Water quality

[Tina Simonton]

Hello Tortoise forum!

Newbie here, my little one is a 5 month old Indian Star and I had a quick question about water...

I don't have city water where I live (a farm in the southern most region of Canada), instead we get water from a well. There's no Chlorine, but the well was tested years ago and the water has very high natural iron and fluoride levels, it's safe for me and all the mammals I keep, but I'm not sure how it would affect a hatchling Star.

I've had my little Tortidan for a month now, and this whole time I've been using bottled water as his drinking water but I've been using the well water to heat for his baths, I haven't seen any ill effects but I don't want kidney issues down the line.

So if anyone has any thoughts I would appreciate it. I bought him from a breeder who said he just used regular city water for all his torts.

 

[Tom]

No one here has any experience with this specific sort of thing, but I am willing to bet that if the water is okay for you and your other animals, that its also fine for your tortoise.

I've been raising tortoises on highly mineralized well water for decades, and I've had no issues. I don't know if my well water is chemically similar to yours, or not, but its something to draw from.

Your baby looks fantastic, by the way...

 

[Tina Simonton]

Ok thanks Tom! It's not a huge deal to buy bottles water here, but it's just something I don't want to if I don't have to, once he finishes the case of water I got for him he will start getting well water.

I'm not expert on reptilian kidneys, so thought it was safer to ask.

Thanks for the reply!
-Tina

 

[Tom]

I'm not expert on reptilian kidneys, so thought it was safer to ask.

Me neither!

Will you start a new thread and explain how you are housing and caring for your baby? He/she is particularly smooth and attractive and other keepers could learn from whatever you are doing.

(When I say "other keepers", I'm really talking about me... )