Misting system

[Brenda R]

I have a 4 month old veiled chameleon that I mist the enclosure twice a day and a dripper going into the ficus plant pot. Which sometimes it gets too much water because of the dripper. What I wold like to know is about a misting system. I keep reading about people talking about it and I was wondering if that would be better and where do you get one? I know nothing about it. Does anyone have a problem with their dripper? It's so hard to get it just right. Sometimes it will work and sometimes I have to fix it. Any help will be great.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Brenda,

I don't use a misting system, so I can't speak to that question with any experience.
I do think concerning the dripper, that you should direct the water into some type of screen covered collection container rather than having it go into the plant.
I use a gallon size plastic bucket with mesh rubberbanded over the opening.
Every morning I just pull the bucket and dump it in the sink.
The drippers do require some occasional "fiddling with", but that's just the way it is and you need to have that constant source of water for your cham.

-Brad

 

[Jordan]

I use this system. Not automatic but it gets the job done.
www.chameleonforums.com/misting-system-diy-1995/
You will need some drainage as this can quickly flood a cage with a solid bottom. I use it in an ESU cage also. I drilled a couple of big holes in the center and secured a piece of screen over the holes so feeders could not escape. I then just simply set the cage on top of a large tuperware container. Not a permanent thing as the resident of the cage is juvenille but very effective and cheap.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

I use these misting nozzles from Toro and they connect to 1/4 inch tubing it is then connected to my laundry tub faucet and i have a sprinkler timer set for it to go 4 times a day 15 minutes each time. I also only have it run from the hot tap because by the time the mist reaches them it is just pleasently warm for them and they really seem to enjoy it.

 

[Brenda R]

All good idea's, now I just have to figure what will work out best. I would be so much easier if I could see it. I don't have a way to hook it up to a laundry tub and sprinkler. We don't have a laundry tub and the cage is in my sons room. Brad not to sound stupid, but where do you put the plasic container with the mesh covering. I have the dripper flowing onto the leaves but how do you get it set up to hit the leaves and aim in the plasic container. The stupid hose for the dripper never flows were I want it to.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

If you are having a problem with collecting water then i would suggest what this guy did.You will need to have holes in the bottom of your cage for watrer to drain down into this tub. Personally i think its very practical if you dont have a shower room like i do. https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=427&catid=member&imageuser=382

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Trial and error and a little adjusting.
I have removed problem leaves and have it hitting only one or two now.
It doesn't matter because Kitty just drinks right off the tube. I have a branch alongside it for him and he uses it like a drinking fountain.

-Brad

 

[Brenda R]

My dripper does not work at all right. It's called the little dripper. When I turn it to on I get it just right then it stops so I turn it open a little more then it pours out. I fight with it every day and I still can't get it to work out. That's why I was thing of just a misting system of some sorts. Is it ok to just have a misting system?

 

[Cherron]

The little drippers work better if you hang them above the enclosure rather than sitting them on top. I have had much better luck with them when I use them like this.

That said.. my favorite dripper is one I made out of a gladwear container with a hole in the corner

 

[dgiller]

Any suggestions on fully automated ones with resaviores(sp) that can just be refilled. For example ZooMed has one called Habba Mist anyone with experience with this or other things like it?

http://www.zoomed.com/html/water_home.php

 

[Will Hayward]

The Habba mist is a peice of junk. 'Search" the forums for the name and youll find feedback.

 

[roo_71]

I consistently hear that the habba-mister is poopy-ka-ka too. Your issues with the little dripper are common to all who have or had one as well and with a mist system you can pretty much wash your hands of the dripper IMO.

I put together a mist system part by part but plan on getting a backup pump from these guys (who sell kits) which I here only good things about. They are very professional people; I got my heating unit for my GTP from them.

http://www.pro-products.com/promistproducts.html

This pumps from the kits above don’t burn out if the reservoir goes dry and you can run it as long as you want unlike the smaller pumps which limit you to 5 minute runs – they can handle more nozzles too but I don’t think that’s an issue for you. Chams typically need to be stimulated to drink and 5 minutes wouldn’t cut it for my chams. So with the low end pumps you need to set the timer for 5 on, 5 minutes off to cool down, then another 5 minutes on, and so on - a pain is the … and you know at some point you will forget to fill the reservoir and smoke the pump.

