Fresh Water... Rain water actually... is it safe?

BAB · Post by **BAB** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:54 pm

I collected rain water last week sometime during a HUGE storm. HAHAHA My hubbie said I was nuts cuz I ran out to put the bowl down AFTER the storm started. I'd forgotten to earlier.

Anyway, it's NOT run off from the house. I put the bowl out far enough that it's just rain.

Would this be safe for the hermies?

I may try again though simply because it looks like there's dirt at the bottom of the bowl... which could have been splattered up from the ground. I'll have to set the bowl UP on something next time so that there's no splatter.

I thought I'd check though before I tried again.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 10:04 pm

I would be worried about pollution... so it would be worse in cities than it would be out in cow country... but even living out here in cow country I wouldn't risk it

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Aug 03, 2006 11:54 pm

I would be worried about polutants too, but there's also polutants in tap water, and our declorinators don't take them out (I don't think-just heavy metles, chlorine, and they actually just break them down if I am understanding it right), so I don't see much of a difference. It'd be intersting to see what they liked better.

kayla_d · Post by **kayla_d** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:21 am

My crabbies love it when I put fresh maple leaves on the stem wet from the rain. Its a good idea to open the glass top a lot if you do that it really raises the hum. I have not tried catching fresh rain to put into the tat.

I dont know that it makes a difference but we are so far out in the boonies that my town can not recieve cell phone. There are more cows and horses then people.

BAB · Post by **BAB** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:50 am

Yes... poluntants were on my mind too. But yes, those are still in our tap water... not to mention in the wild where the crabs came from. Flordia is not the cleanest place in the world. Hehe...

I'm still debating. I've not given them any yet.

OH and we are outside of town... but it wouldn't really matter I don't think. The water still passes over large cities to get to us usually.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 12:05 pm

I am going to catch some rainwater myself. Whatever pollutants may be in rainwater could not possibly compare to tapwater. Plus, you probably got better water since you went out in the middle of the storm. The water that had already fallen may have carried much of the air pollution to the ground by the time you got your container out. If the ground you put the container on has not been sprayed w/ chemicals or pesticides, I wouldn't be concerned w/ the dirt particles. Great idea.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Aug 04, 2006 1:51 pm

well. I am out in cow country and have well water.. which has been tested.. i also use it for my herps and fish with no problems.. so I think I'll stick with that! (Even though the air down here is a lot cleaner than where I was back in DE)

Willow · Post by **Willow** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 5:32 pm

Remeber your tap water used to be rain water....I think I'll try collecting some rain water next time it rains. It might be awhile; the whole state is in a bad drought, though it does rain a little bit at a time.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Sun Aug 06, 2006 7:13 pm

Yeah .. but my tap water (well water) has filtered through several feet of soil, and sand.. I would MUCH rather trust it than rain water which has not been filtered at all. Besides.. we have had ours tested for pollutants and bacteria.. it came back fine.