What water do you guys use for when you’re soaking your tortoises ?

[lcoakley96]

Hey guys , I’m a newish Russian tortoise mama , i might be over thinking’s things but when you soak them what water do you use ? From the tap or what ?I know sometimes they will drink the water they are bathing in so thats why I’m curious.

so far I’ve been warming up water bottles but it takes forever and loses heat quickly?
.

 

[Action]

well.....I use the water from my tap. I drink it and shower in it so I guessing it is good enough for my tortoise.....

 

[Maro2Bear]

Regular water from the tap. Let it run warm, put a few inches in the sink and let your tort soak away. People also use tupperware containers, tubs, etc. Regular warm water from your tap is what you want to use.

 

[Tom]

If the tap water is safe for you, its safe for your tortoises.

 

[Krista S]

Hey guys , I’m a newish Russian tortoise mama , i might be over thinking’s things but when you soak them what water do you use ? From the tap or what ?I know sometimes they will drink the water they are bathing in so thats why I’m curious.

so far I’ve been warming up water bottles but it takes forever and loses heat quickly?
.

I’ve wondered about this too. Where I live in Canada the water is very hard so I have a water softener has most people in Saskatchewan do). So although I can drink the cold tap water, the warm water is softened which means it has softener salt in it. For my tortoises water dish, I always use bottled spring water, but for soaks I’ve been using the warm softened water. Haven’t seen an issue so far in the 6 months I’ve had my tortoise, but this is one thing I’ve never been able to get a confident answer on.

 

[Tom]

I’ve wondered about this too. Where I live in Canada the water is very hard so I have a water softener has most people in Saskatchewan do). So although I can drink the cold tap water, the warm water is softened which means it has softener salt in it. For my tortoises water dish, I always use bottled spring water, but for soaks I’ve been using the warm softened water. Haven’t seen an issue so far in the 6 months I’ve had my tortoise, but this is one thing I’ve never been able to get a confident answer on.

I don't know about water softener systems, but reverse osmosis or distilled water should not be used for drinking or soaking. Tortoises need the minerals in regular water.

 

[Krista S]

I don't know about water softener systems, but reverse osmosis or distilled water should not be used for drinking or soaking. Tortoises need the minerals in regular water.

Thank you for the info, Tom. I checked the bottled water I’ve been giving him and thankfully it still has all of the minerals in it. It hasn’t gone through reverse osmosis and definitely isn’t distilled. I’ve always used the same water and it’s bottled from a natural spring in British Columbia. As for the water softener, it leaves all of the minerals in the water too. It’s doesn’t go through any filtration, it simply just adds the softening salt to make the warm water less harsh. Although I live in a big city...well...big for Saskatchewan lol...and the tap water is safe to drink, the water literally smells like bleach. That’s why I’ve been afraid to give my little guy tap water to drink. Maybe I shouldn’t be afraid of it though.

 

[lcoakley96]

Okay , I looked up my town and it says it’s safe to drink according to the town but warns about home pipes and all that ? so maybe I’ll get a testing kit before using tap water on her , thank you for all the advice !

 

[Sa Ga]

Yeah, I made the mistake of PURIFIED (filtered or reverse osmosis do impurities including minerals are removed) vs. SPRING water for my first bottled water purchase. Just look to see that it's SPRING WATER, and it should still have trace mins/etc. in it.

Softened water (water w/ softener salt) can be harmful over the long run as I was told it has (I think I remember it as) high phosphate levels. So unfortunately to be safe, I wouldn't use the warm (softened) water.

I don't have a water softener (and apparently this will be the only advantage, as our water is SO hard, it stains/crusts up everything!) But one idea may be to get one of those mug/candle warmers. You can put water you've warmed on it, and it will keep it warm for the duration of ur little guy's bath (just add as needed--but TAKE TORT OUT WHILE ADDING THE WATER in case the water mixes too hot).

I did this when I didn't know if tap water was safe and was warming bottled water for Mo's soaks.

 

[Krista S]

I like your idea about the mug water to try and keep the extra water warm. As it is now, I usually change the water 2 to 3 times per soak. My little guy would not have the patience for me to be microwaving or warming water on the stove between water changes. Thanks for the suggestion, I really appreciate it!

