What water is best for chins?

[toma]

Ive been giving mineral water to my chins since ive had them, i read on a website before i got them that this is ok but now ive been looking im not sure whats best for them.
Sould i give them filtered, mineral or distilled water?

 

[Marie5656]

I have a Brita water pitcher, and use that for both Trixie and us. The pitcher is small, so what I do is make a batch and transfer it into a 2.5 gallon water jug, which I keep in the fridge. I change her water daily, and usually twice a day in summer, to keep water cool.

 

[Megan]

The answer varies from person to person. I have personally used regular tap water(it is from a well) for almost 10 years, without any problems. My lizard, chinchillas (80+), guinea pigs(when I had them), and various other animals were all on the tap water. I've heard other people that have had problems with tap, but then I know many others who use tap without any problems.

Some use distilled, others use reverse osmosis (this seems to be the favorite from what i've seen), others use spring.

 

[cindyv3737]

I have a Brita water pitcher, and use that for both Trixie and us. The pitcher is small, so what I do is make a batch and transfer it into a 2.5 gallon water jug, which I keep in the fridge. I change her water daily, and usually twice a day in summer, to keep water cool.

We have a member here whose chin is fighting giardia after giving Britain water. I personally use bottled drinking water. All my animals get it and I cook with it.

 

[Milo10]

I also use well water, and Milo hasn't had any problems.

 

[tati121]

We have a member here whose chin is fighting giardia after giving Britain water. I personally use bottled drinking water. All my animals get it and I cook with it.

The funny thing about bottled water is that most of the time it's FROM THE TAP. Companies just take ordinary water that we get for free (except for those well users), package it all pretty and then resell it to us. Several water control studies have shown that several of the big bottled water companies actually have lower quality water than most tap water from major cities. The reason being that bottled water doesn't have to undergo the same strict testing as tap water. Sure sometimes water supply gets contaminated but the reason we KNOW it's contaminated is because it's tested often. When bottled water is contaminated we know after something has happened to the consumers.

I have attached a PDF called The Story of Bottled Water that I got from one of my classes that can further illustrate the issue

 

[cindyv3737]

I meant to say Brita. Silly auto-correct on my iPhone.

 

[RDZCRanch]

As long as the bottled water says "RO filtered" on it, it is safe.

I use a Pur stage 3 filter or our RO system. Depends on which is working better at the time. We're slowly getting rid of the PUR filter and going to be on the RO system permanently.

I personally do not recommend distilled water. It does not have the natural minerals and nutrients found in simply filtered water. The only time I've ever had a calcium deficient chinchilla is when I was giving the entire herd distilled water. Could have just been coincidence, but before the distilled and after...I have not had a problem with calcium or other mineral deficiencies.

 

[Megan]

I do know that one of our big selling brands here is just bottled city water...The package clearly says its source: Allentown, PA.

 

[cindyv3737]

The funny thing about bottled water is that most of the time it's FROM THE TAP. Companies just take ordinary water that we get for free (except for those well users), package it all pretty and then resell it to us. Several water control studies have shown that several of the big bottled water companies actually have lower quality water than most tap water from major cities. The reason being that bottled water doesn't have to undergo the same strict testing as tap water. Sure sometimes water supply gets contaminated but the reason we KNOW it's contaminated is because it's tested often. When bottled water is contaminated we know after something has happened to them

I know all of this and read the articles on it. However if you could smell the chemicals and chlorine coming from my tap you would drink bottled too. To each his own. I was just giving my opinion. If I won't drink it my animals won't either.

 

[Peep_erz]

The Brita filters do not filter out microbial cysts (giardia). I use a Pur stage 3 filter on my faucet.

 

[Claire D]

In the UK the majority of chinchilla owners/breeders/rescues simply use tap water.
Personally I would not use bottled water - it often has added minerals in it including calcium.

Toma, stick to your UK tap water - it is fine. We have fairly strict requirements for drinking water purity. Filter it is you like but I just use is straight from the tap.

 

[AZChins]

I like R/O because it doesn't usually have anything added to it and it takes out all the harmful stuff. I refill my 5 and 3 gallon bottles at the R/O machines so it doesn't produce a bunch of empty bottles that would end up in a landfill. It's $0.20 a gallon that way and worth it.

 

[6Dusters]

I use our city water run through the Brita filter. No problems ever came up with my family or any animals in our home.

 

[toma]

will start using our tap water then from the uk. gone through 15 litres of natural mineral water with them. hope they will be ok.

 

[Sandi]

The PUR stage 3 filters out giardia where as Brita pitcher filters do not.
I use tap water BUT for drinking and the chins we use the water that comes out of the fridge which has a built-in PUR 3 Stage filter. I also put a PUR 3 Stage filter system on our faucet in the basement where the chins are.

 

[starleomach]

My husband just got me a filter for our sink for christmas..up until the I was buying it by the gallon...

When I was at my parents house I used their well water for 12 years no problems, but after the wedding and I moved everyone here I lost a bunch of animals due to the high mineral content..it was too much for them.