so this is a statment made by another memeber, and i just wated to explore this a little more.
i know i water less than alot of keepers but still feel i require drainage, so i am curious about waht ammount of water would be safe for a cham yet not require the drainage.
just looking for a friendly helpfull discussion.
thx
Since that other member is me, let's discuss...
A little background first.
I have been cohabitating with and breeding chameleons since 1992. I also have hatched, raised and sold at least 600 chameleons of 10 different speciesin that time, mostly from 1995-2005. During that time I have seen Everything that can go wrong, mouth rot, eye problems, URI, prolapse, hypervitamintosis, broken bones, runt babies that have chronic health issues and on and on.
Most problems were because I loved my chameleons to death, literally. Too much everything, food, water, vitamins.
As a result of the evolutionary husbandry practicies, I have virtually eliminated all health issues regarding captive indoor management of many chameleons. Not all but most.
Now to the use of water. I use distilled water only that way there is no chlorine or fluoride. I apply water via a combination of a dripper, spray bottle and ultrasonic fogger.
Let's use the tricerous serreta for example. This species is from Cameroon and resides in a very humid mountainous region and thrives in a humid environment.
My habitat that doesnt require drainage is the exoterra glass enclosure that is 36x18x36 with a six light t5 ho fixture that generates approximately 24,000 lumens of quality 5000k full spectrum light with one Arcadia uv bulb.
When the lights come on I spray the entire enclosure down generously covering but not saturating, the surface of all my live plants. I never use fake plants. I use about 4-6 ounces of water via an industrial hand sprayer. I then use the fogger for approximately 30 minutes. The fogger keeps the minimal water sprayed on the plants much longer before it evaporates allowing plenty of time for the chameleon to be stimulated to drink. This method requires minimal water usage and will all evaporate in three to four hours. It's repeated again at three in the afternoon which allows plenty of time to dry out before the lights go out. Wet conditions at night often lead to URI.
I use drippers to water my plants and the chameleons love it too.
When watering via a dripper I use only the amount that the plant needs and no more, that way the chameleon benefits, the plant benefits, and there isnt a need to drain excess because of the minimal amount used, usually just a couple of ounces. I move the dripper around to water different plants on different days and I never saturate the plant. I only use drippers 3 or 4 times per week.
Having to drain your enclosure means that you haven't optimized your balance between the "use" of water and the chameleons "need" of water. Misting for 2-30 minutes multiple times a day is waaaaaaay too much and will almost certainly result in fungal or bacterial issues in a small period of time. Minimal water supplemented with a fogger reduces wasted or excess water immensely.
When using water in habitats, water and humidity still MUST be balanced with fresh moving air occasionally through out the day.
I call it "strategic watering". Most people think if a little water is good, more is better, and it's really the application method not the amount of water that makes or breaks your chameleons long term health. If you have to drain its just a matter of time, IMHO you are using too much and WILL result in problems.
Don't even get me started on cup feeding....
ian definitely interested on what others have to say. 
