Fresh water, derp?

[Herp Derp]

so maybe this is a silly question to some. does fresh water mean straight from the tap or water that has sat to let the chlorine out? because when i was younger and was told to do water changes for fish, no one said the water had to sit and I assumed it was straight from the tap which was incorrect. some people say change water everyday some say up to every week for a snake. how much water would a 13" S dekayi need,size of bowl and change how often?

[guidofatherof5]

I would say a dish big enough for it to soak in if it wants to should be big enough. I use straight from the tap and have had no issues. Letting it sit for a few hours to a day certainly won't not hurt anything. As far as a changing schedule I would say at least every couple days unless it gets soiled(pooped in)

http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/husb...mportance.html

[d_virginiana]

If you're worried about chlorine/chemicals in the water, just pick up a bottle of water purifier from the petstore (SeaChem Prime is what I use). It's fairly inexpensive, and that way you don't have to worry about any chemicals in the water. Sitting will let chlorine mostly evaporate out, but most places treat with chloramines now, and those don't. I have a couple of gallon jugs that I treat at one time, and then refill everyone's water out of those for a day or two.
Snakes aren't usually super-sensitive to untreated water, but if you've not kept reptiles before/don't know how the water in your area will affect them you might want to pick up some purifier just in case.

[chris-uk]

Our water is pretty good quality-wise, and I don't think anywhere in the UK uses chloramine purification. I went through a spell of using Tetra water purification (same as I use for my aquarium water changes) but stopped that as I read more about it not being necessary. Now I fill water bowls from a couple of 2l coke bottles, I fill them when they're empty and leave the lids off after filling so that chlorine can evaporate. It works for me.

[Herp Derp]

As humans we can tolerate tap water, most fish cant because of the chlorine or chloramine. I've had house cats drink only cold tap water and like it, and I've seen cats that only like to drink nasty water that's been around outside for weeks even if i were to offer fresh water. do snakes prefer it cold or room temp(depending on your enclosure the water may get hotter than room temp)?
I should have stated a clear question like - Is tap water(more so the chlorine/chloramine or anything else the city{whichever} may treat the water with before we use it) a health hazard to snakes?

[slipknot711]

i have about 4 or 5 one gallon jugs that i fill and let sit (if it sits in sun its best) no cap... the chemicals well most of, will evaporate.

[d_virginiana]

Mammals aren't affected by chlorine/chloramines as much as reptiles/amphibians. Most snakes aren't super sensitive to the stuff they use to treat tap water; it will cause amphibians to tox out pretty quickly though. I have several reptiles that are very old/frail as well as some with permanent disabilities so I just use the same water for everyone that I use for my frogs.

[Herp Derp]

Thanks, its kind of funny asking this when not long ago fluoride was used in some places.

[joeysgreen]

Chlorine won't hurt your snakes in the concentrations found in normal tap water. Don't confuse reptiles and amphibians, they are a completely different ball game. Chlorine can irritate the sensitive skin of amphibians. This is how it kills fish; it irritates/damages the gills and the fish can no longer breathe. Many amphibians can leave the water if they find it irritating. Those that cannot still breathe air, but must endure the irritation to the skin. Many 'phibs also breathe through their skin (plethodontids are literally "lungless"), and for any, damaged skin can alter their ability to remain in homeostasis with their environment.

Also understand how chlorine acts as a poison. It is a reactive negative ion Cl- that is searching for positive cations to attach to; even if it has to strip them of weaker ions to do so. This process damages cell membranes and interacts with cellular and tissue physiology. This is how it kills bacteria, and cells lining the mucous membranes of the gills and amphibian skin. In the same token, the Cl- ions react with all sorts of material. I can kill my guppy colony in a nice clean tank with tap water, but if I add the same amount of tap water to my Reeve's turtle tank (which also has a large family of guppies), the chlorine reacts with the plants, soil, stool, debris, and all that organic matter that comes in a natural-type tank. Once reacted, the Cl- makes an inert compound.
Why doesn't it affect human or reptiles? Our skin has keratinous layers of cornified squamous cells. Reptiles moreso of course.

With the smallest of vertebrates chlorine overdose in the drinking water could theoretically occur and cause an electrolyte imbalance; Cl- being an important part of physiology. Animals have balances to confine electrolytes within tight normal ranges, but these balances can be overwhelmed.

So to remove chlorine, let it evaporate, or give it something to bind to.

Ian

[Herp Derp]

Thank you Ian, I was looking for an in depth explanation. I know reptiles and amphibians are different, but since I've never took care of a snake before, I did want to make sure that water straight from the tap was ok.
So it's still best to remove the chlorine but it's just not necessary. So the ways to remove chlorine are 1) buying products from a pet store 2) let the water sit and have the Cl- evaporate 3) agitate the water(powerhead or an air pump in a bucket) to speed up the process of gas exchange or 4) change the habitat to be more natural/have enough things for the Cl-to react. Are there any more ways to remove chlorine and are each of those options correct?

I have another question about how long water sits... at some point does it go "bad" and how long? A)Let's just say its in a bucket alone. B) in a water bowl for the animal.
B) will definitely be more "contaminated"
A) will still get contaminated because of air borne particles over time
What would be the approximate time that it would be considered no longer fresh(I'm going to assume quantity and surface area will play a role)?