How Frequently Do YOU Mist?

[DJnSoCal]

Generally, how frequently and for how long do you mist each day? What is generally considered an acceptable misting length of time? I've searched this forum, but can't seem to narrow down the parameters. I realize it may be more during the warmer months. We have three chameleons now and want to keep them happy and healthy.

 

[lanceman]

About 3 times a day posably more in summer, I always stop misting around 3pm unless its cooking hot outside. And its good to mist for at least 15min some chams take forever to get stimulated to drink.
What type of chams that may very it a bit

 

[Julirs]

It depends on a bunch of things. I mist (by hand) 2-3X daily all 17 cages + pygmy bins. I have some leaf drinkers, some secret drinkers, and way too many spoiled chams that think I was put on this earth to mist directly into their mouths. Seriously. My goal is to soak the live plants so that everyone has plenty to drink from. My dream is a misting system! I spend several minutes in front of each bank of cages misting and misting until everyone looks happy, then move on to the next bank of cages. I spend about 1/2 hour each time.

 

[yoza717]

I mist 3 times a day 5-10-5 minutes. I will be going to a 4 times a day mist for the summer.

 

[Lizardlover]

Im mist every few hours for 2 mins on weekends, and 2 times for 5 min during the week

 

[DJnSoCal]

Thanks for the information. We have three panthers (Nosy Be, Blue Bar and Red Bar Ambilobes). They are all under a year old and coming along nicely. I took a picture of the blue-bar and used it as my avatar. This is quite a learning experience! Thanks for your help!

 

[Docility]

this is with a auto misting system

at 12:05 i mist for 20mins at 330 i mist for 15mins 730 for 10, and 11:40 for 5min

when i did it by hand i would do it for about 5 min at a time about 4-5 times a day, but i have a 2x2x5ft enclosure so i have a lot of plants ect to wet down, and the humidity just goes after a few hours. hes a secret drinker. he will drink when im not looking, and have caught him in the act, and then he freezes and wont drink anymore. i dont know why hes just that way. same with eating, but i can hear him smack a cricket in the cup with his tung, and the vanish as well lol. hes very skittish about being hand fed, and doesnt like it, but oh well =)

 

[Julirs]

Docility-Why are you misting at night?

 

[sandrachameleon]

I mist once a day, maybe twice, by hand. But I mist only because I suspect its good for skin and eyes, NOT for hydration. My chameleons all get their drinking water via drippers, morning and afternoon. And I dont live in a low humidity area.
Each keeper may have a different routine as dictated by their local conditions and the habits of their chameleons.

 

[Docility]

Docility-Why are you misting at night?

because i live in a place with a relative humidity of 10%. not all blessed to live in a humid atmosphere like the gulf.

he will openly drink before he goes to bed. i run a dripper, but never see him use it, but i will see him use the Rain/mist. I like something to drink before i go to bed. i imagine he might too, and its natural for rain to fall at any given time, but thats not what im doing it for. like i said just giving ample opportunities for him to drink (it also helps cool the cage down for night temps otherwise it hovers at the 80's in my room) everything dries out so im not worried about it

 

[sandrachameleon]

Wow, 10%, that's dry! You must use a lot of skin lotion (on you, not the cham)

 

[Docility]

yeah its awful we have a oil refinery close, and it draws all the humidity out of the air. its brutal here, and i always look chapped its sucks. the air is awful makes me skin breakout ect. when living in FL i could breathe, and not a single skin issue lol, but here its bad. i cant wait to move! im just worried this may affect Ocillie as well so i try and keep him at the best that i can. i have live plants in his cage and the humidity can drop to 30% - in the day, and the summers are just as dry if not worse.

yeah i was curious to see the actual relative humidity level, and when i bought my digital meter i drove with the windows down, and the close i got home (which is close to the plant the more the humidity dropped) 30% in between here, and work, and it was 12% at the house (people are known to have chronic nose bleeds where i live)

 

[ChrisnLisa]

because i live in a place with a relative humidity of 10%. not all blessed to live in a humid atmosphere like the gulf.

We live in NV so I completely understand having virtually no humidity. With that being said, my last misting is at 4:30. Just a suggestion, but if I were you I would buy a cool mist humidifier for the room and cut the late night misting sessions. Would be good for you and your cham

Lisa

 

[nick barta]

Generally, how frequently and for how long do you mist each day? What is generally considered an acceptable misting length of time? I've searched this forum, but can't seem to narrow down the parameters. I realize it may be more during the warmer months. We have three chameleons now and want to keep them happy and healthy.

Without a timed watering misting system, or large volume dripping systems, it is very difficult to consistantly hydrate the chams for the length of time per hand misting that would be required to trigger many Chams to drink. In addition to triggering the drinking, many Chams won't drink while you are present, so they may dehydrate in the presence of hand misted water. Not to mention missing hand mistings due to being gone.

2 Solutions

IMHO, drippers and/or misting systems are the best way to ensure your Chams get the H20 they need, hand misting should only be an additional water source, not the primary. For several years I only hand misted, but my Chams paid the price in my first learning experience. Often once the sunken eyes are spotted, damage has been done that compromises the health of the animal. For $150.00, Marty's misting system protects my investment, and I would not operate without it.

