Humidifiers?

[Hakai]

If I use a humidifier that makes my entire room humid, should I use distilled water in it? I decided to go with a humidifier because its really hard to keep the all screen enclosure humid in the winter, even with live plants and covered sides.

 

[AlecWade]

Distilled water is preferred. After a long time minerals from the water can build up inside the humidifier causing them to stop working properly! If you can afford it, used distilled in your humidifier. I have hard water near where I live, so distilled water works best for me!

 

[melovation]

If I use a humidifier that makes my entire room humid, should I use distilled water in it? I decided to go with a humidifier because its really hard to keep the all screen enclosure humid in the winter, even with live plants and covered sides.

I am no pro but I do know that distalled water is known to help the humidifier last longer and I also heard that distilled water is better for the chameleons then tap water.. I use distilled water for my dripper, humidifier and when i mist

 

[jshaffer740]

You can use distilled, and is preferred. However I just use regular tap. I will usually get at least a year (generally much longer) out of a $30 humidifier. For me the cost of using distilled water over that time period is much more, and so I just choose to use tap. I do use RO water for anything that my Cham could drink (mist king, dripper).

 

[Hakai]

You can use distilled, and is preferred. However I just use regular tap. I will usually get at least a year (generally much longer) out of a $30 humidifier. For me the cost of using distilled water over that time period is much more, and so I just choose to use tap. I do use RO water for anything that my Cham could drink (mist king, dripper).

The humidifier I got was $40 and a gallon of distilled at wal mart is 88 cents. The humidifier goes through an gallon in a day or two so that will add up. The manuel for the appliance say to use tap water but I was just concerned about the safety of my cham. Thanks for replies. I guess I'll continue using tap for now.

 

[jshaffer740]

The humidifier I got was $40 and a gallon of distilled at wal mart is 88 cents. The humidifier goes through an gallon in a day or two so that will add up. The manuel for the appliance say to use tap water but I was just concerned about the safety of my cham. Thanks for replies. I guess I'll continue using tap for now.

Yeah I really think that the effect on chams from that would have to be almost non-existent. You should only be using this type of humidifier to raise the relative humidity in the room. To be on the safe side I wouldn't point the fog directly into the enclosure. By the time the humidity from these machines reaches the air and our cages in the form of invisible vapor, I don't believe it is carrying many (if any) particles of mineral deposits. The majority of these deposits remain inside of the machine - which is why it will need eventual replacement. But this is good, as it means the minerals are not making their way to the enclosure.

For water inside the enclosure, rely on misting and drippers.

 

[melovation]

Yeah I really think that the effect on chams from that would have to be almost non-existent. You should only be using this type of humidifier to raise the relative humidity in the room. To be on the safe side I wouldn't point the fog directly into the enclosure. By the time the humidity from these machines reaches the air and our cages in the form of invisible vapor, I don't believe it is carrying many (if any) particles of mineral deposits. The majority of these deposits remain inside of the machine - which is why it will need eventual replacement. But this is good, as it means the minerals are not making their way to the enclosure.

For water inside the enclosure, rely on misting and drippers.

would it be ok to have the humidifier pointed directly into the cage if its using distilled water?

 

[szpond]

If I use a humidifier that makes my entire room humid, should I use distilled water in it? I decided to go with a humidifier because its really hard to keep the all screen enclosure humid in the winter, even with live plants and covered sides.

This is what I do with my room. My room is about 40-50% in humidity, and I have my repti-fogger running on a timer with distilled water to keep it up to this. The other 30% or so rises up when I do my daily mistings. I find that the repti-fogger doesn't get very dirty, though I do try to clean out the bottle every week and every so often I will do a deep clean and take the whole thing apart and scrub it.

 

[szpond]

I use distilled water for my spraybottle if I am misting in general, and may give the cham a warm mist on his skin. Though I will use warm tap water sometimes to cover the leaves with warm drops for him. It just makes me paranoid to use no tap water because I once read an article that chameleons will not get the minerals out of the water that they would be getting with rainwater in the wild if you only use distilled. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I do this:

Fogger - Distilled always, clean often
Mist - Distilled or Tap
Dripper - Tap water


I have read multiple times that, if the water is safe for you to drink, it is most likely safe for your chameleon to drink. Because the water in the dripper will (probably) not be going in his eyes, I use tap.

