S. heros posing for the camera

[DubiaW]

Posing for the camera.

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

What I am most amazed by, is your tank's glass. It's so clean

 

[DubiaW]

What I am most amazed by, is your tank's glass. It's so clean

My friend makes those enclosures and I have been helping him lately. They are solvent welded (no silicone to climb), and the edges are sanded and then flame polished until they are crystal clear.

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Pretty cool, my kritter keepers are not clean at all, as the tap water I use is full of minerals.. it leaves white spots everywhere.. I could clean everything up but taking each pede out and removing the substrate would be a huge mess

 

[DubiaW]

Pretty cool, my kritter keepers are not clean at all, as the tap water I use is full of minerals.. it leaves white spots everywhere.. I could clean everything up but taking each pede out and removing the substrate would be a huge mess

Someone on the board said they use distilled water for misting because it doesn't leave a residue. I've considered switching over to that for esthetic purposes even though the salt content of tap water is negligible.

 

[LeFanDesBugs]

Good idea.. I might consider doing this as well, as the tap water here is really bad for this kind of use

 

[DubiaW]

Just thinking out loud here. Distilled water isn't supposed to be good to drink for humans because it lacks salt, so they say. I'm assuming that is not true for arthropods. Many species get their moisture by drinking dew which is pretty much a natural form of distilled water. What do you think?

 

[BB8]

Ive been told many times not to use distilled water. Filtered water is fine.

 

[DubiaW]

Ive been told many times not to use distilled water. Filtered water is fine.

Isn't dew and rain salt free? Theoretically the salt will eventually build up as the water continues to evaporate. Spraying distilled water will dissolve the salt that is already on the glass and in the substrate that is left behind from adding tap water to the substrate in the first place. For example a glass of tap water that is allowed to dry will leave a salt deposits in the glass. When you add distilled water to the same glass it will have the same salt content as the original glass of tap water.

Distilled water is not good to drink for mammals but arthropods drink dew and rain all of the time. In an area without sedimentary rock there will be little salt in the water that is on the surface of the rock as opposed to limestone or shale which contains calcium and gets dissolved by the carbonic acid which is formed when water is aerated. You can produce a measurable amount of carbonic acid by blowing bubbles though a straw in the bottom of a beaker (which can be measured by titration in a lab).

 

[RTTB]

A face only a mother could love. Nice pic.

 

[DubiaW]

A face only a mother could love. Nice pic.

I must be a mother!

 

[BB8]

Distilled water has been purified so that it does not contain any particles at all. While purity may sound good, you really should not use distilled water for drinking. The reason lies in the fundamental nature of water. Water and solutes (molecules and particles) move by osmosis and diffusion, respectively. Basically, water moves by osmosis from where there is more of it, to where there is less of it; and solutes diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Distilled water contains zero solutes, so when it enters the intestines, diffusion will actually pull solutes out of the body. Drinking only distilled water can ultimately cause deficiencies in sodium, potassium, and important trace minerals. It also becomes acidic when exposed to air. It may contain higher levels of volatile compounds such as benzenes, trihalomethanes, and trichloroethylene, as well as highly toxic “disinfection by-products.” Exclusive consumption of distilled water is associated with high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias. While distilled water can be valuable when used for a short-term process of detoxification, it’s not safe for long-term consumption.

I just read something else that says use distilled water for drinking water as it eliminates chemicals that we add to our water...

so now i am just as confused as you lol

 

[DubiaW]

Distilled water has been purified so that it does not contain any particles at all. While purity may sound good, you really should not use distilled water for drinking. The reason lies in the fundamental nature of water. Water and solutes (molecules and particles) move by osmosis and diffusion, respectively. Basically, water moves by osmosis from where there is more of it, to where there is less of it; and solutes diffuse from an area of high concentration to an area of low concentration. Distilled water contains zero solutes, so when it enters the intestines, diffusion will actually pull solutes out of the body. Drinking only distilled water can ultimately cause deficiencies in sodium, potassium, and important trace minerals. It also becomes acidic when exposed to air. It may contain higher levels of volatile compounds such as benzenes, trihalomethanes, and trichloroethylene, as well as highly toxic “disinfection by-products.” Exclusive consumption of distilled water is associated with high blood pressure and heart arrhythmias. While distilled water can be valuable when used for a short-term process of detoxification, it’s not safe for long-term consumption.

I just read something else that says use distilled water for drinking water as it eliminates chemicals that we add to our water...

so now i am just as confused as you lol

I agree with all that.

Acidity isn't necessarily bad. All water that is exposed to air will have dissolved gasses in it including distilled water. CO2 becomes carbonic acid when it is dissolved in water. Just spraying water out of a spray bottle is enough to increase the acidity of the water. Yes rain also dissolves pollution as it falls through the air.

As far as I understand drinking only distilled water has bad side effects in the long run. Drinking distilled water every once and a while doesn't hurt you. I used to make tea with distilled water all of the time. The tea tastes better. It hadn't occurred to me that it might leach out some toxins if consumed occasionally. Green tea made with distilled water. I think I'll have some!

 

[BB8]

I might get some myself after all this research lol good lad

I agree with all that.

Acidity isn't necessarily bad. All water that is exposed to air will have dissolved gasses in it including distilled water. CO2 becomes carbonic acid when it is dissolved in water. Just spraying water out of a spray bottle is enough to increase the acidity of the water. Yes rain also dissolves pollution as it falls through the air.

As far as I understand drinking only distilled water has bad side effects in the long run. Drinking distilled water every once and a while doesn't hurt you. I used to make tea with distilled water all of the time. The tea tastes better. It hadn't occurred to me that it might leach out some toxins if consumed occasionally. Green tea made with distilled water. I think I'll have some!