Misting as a shower

rcdrivertim

New Member
Can a mister be used as a substitute to a shower? I realize I would need to let it run for almost an hour but, I have the ability to put his cage outside. Also, would it be better to heat the water up first?
 
Long misting sessions and a shower session are going to have the same effect.

If that answers the question.

Heating up the water isnt going to do much.

The water will fly through the air and lose any heat its been attributed with by the time it hits the chameleon.
 
The water will fly through the air and lose any heat its been attributed with by the time it hits the chameleon.

I've gotta disagree with this last point. It is true that turning water into mist will more quickly reduce the temp than if it is a stream, but the temperature of the water before it is sprayed is directly correlated to the temp of the mist when it hits the chameleon.

I have a mist setting on my showerhead. When i use it compared to the jet or shower settings I have to turn up the temp on the faucet about 25% to get the same water temp when the mist hits me.

I always warm up the water and anecdotal observation tells me my chams appreciate it.
 
Water in nature is room temp (per say).

You could argue that it is warmed from the sun, but the fact is that really cold air, must come into contact with really warm air in order for condensation to occur, and create rain.

If youve ever stood in the rain, you shouldve noticed that it is cold, or at least colder than the air around you.

The air in the upper atmosphere is colder than nearer the ground also.

You can go ahead and warm your water, however, its going to have a negligible effect on the overall outcome.

One thing to keep in mind, is that if you put overtly hot water in a plastic container, it can warp it. Effectively destroying your sprayer/misting reservoir. If its overtly hot.
 
I always enjoy an open discussion and I agree that you can have success without warming your water. Consistency, duration, and cleanliness of the water are more important. My primary point was that the water temp does change the mist temp.

The main reason I warm my water is that I have witnessed most of my chams flee cold water while basking in warm water. I witness more drinking with warm water. I am sure they would change their method and drink just as much from leaves without the warm shower.

However, I would imagine a cold blooded animal is more sensitive to temp changes and I can't believe that a warmed up cham getting hit with room temp water is a pleasurable experience. Its quite the shock for me as a warm blooded mammal jumping in a non-heated pool :)
 
Long misting sessions and a shower session are going to have the same effect.

If that answers the question.

Heating up the water isnt going to do much.

The water will fly through the air and lose any heat its been attributed with by the time it hits the chameleon.

I agree with this.

I've found that misting is not really the best way to hydrate a chameleon though. A natural rain like method is the best. This is where the AquaZamp RainDome came from. It is so natural it just triggers their drinking instinct. It allows drinking, soaking and eye cleaning. Better shedding, cleaner eyes and healthier chameleons is the outcome.

Misting can be terroizing to some chameleons. They might hide during the misting and then come out after the mist has stopped to drink from the leaves.

In order to make a warm mist you will need to heat the water to the nozzle to an extreme temperature that will surpass that of any plastic water fittings temp rating. With plastic fittings and hot water you get lower pressure ratings and that means less mist and more 'spit'. The truth really is that you'll get fittings and tubing separating due to expansion of the two components.

If you think about it... it's a bit of a lost cause. You'll power a 300 watt water heater keeping the water in the reservoir 'warm'. Then as it is misted it will lose almost ALL of that 'heat' as the water atomizes through the nozzle. It is why misting is used to cool in arid climates. The water and air interact in such a way that the air cools.... and so does the water.

In the case of the RainDome, you get larger droplets interacting with the air and less cooling happens. You also can get warming of the droplets from surrounding heat sources like your heat lamp and UVB lights. Fine mist vs. large water droplets interact with the air differently. A fine mist will drop in temp much faster than large water drops.

I would not bother with heating your water, it will just raise your electric bill. :eek:
 
Long misting sessions and a shower session are going to have the same effect.

If that answers the question.

Heating up the water isnt going to do much.

The water will fly through the air and lose any heat its been attributed with by the time it hits the chameleon.

Actually, as the water jets through the misting nozzle, the velocity of the water and the pressure drop cause an immediate drop in temperature. Trust me, I'm an engineer :D;)
 
I use my mister as a shower lol, it takes a little while to shower 30+ chams one by one LOL.
Just turn it on walk away lol, oh but don't forget!!!!
 
Actually, as the water jets through the misting nozzle, the velocity of the water and the pressure drop cause an immediate drop in temperature. Trust me, I'm an engineer :D;)

Agreed, for awhile I was filling my reservoir with straight hot water from the tank thinking my chams were getting at least a warm shower because they seemed to enjoy it more than room temp water. The I put my hand under the nozzle only to find it tepid at best. And they still ran from it at first because it was cold until the lines were purged. They did "seem" to like it better after a few minutes, but that just could be the placebo effect on my psyche.

Human logic and true facts can sometimes be at odds. Thanks for the expert analysis.
 
I've found that misting is not really the best way to hydrate a chameleon though. A natural rain like method is the best. This is where the AquaZamp RainDome came from. It is so natural it just triggers their drinking instinct. It allows drinking, soaking and eye cleaning. Better shedding, cleaner eyes and healthier chameleons is the outcome.

Misting can be terroizing to some chameleons. They might hide during the misting and then come out after the mist has stopped to drink from the leaves.

Really starting to come around on this. I've noticed that they hide under the leaves to escape the direct mist and drink from the drops coming off the leaf canopy. If you chameleon happens to be basking when hit with the mist, they seem to dislike that the most.

I probably will go full rain soon, but my biggest issue is the size of rain domes currently available. I do own ABS sheet, CNC machine for molds, and a thermoforming machine so I plan to make my own when I get some time. A weighted unit would also be good so you don't have to physically attach it to the top of your enclosure to keep it from sliding off.
 
Mike,

Try 1/4 inch soaker hose inside the cage intertwined around branches...the 24x24 tops are too small for anything but the 2 lights IMHO. The hose and end plugs are at Lowes.
Only challenge is, I have 2 cages on one 1/4 inch hose run, and the second cage where the hose ends gets less water, but sufficient using my schedule.

Nick
 
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