Reptile & Amphibian Forums

It's kind of stupid that I didn't ask this before, but do box turtles need dechlorinated water? Out of all the websites I looked at, not one mentioned it.
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2 Taricha granulosa
1 male Terrapane carolina carolina
10 gal. tropical fish tank.

This topic has been debated I'm glad I have well water. I think the best answer is: "it depends". lol I will let others give oppinions.
Sorry I was going to leave it at that, buuuuuut as someone who bred aquarium fish for 20yrs and has a little knowledge of water quality, I will say it depends on what you use for the turtles water source, IF you use moving water with some kind of biological filtration, the answer is a definate, indisputable "YES" use dechlorinated water, otherwise you will kill the benificial nitrifying bacteria.
IF you use a water dish that is changed regularly, "it depends" on the quality of the water out of the tap at your specific location and the water treatment, how much chemical is present and various other pros versus cons to consider. The main "pro" being, inhibiting "negative" or "harmful" bacterial growth in the water dish between cleaning, a main "con" is the possible harmful effects of drinking and soaking in chlorinated (or actually chloramines in most treated water currently) water. Oppinions will vary on this second "water dish" item. Does that help answer your question or are you more confused now? You ask a simple question, and you don't always get a simple answer.
Jeff
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Jeff Benfer
You'll get your regius's to the wall, man!
1.0 pastel Python regius
0.1 mojave Python regius
0.1 normal Python regius
0.2 Terrapene carolina thriunguis
2.3 Terrapene carolina carolina
4.1 Kinosternon baurii
1.1 Malaclemys terrapin terrapin
2.1 Ambystoma tigrinum
0.2 Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.0 anerythristic Thamnophis sirtalis parietalis
1.1 Iowa snow Thamnophis radix
1.1 heterozygous for amelanistic,carmel, and stripe Pantherophis guttatus
0.1 anerythristic motley Pantherophis guttatus