 

[Cathie G]

Thank you for the info, Tom. I checked the bottled water I’ve been giving him and thankfully it still has all of the minerals in it. It hasn’t gone through reverse osmosis and definitely isn’t distilled. I’ve always used the same water and it’s bottled from a natural spring in British Columbia. As for the water softener, it leaves all of the minerals in the water too. It’s doesn’t go through any filtration, it simply just adds the softening salt to make the warm water less harsh. Although I live in a big city...well...big for Saskatchewan lol...and the tap water is safe to drink, the water literally smells like bleach. That’s why I’ve been afraid to give my little guy tap water to drink. Maybe I shouldn’t be afraid of it though.

I use warm tap water for soaking but I have a simple Pur water filter on our kitchen faucet for ice cubes, our animal's drinking water, and cooking etc. It does at the least get rid of some of the chlorine...maybe warming the water does also.

 

[Cathie G]

Yeah, I made the mistake of PURIFIED (filtered or reverse osmosis do impurities including minerals are removed) vs. SPRING water for my first bottled water purchase. Just look to see that it's SPRING WATER, and it should still have trace mins/etc. in it.

Softened water (water w/ softener salt) can be harmful over the long run as I was told it has (I think I remember it as) high phosphate levels. So unfortunately to be safe, I wouldn't use the warm (softened) water.

I don't have a water softener (and apparently this will be the only advantage, as our water is SO hard, it stains/crusts up everything!) But one idea may be to get one of those mug/candle warmers. You can put water you've warmed on it, and it will keep it warm for the duration of ur little guy's bath (just add as needed--but TAKE TORT OUT WHILE ADDING THE WATER in case the water mixes too hot).

I did this when I didn't know if tap water was safe and was warming bottled water for Mo's soaks.

The mug warmer actually sounds like a good idea for rain water too.

 

[Sa Ga]

I use warm tap water for soaking but I have a simple Pur water filter on our kitchen faucet for ice cubes, our animal's drinking water, and cooking etc. It does at the least get rid of some of the chlorine...maybe warming the water does also.

Just note that those filters remove the minerals they need, as well as the chlorine and undesirable chems too!

(I know....you can never win!)

 

[Sa Ga]

Maybe use the reg Spring bottled or tap water for the initial soak (when they're most likely to drink), and then the PUR water for subsequent soak water changes to minimize exposure to the chemicals? (But again, don't use softened water at all.)

 

[Action]

Sense we are talking about water.....what temp do you all like to soak in ? Mine seems to like about 95F.
Thanks
Jack

 

[Sa Ga]

I don't know the temp per se. By touch it is lukewarm, just a tad more cool than warm. (But not at all cold or chilly.)

If I get it even a tad more on the warm side of lukewarm, she doesn't like it at all and I could swear, looks annoyed (head down, sulky).

When it's right, she relaxes, even kicks to be put back in when I pull her out!

Of course, keeping it just that temp means i have to keep adding just a ladle of warm water every few minutes.... so, nothing about Morla is easy! ?

Good thing she's SO adorable! ❤

 

[Cathie G]

Just note that those filters remove the minerals they need, as well as the chlorine and undesirable chems too!

(I know....you can never win!)

You are right but our tap water is so bad I can't drink it. And no-one I know can either. It also will grow red algae. My little betta swims in ice mountain spring because of that. All of my humidifiers get distilled because they'll die in a month otherwise. My little tortoise gets drinking water, tap water soaks, and rain showers. I do know that the chlorine will change to salt if you let a gallon of water sit for gardening. If it's nice water first it would be good drinking water also.

 

[Krista S]

Sense we are talking about water.....what temp do you all like to soak in ? Mine seems to like about 95F.
Thanks
Jack

For my 9 month old Hermann’s tortoise, I soak him in water that starts at 91 to 92 degrees. It sure doesn’t take long for the water to cool down though. I don’t let it get any cooler than 85 and I change out for fresh warm water. I started checking out the suggested coffee mug warmer idea and now I’m already looking at single burner hot plates lol. It would be handy to have in the tortoise room and then I can regulate the temp of the next batch of water easier. If anyone else has any other suggestions, please let me know. Who knew having a water softener would be such a pain. I’ll maybe have to make a call and see if there’s a bypass they can put on one of the hot water taps or something.