Can Painted Turtles Live In Tap Water?
You may know that painted turtles are semi-aquatic, meaning they live most of their lives underwater. But do you know whether these turtles can live in all water bodies? For example, can painted turtles live in tap water?
Painted turtles can live in tap water but will face difficulties thriving and may even die. For your information, tap water typically contains chlorine, magnesium, and other substances that can harm painted turtles. So, it will be better if these reptiles aren’t kept in untreated tap water.
Still, if you want to place painted turtles in tap water, you should read this entire blog post to learn about how to treat tap water or what water is safe for these reptiles.
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Is Tap Water Safe For Painted Turtles?
The answer to the question is both yes and no, confused? Let’s break down the statement. If tap water doesn’t contain elements that can harm painted turtles, the water is safe to use. Otherwise, it can be dangerous and even life-threatening.
So, if you wonder, “will tap water kill my turtle?” we hope you got the answer. Tap water tends to feature a high amount of chlorine, causing turtles to suffer from irritation. Besides, tap water has a high amount of calcium and magnesium.
And these elements can facilitate the calcium buildup on your painted turtles’ shells. Consequently, their shell may start to rot with time.
Alongside all these, your turtles will suffer from severe health conditions due to the tap water’s inappropriate pH level; unfortunately, those reptiles can eventually die from illnesses.
What Kind of Water Do Painted Turtles Need?
Painted turtles can’t live in all water bodies, and below, we have shared the ideal water condition for painted turtles to survive. Let’s read.
The water should contain the appropriate amount of vital elements, which are as follows:
- Ph level needs to be between 6.0 and 8
- The chlorine level should be 0
- The ammonia level also needs to be 0
- The Nitrite level should be around 0.5 ppm, but it will be better if the nitrite level remains 0
- Lastly, the nitrate level needs to be 40 ppm or less
So, whether you prefer to keep your painted turtles in tap water, bottled water, or any other water if the water meets the criteria mentioned above, you are good to go.
How Do You Get Chlorine Out (Treat) of Tap Water?
You can follow a couple of ways to get the chlorine out of tap water. Let’s talk about some effective ones in the below section:
Boiling or Freezing:
A faster, most convenient, and budget-friendly way to remove contaminants from tap water is to boil the water for around 15 to 20 minutes. If you wonder, “how do you get the chlorine out of tap water without boiling?” here you go.
Alternatively, you can remove chlorine from tap water by leaving the open container of tap water in your fridge for around 24 hours. FYI, how long it will take to freeze the tap water depends on the amount of water.
Once the tap water starts freezing, the chlorine will evaporate. So, you can apply this technique to get the chlorine out of tap water without boiling the water.
Applying Water Conditioner:
A turtle water conditioner can be excellent at treating your tap water. A best-quality water conditioner can effectively remove fluorine, chlorine, and other contaminants from the water and make it safe for your pets.
This type of water conditioner can also support the growth of helpful bacteria in the turtle tank. And the best fact regarding this product is that you can find it at a reasonable price on Amazon.
Utilize Water Filter:
A water filter can be another option that you can choose to get pollutants out of the tap water and give your painted turtles suitable water to live in. No matter which water filter you utilize, ensure it serves at least three levels of filtration, such as biological, mechanical, and chemical.
Aside from that, we recommend picking water filters at least three to four times larger than your turtle tanks. For instance, if you have a 40-gallon turtle tank, you should go with an 80-90 gallon filter to get a satisfactory performance. You may check this link to find such types of water filters.
Let the Water Sit Outside:
Another cost-effective and easiest way to remove chlorine from tap water is to leave the water container outside on a bright and blazing day. The ultraviolet rays from the sun will dissolve the chlorine, leaving dechlorinated water for your painted turtles to enjoy.
But the question is, “how long does tap water need to sit to get rid of chlorine?” If you are aware that the tap water only contains chlorine and no additional contaminants, let the tap water sit outside for one to five days to enable the chlorine to evaporate completely.
Alongside that, you can also aerate the water with an air stone to speed up the process of evaporation. So, these techniques can help you make your tap water suitable for painted turtles to survive.
Anyway, now you know how to make tap water safe for turtles. But do you know how often you should change your turtle’s water? If you don’t, here you go: according to experts, every turtle owner should change the tank water at least once a week.
Some people don’t follow their advice and ignore changing the tank water within a week as it seems clean. But there is a high potential that the tank water may contain a high amount of ammonia or nitrite.
Hence, you should avoid making the same mistake as these people. Nevertheless, take excellent care of your tank and painted turtles.
Do Painted Turtles Need Distilled Water?
Distilled or filtered water can be a better alternative to tap water. So, we can say painted turtles need distilled water if you consider placing your friends in tap water.
However, before pouring distilled water into a turtle tank or any other enclosure, ensure the distilled water comes with all the necessary watery attributes painted turtles need to thrive.
Wrapping Up:
Painted turtles can live in tap water if the water is free from pollutants and features the necessary elements turtles need to thrive. But we recommend testing the tap water before placing your beloved pets.
Also, treat the tap water as the water condition is directly correlated to your painted turtles’ health. We hope this article gave you an insight into whether you can keep painted turtles in tap water and what water is ideal for such reptiles.
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