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quisp65 · 02-16-2018, 09:23 AM

Fixing up my 40 gallon breeder for a Winter White that I'll get in a week. Had gerbils back in the 70s but other than that I'm new to this.

Bought several water bottles because I am having difficulty with leaks and water stoppage. Leaks I guess are the bottles fault but the water stop issue was puzzling me because I was running into if frequent. I'm guessing the surface tension of the water were causing the bubbles to clog the tube and maybe my water quality is causing this issue.

I took a 8 ounce Kaytee bottle that I was having water stop issues and experimented putting soap in it because soap drastically reduces surface tension and Walla!....no more "bubble lock" issue and the water flowed non-stop when I put a paper towel up to end to simulate the hamster pulling water. So I'm guessing surface tension of my water is an issue and the problem?

I obviously can't put soap in the hamsters water, but what else would reduce surface tension? A little lemon juice? I have no idea. I guess I could buy distilled water. I imagine bigger water bottles with a wider nozzle might have less issues.

Thoughts, opinions?

02-16-2018, 09:23 AM
quisp65 Newborn Pup Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: San Diego California Posts: 31	Water bottle bubble lock fixes? Fixing up my 40 gallon breeder for a Winter White that I'll get in a week. Had gerbils back in the 70s but other than that I'm new to this. Bought several water bottles because I am having difficulty with leaks and water stoppage. Leaks I guess are the bottles fault but the water stop issue was puzzling me because I was running into if frequent. I'm guessing the surface tension of the water were causing the bubbles to clog the tube and maybe my water quality is causing this issue. I took a 8 ounce Kaytee bottle that I was having water stop issues and experimented putting soap in it because soap drastically reduces surface tension and Walla!....no more "bubble lock" issue and the water flowed non-stop when I put a paper towel up to end to simulate the hamster pulling water. So I'm guessing surface tension of my water is an issue and the problem? I obviously can't put soap in the hamsters water, but what else would reduce surface tension? A little lemon juice? I have no idea. I guess I could buy distilled water. I imagine bigger water bottles with a wider nozzle might have less issues. Thoughts, opinions?