Question about water...what do you use???

[Krista]

When we first brought our ratties home I discovered they werent suposed to have flouride. So I purchased drinking water in jugs at the grocery store. When I went to refill them tonight I realized that the Culligan machine at the store is merely filtered city tap water, which I know contains flouride!!

So what type/brand do you use?

And is the filtration systems at the grocery store enough to filter out flouride?? It said uses reverse osmosis.

I want to do everything I can to make sure my boys are as healthy as possible but it sure isnt easy!!

 

[Rattiemama]

Reverse osmosis should be safe, as far as I know. We give them the same water we drink from the Pur filter.

[scout]

Reverse osmosis is supposed to filter out the fluoride. I've been using it for years for the rats and myself.

[Krista]

Good! Now I feel better!! 

[chiropteragirl]

I just give them tap water... Should I stop? The tap water here in Victoria is really good, but I don't know about it chemical wise.

[ratcrazied]

I hate the water here in Buffalo (which is treated with chorline) so I filter it with Brita. At home in Maine its nice refreshing well water, but our refrigerater also dispenses filtered water.

[CassiHL]

I give them tap water too. But then again I drink our tap water all the time. I figure if it's safe for me to consume, it should be safe for them too?

[Goosebart]

I use an Aquasana water filter.  Water's much better after being filtered though the local gov't says our tap water is excellent. 

A lot of cities put chloramine, bad for us all, though they say otherwise.  Wikipedia has an article on it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chloramine

http://www.aquasana.com/product.cfm?id=1   
this is the link to the filter I use (which is on sale for $99, shipping free) ; FYI I have nothing at all to do with these folk or this product except being a happy customer.

that page has a link to this handy chart http://www.waterfiltercomparisons.com/Water_Filter_Comparison_Matrix.cfm

it sits on the counter next to the sink, has a handy valve stop to turn it off and on.  I also unscrew the connector when I want to screw on my little apt size washing machine.

pretty handy.

[Squeeky]

Both chlorine and fluoride are really bad for ratties.
Filtered water should be ok, you could check to see what is filtered out.
I give my ratties distilled water.

[Krista]

Do they really like distilled?? The guy at the grocery store said distilled doesnt have flouride but I thougt that tasted kind of funny? Guess maybe I'll have to try it and see. I'd rather be safe than sorry   

[Bryanna]

I give them tap water too. But then again I drink our tap water all the time. I figure if it's safe for me to consume, it should be safe for them too?

Tap water has the fluoride and chlorine but it's such a small ammount and is used in almost everything. I also give mine tap water.

[Rats_n_Cats]

I give my girls bottled spring water, don't know if it's really "spring" water or not, but where we are in Maine, sometimes the town water has a citrusy, funny smell to it...they say it is just fluctuating pH levels...but I don't trust it in tiny rats body's.  If I don't drink it, none of my animals drink it!   

[QueenRat2007]

The water here is really good, so I use tap. . . I can't really find any "filters", and my dad/brother drink the water. . . we all have a different system to the kinda main streets (we're in the country), that only supplies the three houses. 

[wonderrodent]

I never used tap water. Heck, I don't even drink it. I use filtered water and right now distilled water (since I have a whole gallon at home). With bottled water you actually never know what you get, unfortunately.

[aphoeniceus]

Distilled water isnt that great either.  It gets rid of all nutrients, even the good ones.  The nutrients lost in distilled water should be supplemented in their diet instead. 

From Wikipedia: "Since distilled water is devoid of minerals, supplemental mineral intake through diet is needed to maintain proper health."

But, I did find a good website on distilled water myths and they say that it probably doesn't matter because the amounts of nutrients in normal water is so minute that distilling it won't make much of a difference anyway because its normally supplemented in our normal diet. http://www.durastill.com/myths.html

I give them filtered.  I want them to have the proper nutrients from it, but none of the bad ones.  Also, I figure it really doesn't impact them anyway, considering their short life spans  (sometimes I give tap water)

[undergunfire]

I use filtered water for myself, the rats, and the rabbits. I use it to cook, ect.

[Amykins]

I use our Brita for everything.  I won't drink my tap water, as it tastes funny, so I give them the same water I drink and cook with.  My dog and cat have a Fresh Flow fountain that has a filter in it as well.