Mistking

[Chammy007]

Hello, Just making sure. Where should the sprayer/nozzle of the Mistking be mounted to a ZEN HABITATS enclosure? Centered? And on top of the screen top or inside underneath the top?


And how often and how long should the mister be on? For a Jackson’s Chammy?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Have you tried asking/emailing Zen and MistKing about this? I did for a different enclosure, and they were very helpful. They may recommend 2 nozzles for a 24x24 enclosure; 3 or 4 for the 48" wide version.

When I set up my MK, I ran the mister manually until water began running straight into the drain pan.
For my enclosure, this took 2 minutes. Anything beyond that seemed wasted.

How often depends on several variables. At the minimum, at lights-on & lights-off. I also run a session at noon (halfway between) to make sure drinking water is available mid-day.
How many times at night depends on local humidity and whether or not you run a fogger.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hello, Just making sure. Where should the sprayer/nozzle of the Mistking be mounted to a ZEN HABITATS enclosure? Centered? And on top of the screen top or inside underneath the top?


And how often and how long should the mister be on? For a Jackson’s Chammy?

Do you have a single or double nozzle? I use double nozzles for my (not Zen) 2x2x4’ enclosures and found if I center them on the back wall, they give pretty good coverage. When I used single nozzles, I felt that putting in the back corner with it’s head pointed toward the center gave ok coverage. Some keepers position their nozzles on the front of the enclosure rather than the back. As I often see fine mist coming thru the screen door, I can see the benefit of that.

 

[Chammy007]

How often depends on several variables. At the minimum, at lights-on & lights-off. I also run a session at noon (halfway between) to make sure drinking water is available mid-day.
How many times at night depends on local humidity and whether or not you run a fogger.

Hey, how long should each watering session be? Or is it subjective to humidity levels? And how necessary is a fogger system?thanks

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Hey, how long should each watering session be?

IMO, until water begins running down the drain. I can't see running it any longer than this, as the extra water is just wasted. In my enclosure, this takes 2 minutes. An enclosure with less foliage might take less time; an enclosure with more foliage might take more time.

Or is it subjective to humidity levels? And how necessary is a fogger system?thanks

A fogger may be necessary if you can't achieve desired (usually nighttime) humidity any other way.
If you can achieve & maintain nighttime humidity another way, then a fogger is not necessary.

Nighttime humidity targets for the 3 most common species kept as pets are:

• Veiled: 80%-100%
• Panther: 75%-100%
• Jackson's: 75%-100%

 

[Chammy007]

IMO, until water begins running down the drain. I can't see running it any longer than this, as the extra water is just wasted. In my enclosure, this takes 2 minutes. An enclosure with less foliage might take less time; an enclosure with more foliage might take more time.


A fogger may be necessary if you can't achieve desired (usually nighttime) humidity any other way.
If you can achieve & maintain nighttime humidity another way, then a fogger is not necessary.

Nighttime humidity targets for the 3 most common species kept as pets are:

• Veiled: 80%-100%
• Panther: 75%-100%
• Jackson's: 75%-100%

Thanks much. Any info on how to make a drainage system? For a ZEN enclosure?or any suggested reading to better understand them?

 

[Chammy007]

Thanks much. Any info on how to make a drainage system? For a ZEN enclosure?or any suggested reading to better understand them?

Or is the draining system just the nozzle sprayer of the Mistking that dispenses the water? Thanks

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Thanks much. Any info on how to make a drainage system? For a ZEN enclosure?or any suggested reading to better understand them?

There's a sticky thread—Drainage Systems for Cages - get creative!—at the top of this forum.

Or is the draining system just the nozzle sprayer of the Mistking that dispenses the water? Thanks

Drainage is not the misting nozzle. Drainage is getting the excess misting water out of the enclosure.
In a Zen enclosure, there are a couple of (probably several) ways. All involve getting an after-market drain pan, and preferably done while assembling/setting up the enclosure.

Is your ZEN already set up & established?

 

[Chammy007]

There's a sticky thread—Drainage Systems for Cages - get creative!—at the top of this forum.


Drainage is not the misting nozzle. Drainage is getting the excess misting water out of the enclosure.
In a Zen enclosure, there are a couple of (probably several) ways. All involve getting an after-market drain pan, and preferably done while assembling/setting up the enclosure.

Is your ZEN already set up & established?