If Drippers are your solution

Drippers need to run at LEAST 20-30 minutes or so, again, to ensure the Cham is triggered to drink. Ideally, the dripper should run LONGER, which will require (as in misting systems) that you manage excess water. I would guess if you don't have water run-off, you may not be watering enough. There are many ailments caused by dehydration, but none I know of from too much water! Err on the side too much water, you will have greater success in raising healthy animals.

Hope this helps

Nick Barta

 

[DJnSoCal]

Without a timed watering misting system, or large volume dripping systems, it is very difficult to consistantly hydrate the chams for the length of time per hand misting that would be required to trigger many Chams to drink. In addition to triggering the drinking, many Chams won't drink while you are present, so they may dehydrate in the presence of hand misted water. Not to mention missing hand mistings due to being gone.

2 Solutions

IMHO, drippers and/or misting systems are the best way to ensure your Chams get the H20 they need, hand misting should only be an additional water source, not the primary. For several years I only hand misted, but my Chams paid the price in my first learning experience. Often once the sunken eyes are spotted, damage has been done that compromises the health of the animal. For $150.00, Marty's misting system protects my investment, and I would not operate without it.

If Drippers are your solution

Drippers need to run at LEAST 20-30 minutes or so, again, to ensure the Cham is triggered to drink. Ideally, the dripper should run LONGER, which will require (as in misting systems) that you manage excess water. I would guess if you don't have water run-off, you may not be watering enough. There are many ailments caused by dehydration, but none I know of from too much water! Err on the side too much water, you will have greater success in raising healthy animals.

Hope this helps

Nick Barta

Hi Nick, thanks! Yes, we have an automatic mistking mister that mists 5 times per day. I also drip each chameleon at least once (usually twice per day). We made the cages and incorporated a run-off system into the set up which works nicely and there is definitely run-off. I've seen all of the Chameleons drink water off the leaves, branches, or directly from the dripper...

I was just curious what other people were doing for a generalized base-line.

 

[dodolah]

I don't use dripper and the auto mist are on 4 times a day 5 minutes each session.

 

[Vegas Darci]

It depends on a bunch of things. I mist (by hand) 2-3X daily all 17 cages + pygmy bins. I have some leaf drinkers, some secret drinkers, and way too many spoiled chams that think I was put on this earth to mist directly into their mouths. Seriously. My goal is to soak the live plants so that everyone has plenty to drink from. My dream is a misting system! I spend several minutes in front of each bank of cages misting and misting until everyone looks happy, then move on to the next bank of cages. I spend about 1/2 hour each time.

Juli!! What are you thinking?!?! You NEED a misting system. It would pay for itself in like a day for you, haha!! And you could run one mist system through all the cages if they are all in one general area. But seriously, for the time you'd save, it is SOOOO worth it. That is the best purchase Chad and I ever bought. Oh the days of hand misting...don't miss those at all Although yes I occasionally do hand mist but wow, that is some dedication you have there! Anyway, I just read that and couldn't believe for all the chams you have that you don't have a mister. Tell your hubby you need one NOW!!!

 

[jojackson]

I have a very efficient dripper that runs all day and keeps fresh water dribbling over leaves and vines, I only mist once in the morning, unless I go in there later. During summer I was misting 4-5 times a day short burst along with the dripper, but he was still small so I feared dehydration more.
Mine is quite habitual drinking regularly every morning.

 

[DJnSoCal]

Juli!! What are you thinking?!?! You NEED a misting system. It would pay for itself in like a day for you, haha!! And you could run one mist system through all the cages if they are all in one general area. But seriously, for the time you'd save, it is SOOOO worth it. That is the best purchase Chad and I ever bought. Oh the days of hand misting...don't miss those at all Although yes I occasionally do hand mist but wow, that is some dedication you have there! Anyway, I just read that and couldn't believe for all the chams you have that you don't have a mister. Tell your hubby you need one NOW!!!

Let me just add that the Nosy Be is the one we purchased from you at the Pomona Reptile Convention. He is doing AWESOME... although a bit on the mean side... let's say sassy. Thanks again!

He likes the mist, but prefers the drip!

 

[Docility]

We live in NV so I completely understand having virtually no humidity. With that being said, my last misting is at 4:30. Just a suggestion, but if I were you I would buy a cool mist humidifier for the room and cut the late night misting sessions. Would be good for you and your cham

Lisa

i tried that too, but was starting to give me a URI myself. where my house was built, and then added onto a long time ago. the part where my bedroom is was the older part, and they used wood paneling with ceiling tiles it was creating mold in my room =( it really sucked. i do intend to cut back the later day misting, but i wanted to try and keep him really hydrated to push out what ever was ailing him. while it may not be 100% gone he has regained his appetite, and he is moving on his own now, and keeping his eyes open. I wish i would have known why people hated Zilla, but no one would tell me why until i found out myself that hard way. it was either my Zilla UVB, the tetrafuana vitamin supplement, or he had a Vitamin A deficiency. i changed the bulb to a hagen (exoterra)( we dont carry Zoomed at work and i could only swap it there) stopped using the Vitamin supplement, and of course i talked about me orally administering Vitamin A to him. i have also been letting him out in the sun for a bit every day since its been abnormally warm.