Tree Frog Water question??

[Rae]

So I have 4 greys like many know and have always given them rain water with repti safe, till recently. I want to see if there is any difference in tap water with repti safe. I was recently told to filter it through a Brita filter so I will start doing that.

However a question came to mind... we use a water softener in my house because my cities water is very hard. Is soft water ok? Yes I will still filter through Brita and treat it with repti safe. But I haven't read anything about the effects of using a water softer in there house and the salt that is used.

[flybyferns]

So I have 4 greys like many know and have always given them rain water with repti safe, till recently. I want to see if there is any difference in tap water with repti safe. I was recently told to filter it through a Brita filter so I will start doing that.

However a question came to mind... we use a water softener in my house because my cities water is very hard. Is soft water ok? Yes I will still filter through Brita and treat it with repti safe. But I haven't read anything about the effects of using a water softer in there house and the salt that is used.

Hi Rae,
I see this has gone unanswered.
I do not know the answer. It is a really good question.
I'm sure like you, common sense tells me a water softer is not a good thing for frog.
I use Aquatize (exo-terra) product. I have called this company in the past. I recall they were very helpful.
Maybe give it a whirl?

Exo Terra : Aquatize / Terrarium Water Conditioner

Exo Terra : Contact


Also, do you know the exact name of the water softener or the exact chemical compound(s) it contains?
Is it added by the water company........ by you ........after the water is in your home?

Lynn

[Rae]

No idea the softener was hooked up when we moved in, we just add large water softener salt pellets to it. I might just go back to rain water if no one knows anything about this. :/

[Beachfroggy]

Saw your question Rae and thought I might simplify what the softened water is like so you could decide.
-Dissolved "hard water" leaves scale which is lots of magnesium, calcium, and other metals that the groundwater picks up from the surrounding soil and rock at the source (if your city has hard water then they are leaving it to the consumer to soften, some do it at the plant, thats why at the end of this everyone would see that unless you know exactly what is going on at your water plant, different cities water is all different even if meeting general safe standards). Your house has softener, i have a well tapped into a spring aquifer below my lot so i am lucky, dont need softener as most on wells do, but from what i have learned about frogs skin i am going to go bottled cuz there is really no way to know whats in it. In the wild animals move away from water sources not appropriate for them.
-There is minuet salt in softened water but the softeners all vary in function
- The beads in the machine do the softening. They are negatively charged ions, the salt you put in is sodium ions which have a positive charge. The hard "metals" calcium, mag, etc are positively charged too. when the water flows through the beads (-) they swap with the sodium bonded to the beads (+) because they are an even stronger neg charge than the Na. So the beads grab the metals because Na switches place with the metals.
- Then even if that was ok water for the frogs, the machine has to rejuvenate when the beads get loaded with metals. the beads in this cycle are soaked in strong salt water and it breaks the metals bond and then the machine flushes this out and it starts all over. Problem is it is always going from soft to hard between cycles of rejuvination, either on a timer or some expensive ones that moniter metal build up again when the beads (-) cant hold anymore metals (+).
So for the frogs there are three issues:
1) the levels of metals vs salt is always fluctuating
2)The metals are being removed completely at some point in cycle for them kinda like distilling
3) is the salt even though safe for us ok to be absorbed in there skin constantly---lakes rivers stream humidity and rain are not filled with our salt rock at all, or atleast at minute levels they can decide to move away.

Sorry so long but atleast you might understand and decide, i would think its the same problem for them that we have, freshwater is hard to find.

[flybyferns]

I am filling 6 gallon jugs at a time form a faucet w/ a brita filter ( Long Island , NY so called "great water" ) AND using Aquatize ( 8 qtts/gallon)
Lynn

[Beachfroggy]

Now I have a question I should probably start another thread but with all that said about water softeners, it leaves me wondering the best way to provide the frogs water bowl water? (not really the mister or fogger cuz that is best i would think all mineral free to avoid buildup on glass walls, etc even from salts so distilled or r/o h20 best for that?). I mean the frogs need some salts naturally present in H2O for healthy balance or water function. Water softeners fluctuate levels so much i would think thats the only unsafe part. Does reptisafe of aquatize replace trace minerals necessary if you start with filtered or distilled water? It says they remove chlorine etc from tap water and use plant extract oils for slime coat. Nothing about healthy minerals unless i'm ready labels wrong. And i've been reading that the slime coat additives can be bad over time for the frog clogging them up. ??? What about spring water from a trusted company and basic Amquel? Anybody had problems with the slime coat products? I would think ZooMed and Exoterra would know what they are doing but it says nothing about necessary trace minerals.

