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Old 05-10-2015, 05:09 AM   #11
SinNyx
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

I use tap water for my hamsters, since it's what I drink.

I don't use mineral chews or add anything to the water, as long as the hamster has a good diet, with additions like fresh veg, I don't think they need it.
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Old 05-10-2015, 05:14 AM   #12
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

I live in a hard water area and my hammies, other rodents and dog drink tap water. The only time I supplement vitamins is if I'm feeding a mix with no/low proportion of commercially produced hamster mix. If you're feeding a sensible hamster mix and not picking bits out then your ham won't need extra vitamins.
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Old 05-10-2015, 05:19 AM   #13
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

Yeah, I think he's pretty healthy as far as nutrition goes. I was just making sure cause I just want what's best for him. Bottled water seems like the safest way to go since I'm not sure what chemicals might be used to cure it. Not to put down people who give their hammies tap water though, I'm sure you know much more than I do! x.x I'm still learning through trial and error
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Old 05-10-2015, 07:31 AM   #14
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

I think the tap versus bottled/filtered water is going to depend on the water quality in a specific area. If you feel that it's not the best where you live then definitely go for bottled or filtered water. Personally my water quality is good, I drink it myself, so that's what I give my hamster. I do use vitamin drops but I only give it once a week and leave it in for a day. I used to give it all the time but on advice from the forum reduced it. Mostly because they are such little animals and I didn't want to overload his system unnecessarily even though as you said he'd pee most of the excess out anyway. My hamster does love the taste and I like the peace of mind that he's getting a good dose of vitamins into his system every now and then. That being said if a hamster has a well balanced diet it's certainly not necessary. With a lot of things I think it comes down to a personal choice about what you think is going to be the best for your hammy.
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Old 05-10-2015, 08:26 PM   #15
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

Quote:
Originally Posted by nickoh View Post
For those of you wondering I found out I have hard water. So it's probably best to avoid it. I remember the 1st day I got him I was confused so I just did half and half lol!

@teddy001 I live in the outskirts of LA around Long Beach
Ah, okay.. When I lived in Cali, the tap water was awful. The amount of sand/dirt was visible when the water settled, and tasted very " salty".
It's the same where I'm at now, ( Alabama) .
I give my hams Aquafina.x
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Old 05-10-2015, 09:31 PM   #16
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

Now here's and interesting thread. I have #1 level hard water here it is higher in Calcium, and iron. I use tap water for cooking and bathing but buy big 5 gallon jugs of Osmosis Water for drinking.

I decided to do a small test with my Cats(I have two), and a litter of Hamsters(once they were weaned from Mom) I offered the cats a bowl of Osmosis water, and a bowl of Tap water. Both cats drank which ever bowl was nearest them and both bowls were empty on the same day. Conclusion with the cats was who cares as long as I have it to drink. Now the Hamsters were very interesting as the males preferred the Osmosis water over the tap water every time. I would be refilling the Osmosis water bottle almost twice as much as the Tap water bottle. The girls however would drink from both bottles equally. I saw no difference in any of the pups at all.
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Old 05-11-2015, 06:20 AM   #17
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

I have a PUR water filter so I just give them water from their, but bottled water and most tap water should be perfectly fine.
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Old 05-11-2015, 06:57 AM   #18
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

Bottled Water, it's what I drink and my hams get what I have.
A while back the water supply in our Street wasn't right and the colour. We had to boil it before use and had to do that for several days and even when it was given the all clear, it still didn't seem right and since then I've used bottled.
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Old 05-11-2015, 07:37 AM   #19
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

I had always used tap water until November of last year when my tap water noticeably changed for the worse. It never reverted to what it had been prior to that time, so I bought a Britta filter and now the girls, Henry and I all use that.
I do have to be careful though, (wink, wink) as for a trip earlier in the year, I decanted some vodka into an old water bottle to take with me for my trip to London for three days (I took my niece for her 21st birthday present). The remainder of the vodka is still in that old water bottle and I keep the water for the girls and Henry in another old water bottle, to save messing around trying to pour from the jug into the small bottles. So if I'm slightly tired, I do have to double check that I have got the correct water bottle out of the fridge when changing water for the cages.
Don't worry both bottles are clearly labelled and I am sure there won't be vodka in the other bottle forever!
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Old 05-15-2015, 04:28 AM   #20
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Default Re: Tap Water or Filtered?

Quote:
Originally Posted by barley View Post
It would never have occured to me to give Rupert anything other than tap water! I use a Brita filter jug for my drinking water as I don't like the taste straight from the tap but I have no idea whether the water in my area is hard or soft. Rupert is a good drinker so I think I'll carry on with the tap water for him
Same here. Fluffy has tap water as does Erin and my man. I have never liked drinking tap water and we don't have enough room in the fridge for a filter jug, lol. Fluffy drinks out of a bowl mainly because he never drank from his bottle in his Alaska and I only saw him drink from one twice in his small cage!

I drink bottled water at work but never thought to give it to his royal Fluffness!
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