Is a dripper necessary?

alee

Member
I run a dripper for each of my chams, 14 in total, 12 panthers and 2 veiled. I only see them drink when the automatic mister goes on, and never from the drippers. Is a dripper necessary? My mister goes off 4 times each day, a 10-minute misting in the morning, and then 4 minutes each misting after. Their urates are white almost always.

Thank you.

Amy
 
I have only had my chameleon a couple of months and am just learning. Where do I get a mister and what brand is best. I currently put a waterfall in there but don't know if she is drinking.
 
I would think that with that misting you should be good, but at the same time, if it's possible they are using the dripper and you're just not seeing it, I'm also of the mindset that if your present setup is successfully working for 14 chameleons, maybe you shouldn't mess with it? :)

As for the other poster with the waterfall, there are many many threads on here advising against waterfalls, for a misting system I believe Mistking is he most popular, there is another brand that I believe is going through a little upgrade now and will be available again shortly, my apologies but the name isn't coming to me right now (haven't finished my coffee yet, lol!) but thats supposed to be good too. just so you know in case you see it in a store, people are usually unimpressed with HabbaMist so don't bother with that.
But yes, definitely go with a mister or even hand misting and a dropper, as opposed to the bacteria-laden waterfall. Less maintenance for you too, healthier for the Cham, you'll be happy.
 
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Necessary not, but it spares you much time ! I have a big number of chameleons and when I have them outdoors for a few months I use a dripper system to provide them with enough water. For the number of chameleons you have and regarding their size and the water amounts they need I think a dripper system would be a nice addition for your hobby
 
I think if you have a good mister you can take out the drippeers. The mister is much better

I HATED fussing with drippers and stopped using them years ago when I noticed many of my chams didn't use them. As long as you know your chams are hydrated it doesn't really matter. Hand misting, auto misting, syringe watering, a dripper, foggers, it all works.
 
I have only had my chameleon a couple of months and am just learning. Where do I get a mister and what brand is best. I currently put a waterfall in there but don't know if she is drinking.

She is most likely not drinking from it, and even if she is those are not sanitary because it's just recirculating anything growing in the water and reptiles and insects tend to defecate in water. Small waterfalls without filters grow bacteria and mold really quickly so you should probably just take it out and replace with either a mister or dripper. The MistKing is the misting system that many keepers on here use successfully. I still use drippers for mine, which can be as simple as a plastic cup on the top of the cage with a small hole poked through the bottom so that water drips very slowly onto plants into the cage. Youll want it to drip onto a surface above the bottom so your cham can lick the water up. You can also buy a dripper from a pet store and those have adjustable valves to change the rate of dripping. Using a squirt bottle and spraying the cage and Cham will stimulate drinking usually. Whatever method you use you should make sure the cage dries out completely at least once a day to prevent mold and bacterial growth.

So there are a few options to consider, but the waterfall should be removed. If your chams urates (white portion of feces) are yellow or orange she is not drinking enough. They should be pure white if she's probably hydrated so that should help you gauge what works.
 
echoezra:i have had many coffee by now :D and the name of the mister undergoing upgrades is the "monsoon" i have one and dont know if its the "new upgraded one" i like mine but i do realize now that the mistking is far more superior..my monsoon works like a charm though,its currently misting two cham enclosures well.. as for the "drippers" i would continue with them if the chams are hydtrated well,why fix it if it aint broken is my motto :) but i do understand the "fussing" part lol
 
Misting a fair bit or often AND using a dripper too = Great
Misting ALOT and OFTEN = good
Misting some and using a dripper twice daily = good

Waterfall = bad
Waterbowl = bad
 
I think whatever works for your cham in regards to keep him hydrated then do it. My inside cage humidity hovers at around 60% plus with no misting and a dripper going. My cham nevers drinks from misting the cage. So for me I feel why do I need to mist the cage repeatedly? I will mist atleast once a day in his indoor cage and when he is outside to cool him off but he usually runs for the hills anyways. If he is outside for hours in his cage then I run the dripper the whole time he is out there. I will also mist him a little more if he is shedding.
other than that, misting is not a big part of my daily routine. I just don't find the necessity in it.
 
I think whatever works for your cham in regards to keep him hydrated then do it. My inside cage humidity hovers at around 60% plus with no misting and a dripper going. My cham nevers drinks from misting the cage. So for me I feel why do I need to mist the cage repeatedly? I will mist atleast once a day in his indoor cage and when he is outside to cool him off but he usually runs for the hills anyways. If he is outside for hours in his cage then I run the dripper the whole time he is out there. I will also mist him a little more if he is shedding.
other than that, misting is not a big part of my daily routine. I just don't find the necessity in it.

I dont mist much either, as drippers do the trick in terms of hydration. But I still mist some to help eyes and skin.
 
Two of mine have actually unlearned how to drink from a dripper. One gets hydration from eating veggies that I soak in water, and the other will ONLY drink in his outdoor cage when the sprinkler is on...spoiled brat.
 
Two of mine have actually unlearned how to drink from a dripper. One gets hydration from eating veggies that I soak in water, and the other will ONLY drink in his outdoor cage when the sprinkler is on...spoiled brat.

Hahaha, they do sound spoiled. I likes to keep it simple.:)
 
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