How much water do i REALLY NEED?

[ZEROPILOT]

I have 3 Veiled Chameleons in 3 REPTIBREEZE XXL screen cages.
Each has a single misting nozzle attached to my MISTKING that sprays for 3 minutes every 3 or 4 hours of daylight. 1 minute every 4 hours at night more or less.
I also have a LITTLE DRIPPER on top of each cage that drips for almost 3 hours each morning.
The question is:
- Is that too much water?
- Can I just use the drippers every OTHER day and leave my MISTKING settings alone?
-Should I use the drippers more and the MISTKING less?
I'm still trying to dial in my enclosures and the humidity is very high. My wife has started to complain about the "musty" humid, plant smell.
The smell I've posted about on another thread......
I think that the maybe I can back off of some of the watering?

 

[JacksJill]

You could do much shorter mistings during the middle of the day. Only do long mistings at the beginning and end of the day. You just need to get a few droplets of water on the leaves to either boost super low humidity and provide a drinking opportunity. My midday mists are only 15 seconds long.

 

[CasqueAbove]

I have 3 Veiled Chameleons in 3 REPTIBREEZE XXL screen cages.
Each has a single misting nozzle attached to my MISTKING that sprays for 3 minutes every 3 or 4 hours of daylight. 1 minute every 4 hours at night more or less.
I also have a LITTLE DRIPPER on top of each cage that drips for almost 3 hours each morning.
The question is:
- Is that too much water?
- Can I just use the drippers every OTHER day and leave my MISTKING settings alone?
-Should I use the drippers more and the MISTKING less?
I'm still trying to dial in my enclosures and the humidity is very high. My wife has started to complain about the "musty" humid, plant smell.
The smell I've posted about on another thread......
I think that the maybe I can back off of some of the watering?

I don’t use dripper with mine. My mist schedule is similar. They seem to like longer sessions.

Nothing wrong with a dripper, just with the longer misting I have not needed it.

 

[trickedoutbiker]

1 minute every 4 hours at night more or less.

I would personally recommend not misting at night. Let the cage dry out a bit. You want periods of dryness as it is good for the cage and to help prevent mold growth. If your humidity is dropping a lot at night, I would do a very short burst or two throughout the night and leave it at that. A minute of water, then no lights on at night to help it dry out, is kind of begging for bacteria and mold growth if you ask me.

 

[Ares05]

I would personally recommend not misting at night. Let the cage dry out a bit. You want periods of dryness as it is good for the cage and to help prevent mold growth. If your humidity is dropping a lot at night, I would do a very short burst or two throughout the night and leave it at that. A minute of water, then no lights on at night to help it dry out, is kind of begging for bacteria and mold growth if you ask me.

With veiled chameleons its recommended to have 70-100% humidity during the night. But, I will agree not to mist at night. After my basking lights goes out at 6pm, I mist for 4 minutes at 6:30. Then my UVB goes off at 7. I also run a fogger from 11pm to 5am to keep the humidity around 80-90 at night. In the morning, UVB on at 7, mist for 3 minutes at 7:30, basking light on at 8. Never had a problem with mold. I do not have any midday mistings. All it did for my boy is interrupt his basking/eating (he hates the mist) and raise humidity too much.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

So if I stop the nocturnal misting and discontinue the dripper almost completely, I'll have enough water for drinking?
That leaves 4, 3 minute mistings from 8 am to 8 pm.

 

[snitz427]

I only mist my guys in the morning and just before bed. A long missed in the morning and a shorter one to increase humidity and cool down the cage at night. No drip or no midday mists for me.

I am fortunate to have good relative humidity in my House so keeping the humidity up is not as much of a challenge for me.

 

[Gingero]

The way to know how much and how often to be misiting and dripping is to ask yourself these questions...

Are my chameleons staying hydrated? (You can tell this by their urates - they should be a cream almost white in color)

Are my humidity levels where they need to be for my species? (You can measure this with a hygrometer)

If you answered yes to the questions above, then you're on the right track. What works for you may not work for someone else and vice versus due to the different climates and parts of the world we all live in. As well as your chameleon's drinking response. I have one chameleon that will only drink from a dripper and one that will only drink from a mister so that factors into the equation as well.

Dropping these two videos you might find helpful about water and urates.

 

[Carlton]

The way to know how much and how often to be misiting and dripping is to ask yourself these questions...

Are my chameleons staying hydrated? (You can tell this by their urates - they should be a cream almost white in color)

Are my humidity levels where they need to be for my species? (You can measure this with a hygrometer)

If you answered yes to the questions above, then you're on the right track. What works for you may not work for someone else and vice versus due to the different climates and parts of the world we all live in. As well as your chameleon's drinking response. I have one chameleon that will only drink from a dripper and one that will only drink from a mister so that factors into the equation as well.

Dropping these two videos you might find helpful about water and urates.

THIS!

While it can be interesting to read everyone's anecdotes about what they do, it is important to remember that one person's routine in their home and locale isn't necessarily going to be attainable or appropriate for someone else in a different situation. One size does not fit all...never has, never will. Your cham's condition and behavior are going to be your guides...know the signs.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Their poops indicate that they are healthy and well hydrated.
I'm only using the drippers every 2nd or 3rd day now and I'll see if I can wean them off entirely.
The MISTKING nozzles DO leave nice water droplets on the Sheflerra plants.
But I've only seem drinking twice and both times from a dripper.
They've also had some Hornworms this week, so they might be more hydrated than they otherwise would be.

 

[ZEROPILOT]

The way to know how much and how often to be misiting and dripping is to ask yourself these questions...

