoridate their water and chameleon's don't handle fluoride well.

Fluoridated water contains 0.5 to 1.0 ppm fluoride, usually as the sodium salt. 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).

The best way to know for sure is to contact your local water authority.

The calcium deposits that are typical of "hard water" is actually the same calcium (calcium carbonate) that we use to supplement our chameleons, so if that's the only concern, the water should be fine.

 

[Carlton]

Hey guys,
I was reading a thread where someone was explaining how they saw water spots in a picture someone posted, and they started asking what kind of water was being used. I just noticed a couple days ago that my plants also have water spots on them. Is this from using water that isn't clean? I just use water out of the faucet. Should I change my water source? He said something about using bottled water if it has been treated or filtered. How do I know if it has been treated?
Thanks guys!

If you are on a municipal water source it is supposedly safe for human consumption. However, it can contain chlorine, chloramines, or fluoride as mentioned above. Ask your water utility what they use to treat it. If just chlorine, you can get rid of that by letting the water sit overnight in an open bucket. If chloramine or fluoride, you'll need to use a herp-safe water treatment to get rid of those. Municipal treatments don't do much to remove hardness or other minerals. The harder your water the more you'll see these spots as they are simply the minerals left behind when it evaporates. You can check the tap water's hardness with a simple fish aquarium test kit or ask your water utility for an analysis. Everyone's tap water is different, depending on the local source. Very hard water will eventually clog mister nozzles and ultrasonic humidifiers or foggers. Keep them clear with vinegar. You can remove hard water stains from solid surfaces with vinegar, but this might stress your plants so rinse them afterward. If the buildup gets heavy on the leaves you might want to filter your water. Bottled water isn't necessarily low in minerals however. Again it depends on the source. Many people think hard water tastes better than soft water...and taste often dictates "bottled" water's appeal.

 

[Chamguy89]

switch to distilled drinkn water

 

[HolyToledo]

good for you. better to be safe than sorry.

i mentioned it in the other thread because they can' t figure out what is wrong with their cham that is sick even though it looks like they are doing everything right. when my "special needs" boy got sick, water was one of the things the vet recommended changing just to be on the safe side. and he said to be cautious of burning candles, incense, tobacco, pot, perfumes, colognes, aerosol sprays, using cleaners and insecticides and lots more stuff that people don't think about that can seriously affect their chams. just cuz it might be safe for us, our kids, and even other pets, it might not be so good for the chams we love.