Here is an example of kit with the low end pump … http://www.cloudtops.com/misting_systems.htm (Rainmaker Jr.)

The low end pumps are a bit noisier as well. For a reservoir, I just use a 5G bucket from Lowes - so leave that out when gettting a kit. Also, USE METAL hose clamps of the proper size. DONT use plastic zip ties or nothing at all to hold tubing on the pump/nozzles unless the pump uses a quick-connect. You are begging for a watery mess if you do.

Now for your drowning ficus, goto Lowes or a garden store and get large river stones or hydroton and put a good layer of them in the bottom of the plant pot. This will help the soil drain, also if you can, put the plant on a low plant stand in the cage – this helps too with drainage.

-roo

 

[Heika]

I hate those metal hose clamps.. they are a pain in the posterior. I buy herbie clips instead. The folks at Sidewinder computers are really great people to do business with, too.

Heika

 

[roo_71]

Haha ... I use those clips in my PC which is water cooled and yes I am a nerd but more of a hybrid nerd ... know my hardware/code, has a sense of fashion and not complete tool around women.

They are a good choice as well ... probably better since over tighening the metal ones can cause a leak.

-roo

 

[Brenda R]

Roo with the misting kits, don't you have to hook it up to some sort of water supply? Our cage is in a bedroom. If it does not hook up to a water supply then how do you mist with warm water? I am not familiar with any misting system so I really don't know how they work.

 

[roo_71]

Not all kits and not the one I posted a link for. Typical kits have a pump, tubing, mist nozzles, hose clamps, a resevoir (such as a 5g bucket which I use) and a digitial timer. So I have to fill my 5g bucket every other day - so no plumbing to any water source (such as a sink) what so ever.

-roo

**** Edit

Here is a pic of my veileds cage …
http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/tjr32/Images/cage.JPG

Reservoir bucket for the mist pump is the far left white bucket (note the tube coming out the top center – this goes to the intake point of the pump). The blue pail to the far right is what I use to fill the reservoir every other day. Just to the right of the pale is the mist pump. The center bucket collects the excess water via funnels and tubing – just under the front right of the cage you can see a yellow funnel with a tube leading into the drainage bucket. The center of the cage has another funnel but you can’t see it but you can see its tube. Above the funnels is the cage bottom which is plastic and I drilled holes with a hole saw and covered them with aluminum screening to keep feeders from escaping.

Tubing from the reservoir goes into the intake of the pump - then on the other side of the pump is output end where tubing goes up the side of the cage and into the first “T” shaped nozzle. This cage has 2 “T” shaped nozzles and to the left of the cage you see the tubing make its way over to my 2 carpet chameleon cages. The first carpet cage has a “T” shaped nozzle as well but the last cage has an “L” shaped nozzle which what you typically use at the end of the mist system. So if all you were misting is one cage, then the nozzle would be “L” shaped, if you were misting 2 cages then the first nozzle would be “T” shaped then the last “L” shaped.

Hope that all made sense.

-roo

 

[Brenda R]

Thanks Roo I am going to try and give it a shot. I have 2 cages so I will try doing the one for 2.

 

[Brian S]

Which is better, Rainmaker Jr., or ProMist 60?

 

[roo_71]

Well I don’t own the 60 but do have a very comparable pump to the Jr. kit one on my R. spinosum cage. The pro mist 60 is clearly a superior pump compared to the Jr. kit. The link below shows the pump and it’s the type that doesn’t burn out if the reservoir runs dry, is probably quieter and it can run as long as you want instead of being limited to 5 minute runs with the Jr. kit.

-roo

http://www.pro-products.com/promistaccessories.html