[Whistly]

However a question came to mind... we use a water softener in my house because my cities water is very hard. Is soft water ok? Yes I will still filter through Brita and treat it with repti safe. But I haven't read anything about the effects of using a water softer in there house and the salt that is used.

YOU, YOU asked...THE question

lol, my answer is always the sameI use rainwater as it's what they would get in the wild.

[flybyferns]

YOU, YOU asked...THE question

lol, my answer is always the sameI use rainwater as it's what they would get in the wild.

Hi Whistly,
I don't know about ( Canada) where Rae lives?
But, where I live , western Suffolk County, New York; It's polluted.
Sadly, I could never use rainwater.
Plus 'they' spray pesticides to kill mosquitoes during the summer.
Lynn

[Beachfroggy]

Yes Whistley, my apologies to Rae for asking an additional question after the fact. I thought it was related and important to her because she has a water softener that is removing all metals from her water, the city just removes bacteria, adds chlorine to do this, and some add fluoride. So yes her question was about the salt, and i was trying to explain that its the rejuvination cycle that "might" cause problems for the frog. But my question was about the removal of the necessary minerals as well. Water softeners are for human taste appeal and scale. Lynn said to check out aquatize (which i was gonna use) but i wasnt sure if it replaces necessary minerals in addition to removing chlorine and oils for slime coat. I was wondering what would if it didnt because with that additional additive Rae would have great water for her frogs from her tap "if" her softener has a seperate reservoir for use during rejuvenation.

[Rae]

Yes I have always used rain water but lately everyone is saying its not good because the rain bucket is getting most of the water from eaves trough and could be picking up nasties from the roof ... I am also wanting to get whites tree frogs soon.... so I am unsure as they are not from here if rain water will be ok. But my tap water might not be either...

HOWEVER
I have convinced my husband to unplug the water softener as I hate it... I miss my water pressure at showers... its just another thing useing electricity and cost for salt. AND it runs for 2 hours really loud randomly and usually while we are in the shower >.<. So Hopefully this question wont be an issue much longer.

[Rae]

Yes Whistley, my apologies to Rae for asking an additional question after the fact. I thought it was related and important to her because she has a water softener that is removing all metals from her water, the city just removes bacteria, adds chlorine to do this, and some add fluoride. So yes her question was about the salt, and i was trying to explain that its the rejuvination cycle that "might" cause problems for the frog. But my question was about the removal of the necessary minerals as well. Water softeners are for human taste appeal and scale. Lynn said to check out aquatize (which i was gonna use) but i wasnt sure if it replaces necessary minerals in addition to removing chlorine and oils for slime coat. I was wondering what would if it didnt because with that additional additive Rae would have great water for her frogs from her tap "if" her softener has a seperate reservoir for use during rejuvenation.

No need to apologise... in a way it was related and even if not its stuff I dont know and is good to know

[Beachfroggy]

No water softener will do wonders for your hair, seriously you will love it off, lol

[Rae]

Sarcasm? Because seriously I shed handfuls in the shower :/ Don't know why Im not bald...

[Beachfroggy]

No sarcasm, softeners are notorious for clogging up and weighing down hair

[Rae]

Yes I have always used rain water but lately everyone is saying its not good because the rain bucket is getting most of the water from eaves trough and could be picking up nasties from the roof ... I am also wanting to get whites tree frogs soon.... so I am unsure as they are not from here if rain water will be ok. But my tap water might not be either...

HOWEVER
I have convinced my husband to unplug the water softener as I hate it... I miss my water pressure at showers... its just another thing useing electricity and cost for salt. AND it runs for 2 hours really loud randomly and usually while we are in the shower >.<. So Hopefully this question wont be an issue much longer.

So yes my main reason for complaining about the softener to my husband was so my water would be safe for the frogs... But that would not be a selling point lol.

[flybyferns]

What a, nice, happy ending !