Dart Den

Full Version: Bottled water safe to use ?
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Yungair23

Is it ok to buy like Poland Spring and use that for misting and the small pond? Thanks

mdevillier

Yes, I use all the time the only thing is that I add black water to it so that it gives the water tannins.

Darks!de

If you are misting for an extended period of time with anything other than distilled or RO water, you may start to see mineral deposits on the glass and even clogging mist nozzles. There is no health concern with this water, just perhaps aesthetic and maintenance issues.

Luke

Yungair23

I will be hand misting and filling up the small pond with Poland spring water. Thanks. Just out of curiosity, has anyone ever seen what happens if tap water is used exclusively ? I know my tap has chlorine, fluoride and possibly bacteria in it. What would happen and can it become deadly if used too much ?

Darks!de

Tap water with a high chlorine level can be detrimental to amphibian health. However, if you "age" tap water (leave it out so that the chlorine evaporates), boil it, or add dechlorinator, then it can be used without a problem.

Luke
Like Luke mentioned, it is mainly a maintenance issue. Tap water and possibly Springwater will clog misting nozzles, and leave water spots on the glass. Using distilled water or RO (reverse osmosis) water will help to eliminate those problems.

It is also recommended to use distilled or RO water in ultrasonic humidifiers to prolong their life.

Yungair23

So if i boiled it that would make it ok to use? How long to boil it? Cover on the pot on or off? I never did this before to rid of chemicals..
Boiling will not do anything for the mineral content of the water. Now if you were to collect the steam from the boiling water that would be distilled water.

The problem with tap water and springwater is the mineral content. Minerals in the water is what causes the misting nozzles to clog and spots on the glass.
A high mineral content of the water can also cause problems for plants in the long run.

also, many cities use chloramine now instead of good old fashioned chlorine and this means that aging the water is less effective. Make sure to use a dechlorinator which works for chlorine and chloramine.

I also avoid raw tap water because of the potential of coccidia.

Yungair23

Bottled water will be ok to use for dart frogs right ? I'm not too worried as I just hand mist the Viv floor.
yeah,

hand misting with spring water is fine.