do you guys give your torts rainwater? is rainwater safe and better than any other water?

[EllisEditz]

hey guys just wondering is rainwater safe and better than any other water? i normally boil water let it cool right down then use that water for his soaks/water dish i do also use fresh bottled water but i was thinking about collecting rain water in a clean way and saving money is it safe people

 

[Lyn W]

I've never used rainwater, just ordinary tap water for drinking and soaks.

 

[EllisEditz]

I've never used rainwater, just ordinary tap water for drinking and soaks.

thanks, i feel like tap water isnt best for somee reason but i have used myself

 

[jaizei]

I'd think it'd depend on where and how the rainwater is being collected.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I'd think it'd depend on where and how the rainwater is being collected.

That was also my thought.
The rain water that runs off of my roof fills my fish ponds. But also contains gravel and bits of asphalt roofing shingles

 

[Cathie G]

I have a faucet purifier that filters my tap water. That's what I use mostly for my tortoise. But I do use straight warm tap water for soaks. I can't really collect clean rain water enough to bother with then making sure it is still clean to use when I'm ready to use it. My tortoise gets to be outside in the warmer times though and some days he'll sit in rain showers. I've seen him just sitting and enjoying his shower and soak in a deluge.

 

[Tom]

hey guys just wondering is rainwater safe and better than any other water? i normally boil water let it cool right down then use that water for his soaks/water dish i do also use fresh bottled water but i was thinking about collecting rain water in a clean way and saving money is it safe people

Pure rainwater that isn't "soiled" by the collection process is not good for tortoises to be drinking because it has no minerals in it. I collect it and use it to rinse my tortoises after soaking because it prevents hard water stains. I also use it to spray down the enclosures of my arboreal lizards for the same reason. No hard water stains. For drinking and soaking, you want regular mineralized water. I use my local tap water at home and well water at the ranch. If your tap water isn't good for some reason, bottled water or "spring water" should be good, but not distilled and not reverse osmosis. Rainwater, distilled and RO water are great for rinsing the carapace or spraying the enclosure though.

 

[Cathie G]

Pure rainwater that isn't "soiled" by the collection process is not good for tortoises to be drinking because it has no minerals in it. I collect it and use it to rinse my tortoises after soaking because it prevents hard water stains. I also use it to spray down the enclosures of my arboreal lizards for the same reason. No hard water stains. For drinking and soaking, you want regular mineralized water. I use my local tap water at home and well water at the ranch. If your tap water isn't good for some reason, bottled water or "spring water" should be good, but not distilled and not reverse osmosis. Rainwater, distilled and RO water are great for rinsing the carapace or spraying the enclosure though.

I'm interested in why reverse osmosis isn't good. Another type of bottled water I've found that I can't drink is ozonated. The ozonated makes me feel like I'm being strangled. That's typical with people with allergies

 

[Tom]

I'm interested in why reverse osmosis isn't good. Another type of bottled water I've found that I can't drink is ozonated. The ozonated makes me feel like I'm being strangled. That's typical with people with allergies

Because it has no minerals. Its just pure water. Animals, including us, need mineralized water for drinking.

I don't know about ozonated water. Oxygen is relatively stable as O2. Ozone is O3. That third oxygen molecule does not want to be there and it quickly and readily bonds with other molecules. This is why it has sterilizing and deodorizing effects.

 

[Maro2Bear]

This is what I imagine happens in the wild. 😀




Source - https://tortoiseexpert.com/can-tortoises-be-left-out-in-the-rain/

 

[Tom]

Who is this person? They know a few things that are common knowledge here on TFO, but not out in the world

The articles seems to be signed by "Alex", but I can't tell if they are here or in the UK. Good info over all, but a few problems like referring to different tortoise species as "breeds".

 

[Lyn W]

Who is this person? They know a few things that are common knowledge here on TFO, but not out in the world

The articles seems to be signed by "Alex", but I can't tell if they are here or in the UK. Good info over all, but a few problems like referring to different tortoise species as "breeds".

He uses the US spelling for 'colors' in his article about tortoises seeing in the dark and his tortoise expert website is a .com so I don't think he's in the UK, but he seems to know a lot about the British climate and which torts are best suited it.

 

[Tom]

He uses the US spelling for 'colors' in his article about tortoises seeing in the dark and his tortoise expert website is a .com so I don't think he's in the UK, but he seems to know a lot about the British climate and which torts are best suited it.

Gotta be a forum member here. I'm just glad to see someone sharing mostly good info out in the world.

 

[Yvonne G]

Who is this person? They know a few things that are common knowledge here on TFO, but not out in the world

The articles seems to be signed by "Alex", but I can't tell if they are here or in the UK. Good info over all, but a few problems like referring to different tortoise species as "breeds".

They have a web site - tortoiseexpert.com