misting syster/drip system

ok simple question, i just received my new pro-mist60 misting system on friday. i currently have been hand misting the chams and had a drip system also in the cage. i have set up the mister to go off at different times a day,
4 times total ranging from 1 min. to 2 min. being the longest. i have a drain in the bottom of the cage so im not worried about flooding. So my question is do i still need my drip system or can i do away with it totally ?

thanks
Jeremy L

Most people do away with the dripper. I left mine in for a week to let my chams get use to the misting system. After that I just took the dripper away. All chams react different though.

I don't think misting sessions of 1 to 2 minutes are long enough. Most of the time when the misters first turn on, the chams go scurrying for cover. It usually takes a few more minutes for them to get comfortable in the spray, and only then does the drinking response kick in and they start lapping up the water.

In my opinion your misting sessions should last about 10-15 minutes each time regardless of whether you are using an automated system or hand-misting them.

Once you are providing them with regular, long misting sessions you might not need to keep the dripper around, but I keep mine for periods where I want to make sure they're getting adequate hydration (so at least there is a more constant source of water than just the misting sessions).

i do 2min sessions throughout the day, seems to work fine for me.
its funny cuz my little male drinks the water off of the top of the screen even an hour later.

i think it really depends on the drinking response your individual chameleon has. some need a long session and some dont.

Your misting sessions should be at least 15 minutes long eash time. Totaling 30-45 minutes a day.

ChameleonsTree said:

Your misting sessions should be at least 15 minutes long eash time. Totaling 30-45 minutes a day.

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Most of us would agree that if we misted 15 minutes three times a day we would have to keep our chameleons either outside or in the shower which is not realistic. I do two five minute sessions and that's fine. If your chameleon is drinking immediately and stops after 2 minutes, why continue misting him?

Jeremy l said:

...i have set up the mister to go off at different times a day, 4 times total ranging from 1 min. to 2 min. being the longest...

So my question is do i still need my drip system or can i do away with it totally ?...

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Howdy Jeremy,

I guess it depends on what characteristics of the misting system and the dripper system you want to take advantage of.

Running a mister for 1-2 minutes 4 times a day would be a way to increase humidity while using the dripper as a drinking source. Most keepers find that it may take many minutes to trigger a chameleon's drinking response, so if you want the mister to supply drinking water then 10-15-20 minutes twice a day may be what is required.

My chameleons have adapted well to only automated misting and no dripper. My system runs for ~15 minutes at 8am and again at 2pm. I've followed this routine for several years without hydration issues. (Soggy plants are another issue.) If your chameleon doesn't take advantage of drinking the misted water as a means of hydration then it may be that he hasn't associated that supply mechanism as a source of drinking water yet. It may also be that he hates cold water misting and that adding a heating mechanism is needed. You may also find that depending on climate conditions (humidity) and feeder types (juicy hornworms etc.), your chameleon may not actively drink very often. Keep an eye on urate color. It is a fairly reliable way to evaluate hydration level in chameleons. Some chameleons don't like the fine mist getting into their eyes. A nozzle that produces a coarser mist is more effective at supplying drinking water rather than the fine nozzles aimed at optimum humidification. I actually mount my coarse nozzle above the screen where it not only lets some mist pass through, it also tends to make even coarser "rain" droplets. I also recommend that you experiment with reducing the pump outlet pressure by adjusting the tiny hex screw on the front of the pump. Three turns CCW will drop the pressure from around 75 psi to about 40 psi which is about as low as the pump adjustment will go. Don't increase the pump pressure beyond the original setting.

A hydrated chameleon is a happy chameleon :

shaneandjennifer said:

Most of us would agree that if we misted 15 minutes three times a day we would have to keep our chameleons either outside or in the shower which is not realistic. I do two five minute sessions and that's fine. If your chameleon is drinking immediately and stops after 2 minutes, why continue misting him?

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Mine are inside except for summer and i do 30-45 minutes yr round. Its very realistic and mine arent in the shower. They need time to wash their eyes.