# Tap Water, Brita Filter, or Bottled Water?



## aang (Feb 7, 2012)

I just read somewhere that tap water (with fluorine in it) causes brain damage in rats?
Is this true?
What do you guys give your rats to drink? 
I've been giving mine tap water, but after reading this, I'm kind of worried.


----------



## Peep (Aug 27, 2012)

I have heard that too, but i havent seen any evidence towards it. I give mine brita filtered water! i think bottled water is just a bit excessive to be honest :X


----------



## aripatsim (Jul 26, 2012)

I give mine bottled water. I'd rather be safe than sorry...

I generally give it filtered water though because a lot of bottled waters aren't all that great either.


----------



## Flashygrrl (Feb 8, 2012)

I Brita filter all the water for my small animals just because occasionally it does smell a bit like chlorine (though has been much better since we moved) and I know I myself don't like to drink water when it tastes like that.


----------



## aang (Feb 7, 2012)

Yeah, I wasn't looking forward to buying water by the gallon.. lol
The Brita will take out the fluoride and all that crap though? Thats awesome, I didn't realize it was so good haha


----------



## JessyGene (Feb 27, 2012)

I give mine brita filtered water. It's what I drink and I think my rats deserve clean water too. I don't think bottled water is necessary though.


----------



## Roxy&Spot (Aug 31, 2012)

I do not mean to burst ya'll's bubbles, but *Brita filters do not remove fluorine*. Fluorine is an extremely electronegative ion that attaches itself nearly permanently to water molecules. If you are worried about fluorine, do not use municipal water; well water and bottled drinking water are safe as these are not fluorinated. I buy store brand drinking water by the gallon for my two girls, a gallon lasts them about 3 months. Considering that bottled drinking water costs $0.69 to $0.99 per gallon, I think that it is a small price to pay for my girls' health.


----------



## elliriyanna (Jul 27, 2011)

All my animals and myself drink filtered water we have a pur filter but any good one should do. I drink it and my cat loves it the only thing is my.pitcher isn't big enough to fill all the water so you may have to do it in two batches


----------



## Stubbylove (Sep 5, 2012)

I feed tap water but we r on a well not city water. Not sure how good or bad it is but that is what I always used and have never had a problem? 


Sent from my iPhone using PG Free


----------



## aang (Feb 7, 2012)

hmm, okay - thanks guys. ive been drinking from a brita, my cat and my rats have been on tap water.. i'll think about switching! its just an inconvenience lol. thanks for your input!


----------



## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

My rats get bottled distilled water. A lot of bottled drinking water is just tap water collected, bottled, and relabeled. As mentioned, filters can only do so much.


----------



## Munchie (Mar 13, 2012)

When I had pet triops (very sensitive to water) we had them on distilled water, it's not overly expensive and just needs storing, I'd imagine this would be safest.
Cagedbirdsinging is right too, most bottled water is just tap water that is filtered and re-labled, and the chemicals that get into it through the plastic bottles aren't amazingly good for you either.
That being said, my ratties are just on normal tap water.


----------



## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

There's controversy concerning drinking water all over the place. Some say tap water is bad because of all the additives, some say bottled is bad because leaching from the plastic and that it's just rebottled tap water, some even say RO/DI water is bad because it's missing a lot of minerals that tap water has in it. I really don't know if there is a 100% safe water for us or our rats to be drinking, but if you're concerned, use distilled or RO water.

I give my rats gassed off (left open to air for 24 hrs to remove chlorine) tap water. The tap water here does have small amounts of natural fluoride but none is added - WHO recommends 0.8-1.2 mg/l, and my tap water has 0.2-0.3.


----------



## DustyRat (Jul 9, 2012)

I use Brita all the way


----------

