How to make tap water safe for turtles?

Water that we find in our taps is properly enriched and filtered to make sure that it is safe for our health. This means; however, that other creatures may not be so keen on the changes that humans make to the water. There is an abundance of chemicals that sooner or later will cause serious damage to your turtle. Obviously, tap water can be safe for your pet. But before you pour it into the tank, make sure to prepare it in an appropriate way.

But how to do that? Are there any tools required for such a preparation to happen? Will it take long to prepare the tap water for my reptile? Well, all these questions are great because passionate turtle owners want all the best for their animals. Luckily for you, I am quite an experienced turtle owner myself and, as a result, I know a thing or two about methods that can make tap water safe for your turtle in the fastest and most efficient way possible. The most common ways of making tap water safe for turtles is to either leave it for the time being, use a special filter, or try out water conditioners. 

It is obvious to state there is more to add about the methods themselves. In this article I will elaborate on the methods presented up above and give you some tips on making tap water safe for turtles. Besides that, it is important for you to understand the problems that you may cause if you do not do that. Obviously, you will also learn everything there is to learn about the type of water you can and cannot do, what are the most efficient ways of preparing water for your turtles, and some more.

But first, let me tell you what makes tap water dangerous for turtles if you do not prepare it

A lot of people are worried that tap water can seriously injure our pet or even lead to its death. Though it is true that if we do not prepare the water the way we should, it will cause some health conditions to your reptile. Nonetheless, it is not possible for a turtle to die because of tap water. Still, we should never place it in a tank with tap water that wasn’t prepared in the appropriate way.

The most common trouble that people find when they do not filter out the unnecessary (for turtles at least) chemicals is the problem with eye irritation. It is a result of a high level of chlorine, which is not tolerated by the turtle too well. Besides that, the additions of such minerals as fluoride can also upset the pH balance, which will most definitely distress the turtle’s health.

Another thing worth mentioning is the fact that untreated tap water kills the colonies of healthy bacteria – the ones that are beneficial to your turtle’s health. Because of that, the production of ammonia, a chemical that can poison your turtle, will increase and nothing will be there to stop it. 

So, what can I exactly do to make tap water safe for turtles?

First of all, leave it outside

Let’s start from the basics, which is simply leaving the water outside for approximately 24 hours. You see, chemicals and minerals that local water providers use to make the water better for humans do not necessarily think about turtles and their needs. As a result, there is a lot of fluorine and chlorine, and that is bad news. However, the sun is our ally this time, because of the ultraviolet rays it offers. 

They dissolve the unwanted chemical compounds, making the water much more turtle-friendly than it was before. Obviously, this method has one or two slight problems. One, we are not going to apply that in winter. Two, it is imperative to protect the water from even the slightest debris, since it can change the pH level of water.

Another option is to use filter

Water filters are quite popular additions in many houses. They allow us to filter out the chemicals that make hard water stains. These ones are incredibly difficult to get rid of and, moreover, can cause a lot of damage to household appliances. Luckily for us, water filters are also great when it comes to turtles. If we purchase the right one, it is possible to filter out chemicals that are dangerous to our turtle.

There are many different options to choose from. Interestingly, they even differ in terms of construction, installation, and the type of chemicals they filter out. Therefore, we must make sure that the filter we choose, or have in our household, is capable of filtering those minerals that are truly dangerous to the pet.

One of the most efficient methods include water conditioner

To make sure that your tap water is safe, we can use special supplements that adjust it to the requirements and demands of the turtles.Water conditioners are great because they remove chlorine, chloramine, and some of the heavy metals that can endanger aquatic reptiles and amphibians. And, as you can guess, it also concerns the turtles. What is more, it can be used inside the tank, so you don’t have to pour it to an external container, then add a water conditioner, and then pour it to the tank itself.

As far as picking the right water conditioner is concerned, it is important to look at the ones that I prepared for the tap water. You see, there are dozens of different chemicals and minerals used to enrich the water we use. To make sure that you pick the right one, I suggest getting to know the product leaflet or the description that the producer provides you with.

Bear in mind that fish water conditioners may be the same or similar to the ones our turtles need. However, such a situation may not always be the case. Because of that, it is not possible to determine whether the X will have the same effectiveness as the Y. 

Now you know how to make tap water safe for turtles!

The possibility to use tap water is definitely very comfortable. We do not have to purchase specially prepared water for your turtles to enjoy it. Obviously, it should have a de-chlorinated water for the swimming area and a filtered one for drinking by turtles. However, if we want to use tap water, then we definitely can. However, it is crucial to filter it, since in most cases there is a high level of chlorine and other chemical substances that may cause health issues to your pet.

Fortunately for all the turtle owners, there are many different ways thanks to which we can prepare the water in a comfortable way. For those who don’t want to spend money on additional accessories, there is a method where you simply put the water outside for 24 hours to let the sun and ultraviolet rays it provides do the job for us. Another option is to use a filter or, one of the most efficient ones, purchase water conditioners that can be easily used even after we directly pour the tap water into the tank.