I love reading the other opinions about this though! Great thread!

 

[jshaffer740]

would it be ok to have the humidifier pointed directly into the cage if its using distilled water?

Probably, but I don't see a need to do this. Constant fogging blasting into a cage is not seen in nature. I would worry about upper respiratory issues with cool mist being aimed directly into the enclosure. I think the best use of cool mist humidifiers is as a general way to raise the RH of a room, with misting and dripping providing the actual condensed moisture in the enclosure.

 

[jshaffer740]

I use distilled water for my spraybottle if I am misting in general, and may give the cham a warm mist on his skin. Though I will use warm tap water sometimes to cover the leaves with warm drops for him. It just makes me paranoid to use no tap water because I once read an article that chameleons will not get the minerals out of the water that they would be getting with rainwater in the wild if you only use distilled. I have no idea if this is true or not, but I do this:

Fogger - Distilled always, clean often
Mist - Distilled or Tap
Dripper - Tap water


I have read multiple times that, if the water is safe for you to drink, it is most likely safe for your chameleon to drink. Because the water in the dripper will (probably) not be going in his eyes, I use tap.

I love reading the other opinions about this though! Great thread!

I'm not disagreeing with your overall premise, but there are a few important things to point out. First, distilled water is the same as rainwater. They are the same sort of process (evaporated water, which is then condensed).

However, there are some that do think the minerals in tap are beneficial.

However, (again ), you must use something like Reptisafe to neutralize the chlorine in the tap water. Unless you have had your water tested and known it to be safe.

I prefer to use RO water because I avoid some of the issues of contaminates that could be in tap water. And I have decided that, considering rain water does not contain the ground minerals that tap water does, I don't think the chams are missing out on something they would receive in the wild.

 

[Psychobunny]

I agree, chams do live in a very humid location, but they are not surrounded
in creepy mist like Dracula.

 

[jshaffer740]

I agree, chams do live in a very humid location, but they are not surrounded
in creepy mist like Dracula.

I just got an image of a little cham dressed up as Dracula for halloween and it made me smile

 

[Hakai]

I do use a spray bottle with distilled water, but it doesn't apear to do anything to the humidity cuz its so dry in my room. That's why I got the humidifier. I'm also going to add some live plants in my room to help. So far I've got this cool little palm tree and some bamboo.

 

[jshaffer740]

I do use a spray bottle with distilled water, but it doesn't apear to do anything to the humidity cuz its so dry in my room. That's why I got the humidifier. I'm also going to add some live plants in my room to help. So far I've got this cool little palm tree and some bamboo.

Awesome - that will definitely improve it. Also, I definitely recommend saving up for an automated misting system. That seems to help a lot for me as well. In the Winter the furnace is running throughout the day, but I can get by just fine w/ my MistKing - I only use the humidifier at night when it can get really dry due to the furnace.

 

[Psychobunny]

Lets see; my MistKing humidifiers get distilled water, and my dipper and hand sprayer gets tap water with a few drops of that blue water treatment stuff!

Even so, with 4 chams I go through LOTS of water

 

[jshaffer740]

Lets see; my MistKing humidifiers get distilled water, and my dipper and hand sprayer gets tap water with a few drops of that blue water treatment stuff!

Even so, with 4 chams I go through LOTS of water

It is AMAZING the quantity of water one goes through keeping these guys. I still wish there was a good way of recycling the used water for reuse in the cage. But it would take a mini water treatment plant

 

[Camoboy03]

Was wondering how offten you have your fogger running and how many times a day? This is what we are going to do also.

This is what I do with my room. My room is about 40-50% in humidity, and I have my repti-fogger running on a timer with distilled water to keep it up to this. The other 30% or so rises up when I do my daily mistings. I find that the repti-fogger doesn't get very dirty, though I do try to clean out the bottle every week and every so often I will do a deep clean and take the whole thing apart and scrub it.

 

[pepezkakap]

Can anyone help me refer to the right set of Mistking for panther chameleon? I am planning to place it outdoor.

Thanks