exo terra dripper plant youtube review by me

[Sonicgil]

Hey guys! I reviewed the exo terra dripper plant! It does work wonders! I know reviews are hard to find for them so i made one myself. I highly reccomend them!!



Exo terra dripper plant review: https://youtu.be/2jLySO7Np_o

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Can the animal crap in the water source? If yes then it's useless.

 

[jtesagain625]

It appears that they can crap in it, but, if its cleaned on a regular basis, there shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Sonicgil]

Yes the chameleon can but it is checked daily. Im working on making a cap for it just big enough for the water to flow back into. It will have a screen mesh over that hole too.

 

[OldChamKeeper]

We've been down this road before with fountains. I've seen this many times over the years where people are reinventing the wheel.


First comes the fountain, works great. Second is people say if it is cleaned weekly there will be no problems. Third is a post in the health clinic section. Then all the 20/20 hindsight posts come out about not using one.

Most long term keepers here won't use a fountain.

I was one of them. However I am using the chameleon cantina with one animal on a trial basis. The reason is the design. In a nutshell it is designed in such a way that minimizes the chance of ANY fecal matter or feeders ending up in it. However I had to place it in such a way I knew the animal couldn't bomb it from above.

If you are going to use a fountain, it's useless if the animal craps in it. Cleaning it on a regular basis? That is a useless phrase unless you define that as being daily since if the animal craps in it one day and nobody cleans it for 24 hrs you are potentially causing a problem.

I never use a new piece of equipment until I have fully modified it or thought it out. You mention you are "working on a cap for it". Make the cap then put it back in the cage. For those reading this, make sure your new gear is modified fully before using it. While Exo-terra has some nice stuff, they have gotten a track record of some stuff not being well thought out or designed well.

 

[Sonicgil]

cap ive made for dripper plant water bowl

Hey so i finished my cap. Took an hour to make. Its made from ply wood and scrap aluminum. Its very clean and is working perfectly. Its working very well to keep crickets and poop out and to ensure that nothing but the water goes back into his water dish. The dish is a cheap plastic water lagoon for turtles i believe. But it is very sturdy. Youtube video coming in a few minutes.

 

[Sonicgil]

youtube vid

Water source terrarium cover: https://youtu.be/WdhSdk8lDAw

 

[dlegare]

Hi guys. I have the larger version. I have it setup so that the pump runs for about 2 hours three times daily. The pump is in a 5 gallon bucket and I don't recirculate the water. Once a week I spray it down with clorox anywhere disinfectant and rinse well.

I agree that it should not be used to recirculate water like a fountain. But I do believe it works great if you have drainage and can allow it to run in essence like an automated dripper.

My chameleon is drawn to it like a magnet and since I got the thing setup he drinks at least twice daily for sometimes 15-20 min at a time, his activity level has gone way up, and he's eating anything that moves. Not that he was in any way starving before.

I believe it is a real asset for hydration. And I have used drippers, and have automated misting and rain dome setup in his enclosure.

 

[Rufi0]

Hey Sonicgil,

I use the exo terra dripper plant also and my chameleon loves it. He instantly recognises it as the source for water and will sit patiently in front of it if hes thirsty until it turns on (Comes on a timer for 15 minutes every hour)

I have some pictures on this thread

https://www.chameleonforums.com/exoterra-dripper-plant-125663/

My way around the potential poop/dead crickets/ bacteria inducing hazards falling in the water... Don't have the water in the enclosure. Hook the plant up to a clean water reservoir outside of the enclosure. Let the water drip onto the floor (make sure you have a good drainage solution) and then throw that water out.

 

[Rufi0]

ha ha you beat me to it dlegare !

 

[Sonicgil]

I just keep mine running to keep the water in motion,which helps alot to stump the growth of bacteria. I change the water every 5 days or shorter. I use this because i leave town for 2 days at a time due to work. With this cover in place i do feel alot safer about it. Its not ideal but ive got an automatic mister on the way in the mail that should help alot too.

 

[dlegare]

Here's why not to let your chameleon have access to stagnant water. Even if the water is in motion via recirculation, over time bacteria will build up in the container and inside the water lines. It really doesn't take a lot of organic matter in the form of a piece of shed skin, plant matter, insect body, etc to create a nice bacterial broth.

Now along comes your chameleon who drinks this bacteria laden water. Then your chameleon channels some of this water through his sinus passages and into his eye turrets for cleaning and WHAM! you get a nice little infection.

Now add to this a little stress like being a bit under hydrated, or stressed from captivity and its a recipe for disaster. Chameleons are extremely dependent on vision. And even if one of there eyes isn't working properly they can't aim properly and will begin to malnourish.

Once your chameleon gets sick it's a real fight to get him/her back to good health.

Chameleons can be dead difficult to properly care for in the first place. Don't shoot yourself in the foot for the sake of simplicity.