Thanks much. That was my initial thoughts: for draining excessive water. The zen habitats is already assembled.Here’s an updated pic of my tank. I have plants and a tree coming this week.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Thanks much. That was my initial thoughts: for draining excessive water. The zen habitats is already assembled.Here’s an updated pic of my tank. I have plants and a tree coming this week.

Alright, then you're not too far along. Sorry, forgot to ask... is the bottom panel bamboo or PVC?

 

[Chammy007]

Alright, then you're not too far along. Sorry, forgot to ask... is the bottom panel bamboo or PVC?

Hello. PVC.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

First order of business is a drain pan. You can get side draining or center draining. Center draining are less common, and may require drilling a hole through whatever the enclosure is sitting on. Most (not all) drain pans come with a drain bulkhead.

The enclosure will sit on—or in—the drain pan. Which & how will depend on how the two go together. See the Drainage Systems for Cages - get creative! thread for ideas on how, or check the archives.

I can't be more specific at this time, because all these pans and how they fit are a little different. The above thread (and archives) discuss various ways people have done this with more specifics.

I have a side drain. Attaching a tube directly to the bulkhead—or an elbow with a short tube—can drain directly into a bucket below. Here's a pic of mine—very simple:

To drain the water out of the enclosure, I would drill three ¼" holes in the bottom PVC panel of the enclosure along the side where the drain will be.

You will need to provide a slight pitch toward the side with the holes/drain. A ¼" shim under both corners of the enclosure (or pan) opposite the drain should suffice, and shouldn't be noticeable. In the pic above, you can see I did this with a couple of ¼" scraps of wood under the back table legs.

Here's a thread from Arpretty, who put a center drain in a ZEN enclosure:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/drainage-assistance-please.181510/#post-1651450

These are only a couple of ways of doing this; there are many more in the Drainage Systems thread, in the archives, on google, and YouTube.

 

[Chammy007]

Could I just use the Mistking as a means to water my plants instead of a using a pan to collect excessive water?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Could I just use the Mistking as a means to water my plants instead of a using a pan to collect excessive water?

Sure, sort of...

I'm sure at least some—if not most—folks with bioactive setups do just that.

With a non-bioactive setup, things might get a bit complicated, e.g.:

When my mister turns on, most of the water lands on the leaves of the plants; very little makes it to the floor or pan. Also, my plants all have river pebbles covering the soil so a certain somebody doesn't dig them up or consume any soil. I water my plants weekly as needed as part of my weekly cleaning & maintenance. The little excess water that may run out of the bottom of pots drains to the pan below.

Depending on your enclosure & plants, you might have to run the mister longer to water plants (assuming the water can/will reach the pots). Excess water will still need someplace to go. (Some do use a wet/dry vac, but you may have to keep on top of that to avoid a flood.)

I would not want standing water to accumulate on the enclosure bottom as it could encourage molds, mildew, & bacteria.

IDK if I've understood/answered your question; if not, please elucidate!

 

[Chammy007]

Sure, sort of...

I'm sure at least some—if not most—folks with bioactive setups do just that.

With a non-bioactive setup, things might get a bit complicated, e.g.:

When my mister turns on, most of the water lands on the leaves of the plants; very little makes it to the floor or pan. Also, my plants all have river pebbles covering the soil so a certain somebody doesn't dig them up or consume any soil. I water my plants weekly as needed as part of my weekly cleaning & maintenance. The little excess water that may run out of the bottom of pots drains to the pan below.

Depending on your enclosure & plants, you might have to run the mister longer to water plants (assuming the water can/will reach the pots). Excess water will still need someplace to go. (Some do use a wet/dry vac, but you may have to keep on top of that to avoid a flood.)

I would not want standing water to accumulate on the enclosure bottom as it could encourage molds, mildew, & bacteria.

IDK if I've understood/answered your question; if not, please elucidate!

Basically I’m asking if you could used a Mistking to simulate rain. I think I’m trying to go the bio-active route. All this is new to me. Just not sure.Thanks much

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Basically I’m asking if you could used a Mistking to simulate rain. I think I’m trying to go the bio-active route. All this is new to me. Just not sure.Thanks much

Sure, because that's basically what a mister does—very fine rain.

MistKing also makes an Adjustable Rain Nozzle.




Not necessary, IMO, but if it's something you like, I'd just caution common sense—especially around lighting equipment that often sits on top of our enclosures.

Water... Electricity... Mix...

Not good.