Are my chameleons staying hydrated? (You can tell this by their urates - they should be a cream almost white in color)

Are my humidity levels where they need to be for my species? (You can measure this with a hygrometer)

If you answered yes to the questions above, then you're on the right track. What works for you may not work for someone else and vice versus due to the different climates and parts of the world we all live in. As well as your chameleon's drinking response. I have one chameleon that will only drink from a dripper and one that will only drink from a mister so that factors into the equation as well.

Dropping these two videos you might find helpful about water and urates.

Thanks. I do enjoy your videos

 

[Tinytort]

I read an article yesterday, peer review in fact, that stated that chameleons only need 50% humidity at all times. Anymore, isn't helpful. Higher humidity can lead to tail rot and other health problems. Now, I'm aware that there are many different schools of thought and each one with pros and cons and fact that many on here run higher humidity with no issues and that's great, but I found this interesting enough to share.

 

[cyberlocc]

I read an article yesterday, peer review in fact, that stated that chameleons only need 50% humidity at all times. Anymore, isn't helpful. Higher humidity can lead to tail rot and other health problems. Now, I'm aware that there are many different schools of thought and each one with pros and cons and fact that many on here run higher humidity with no issues and that's great, but I found this interesting enough to share.

Link?

"stated that chameleons only need 50% humidity at all times"

You sure that was not species specific? First of all, most species are exposed to 100% humidity at night, second of all the rest of them, there is many. Some in the Humid forests of Madagascar where rain is dang near constant, and humidity is 80% or above at all times.

That is a vast generalization that just doesn't hold any water at all. There is over 200 species of Chameleons, a sweeping statement like that, is just not appropriate.

@trickedoutbiker

Agreed in conventional caging, Bioactivity changes everything though. Also long time no see, hope you been well .

 

[Kaizen]

You ask deep questions that admit of multiple good answers. There are at least two schools of thought about hydration, and each has been use to success (and each has been used to disaster as well). Daytime misting has been orthodoxy for decades. So called naturalistic humidity methods whereby limited daytime humidity (droppers are still endorses) and high nigh-time humidity (misting after lights off, fogging overnight and misting before lights on) are increasingly employed with success too. Research! Decide what works for you and your cham.

 

[Tinytort]

Link?

"stated that chameleons only need 50% humidity at all times"

You sure that was not species specific? First of all, most species are exposed to 100% humidity at night, second of all the rest of them, there is many. Some in the Humid forests of Madagascar where rain is dang near constant, and humidity is 80% or above at all times.

That is a vast generalization that just doesn't hold any water at all. There is over 200 species of Chameleons, a sweeping statement like that, is just not appropriate.

@trickedoutbiker

Agreed in conventional caging, Bioactivity changes everything though. Also long time no see, hope you been well .

I tried looking for that article again, but I couldn't find it. Every other article gives the appropriate ranges of 50-80%. It reminded me of old care sheets dry breeders use for tortoises.

@ZEROPILOT
how's your tort doing?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

You ask deep questions that admit of multiple good answers. There are at least two schools of thought about hydration, and each has been use to success (and each has been used to disaster as well). Daytime misting has been orthodoxy for decades. So called naturalistic humidity methods whereby limited daytime humidity (droppers are still endorses) and high nigh-time humidity (misting after lights off, fogging overnight and misting before lights on) are increasingly employed with success too. Research! Decide what works for you and your cham.

That's basically what I'm doing now

 

[ZEROPILOT]

I tried looking for that article again, but I couldn't find it. Every other article gives the appropriate ranges of 50-80%. It reminded me of old care sheets dry breeders use for tortoises.

@ZEROPILOT
how's your tort doing?

Great.
They've become super easy compared to Chameleons.

 

[PetNcs]

You could do much shorter mistings during the middle of the day. Only do long mistings at the beginning and end of the day. You just need to get a few droplets of water on the leaves to either boost super low humidity and provide a drinking opportunity. My midday mists are only 15 seconds long.

the yemen chameleons live in areas, where (with the exception of t most rainy months) the daytime humidity drops to levels under 30% and at night it raises above90 with almost daily fog.

Therrfire, daiky misting and maintaining high humidity at daytime, especially in case of switched ON basking lights is not only unnatural but also dangerous (the combination of high humidity and high temperature it’s a great precursor or off respiratory diseases).
Dry warm (not hot) daytime and humid cold nights are the regime we should seek for in captivity.

 

[PetNcs]

I would personally recommend not misting at night. Let the cage dry out a bit. You want periods of dryness as it is good for the cage and to help prevent mold growth. If your humidity is dropping a lot at night, I would do a very short burst or two throughout the night and leave it at that. A minute of water, then no lights on at night to help it dry out, is kind of begging for bacteria and mold growth if you ask me.

IMHO Your recommendation represents One of the Most frequent mistakes of chameleon husbandry nowadays. To make daytime moist and humid and night time dry is a completely reversed cycle to what these chameleons experience for millions of years in the wild they have namely daytime relatively dry and night time always very humid.
to reverse the Humidity cycles is very risky as it causes diseases and disorder and shortens the Lifetime tremendously
No offense, just wild facts

 

[PetNcs]

I read an article yesterday, peer review in fact, that stated that chameleons only need 50% humidity at all times. Anymore, isn't helpful. Higher humidity can lead to tail rot and other health problems. Now, I'm aware that there are many different schools of thought and each one with pros and cons and fact that many on here run higher humidity with no issues and that's great, but I found this interesting enough to share.

can yiu please refer us to this unique article that musg be really strange, as it does not correspond with the climatological facts of the occupied regions... and for montane soecies this recommendation is a death sentence, I am serious