Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a WC (caught it myself) eastern painted turtle, WC (from a pet store) red-eared slider. I have heard that wild turtles often have internal parasites. I also sometimes feed those two minnow from the bait section of a local sporting goods stores, and I have heard they carry parasites.

When I put my baby 3-toed in water for his/her soak, I take the water from a bucket that has been allowed to lose most of its chlorine. Problem is - or might be - that I sometimes use an air stone in that bucket to get rid of the chlorine faster. But that same bubbler for a while as in the mostly-aquatic turtle tank and is often in the minnow bucket.

Can my baby 3-toed get (a) parasite(s) from the bubbler?

Does anyone know whether any of these parasites can infest humans?

BTW, I often spray the Sphagnum in which my 3-toed is burrowed with water that has not been allowed to lose its chlorine. Is this a big deal?

Bill

I have never had any problem giving any of
my baby box turtles, or any box turtles, tap
water.

When I hatched my first clutch five years ago
I had similar concerns and was assured by this
forum that tap water wasn't anything to worry about
and I've never had any problems.

You are likely to have more problems with cross
contamination with food and water, so be careful
with that. In other words, if you give something
to your water turtles and they reject it, don't
pull it out of the water and give it to your box
turtle, it just isn't worth it.

Thanks for the response Now I need not worry about chlorine in tap water.

biowarble, formerly wjboelema

On the subject of chlorine in tap water: I think that, because it can vary from one location to another, everyone can have different water quality.
Where I live the tap water is heavily chlorinated and so I do passively condition the water by letting it stand in an open container for a day or two before using itfor the hatchlings here.

Also, as Lisa pointed out, avoid sharing anything between species in order to avoid problems.