Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can you use standard tap water with RES or should you use a water conditioner? If so, what is a good product?

when i first began keeping turtles a few years ago I used a dechlorinator. I don not use one anymore and my turtles are just fine. I've heard that whether you use water conditioner or not is dependent upon the chlorine levels in your water. I'm not sure how you would determine this. However, I know that in my hold house my turtles would scratch at their eyes if I didn't dechlorinate, in my new house they do not. It is not necessary that you use water conditioner if you do not notice a problem with your turtles.

Melissa

Yes I agree, with reptiles its not needed depending on the chemical levels, but if you were ever to add fish it would be necessary.

I read that chlorine can wipe out the biological filter in a tank. If this is true then it's a good reason to dechlorinate.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

Greetings,

I set aside 10 one gallon jugs with the lids open for a couple of days. This lets the chlorine dissipate.

For the first few months this seems to work OK. Last time I changed the water, I cleaned the tank with vinegar and salt, it did a good job, but about a week later I got alot of brown algae growing in the tank. I cleaned in one more time and added Algae Fix from Aquarium Pharmaceuticals for about a week and it has taken care of the problem.

-Ravon

That would work great for me except I don't have any place for 60 one gallon jugs.... or even 12 5 gallon buckets.... I just use Wardley's dechlor.
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Peter: It's OK, I'll handle it. I read a book about something like this.
Brian: Are you sure it was a book? Are you sure it wasn't NOTHING?

That would only happen if you did a 100% percent water change. There would be nothing no ammonia for the bacteria to convert to nitrites and then to nitrates so they would die off.

what is waaaaay more important is the chlorine killing the bacteria in the digestive tract of the turtle.

Your bacteria colony probably isn't helping anyway in a turtle tank unless your cage is huge or your filtration medium is very very spacious.

Use a dechlorinator. Chlorine is very dangerous.