Need some misting/humidity advice before I get my kid veiled.

[gotwqqd]

Factors
Protean Glass tank 24"/24"/36(v)"
It has steel mesh I top and near bottom

I have about 4" of soil (mix of spaghnum/soul/some other high absorption material) the plants inside
Each with a root system about size of small fist right now.
Schefflera
Golden Pothos
Some other purple leafed plant on okay list

Mistking 2 nozzle system with standard plump

Q: about how long and often do I must?
Q: will plants get enough from this misting?
Q: well there be too much water for the soil to properly expel the moisture slowly as to not create mold/mildew/disease/root rot?

I'd really appreciate a quick response as I'm going to a show 12/20 to buy my son's Christmas present!

 

[gotwqqd]

Additional question.

Right now I have the soil exposed. I was going too put slate like natural rock/stone over all of it. Rinse of the excrement into the soil as m needed. Does this seem like a good idea? Or is there a better way?
I also was thinking about using some landscaping cloth to simply cover the dirt.

 

[jpowell86]

Hello, and welcome to the Forums! You will definitely want to cover the substrate completely with heavy stones that cannot be moved by the chameleon. Also, your post is in reference to misting/humidity. You will have to be careful with a 4 inch layer of soil at the bottom and the amount of moisture it can potentially hold. Too much moisture can be bad news for Veileds. URI and fungal issues can happen quickly. Would you mind posting a pic of your enclosure?

 

[gotwqqd]

 

[jpowell86]

Thanks for posting the pics. IMO, I would take all of the soil out and replace it with organic first off. There is a ton of perlite in the soil you are using and that can cause major impaction if he ingests enough. Then cover the whole bottom with large river rock so you can ensure every little spot is covered. You terrarium vents similarly to an exo terra just a little less it would appear. I would run the system as if the cham were already in it. It looks like you have a hygrometer in the enclosure, so hopefully you can get a true reading prior to the purchase and still have time to make necessary changes if needed.

 

[gotwqqd]

What the....i was told it's organic. Mixed three different things together for the properties I asked for. Is this perlite a problem if everything is covered?

I believe one of the added things was vermiculite. But it was EXTREMELY fine grained.

I was considering a shale/slate like materials as I can use a much thinner amount and overlap would be easier.

 

[gotwqqd]

The humidity easily stays in the 70-90% range from hand misting twice a day. I've used less than half a gallon over 7 days. I'm pretty sure the reading is close as I have two gauges in the tank, both very close.

I actually am wondering if the plants will get enough water.

Back to the lizard... Is one misting enough? If not minimum? And best times?

BTW, I'm using the water you fill 5 gallon jugs with in the store.
I think it's charcoal, u/v , reverse osmosis. Ok?

 

[jpowell86]

70-90% humidity will be too high for a Veiled. 50-60% humidity is better for these guys. Was the soil organic and you just mixed in vermiculite and perlite? In one of my x-large 36x18x36 exoterra, I have soil like this in the bottom and I having a misting cycle of 10 minutes 3 times daily. But my humidity stays in the 60-70% range on the interim and it houses a montane species. I think that I would get a bag of water crystals and mix it into the substrate before covering with stones. Hopefully this will keep a lot of the excess moisture absorbed and your plants roots will gravitate to these crystals for a water source. I don't think the question will be if anything in the enclosure will have enough water....but if they will have too much.

 

[gotwqqd]

Yes it is organic soil, the perlite though was premixed in it. I added the vermiculite and spaghnum.

How would you proposed to get humidity levels down? Will they drop when I have a basking lamp(ceramic)? It didn't get delivered yet.


Just thought of another...
Temperature of misting water.
The room is typically high sixties to low 70's. Is this okay or should I use a heating pad to warm the water in the reservoir that feeds the pump.

 

[brownie64]

Yah your light could bring down the humidity, but I'm not sure it will be enough those setups are really utilized best with montane species. As far as worming up the misting reservoir when the mister goes off the cool water in the line will be the first thing that hits him so the cool shock will have already taken place. The heat will just make the water more likely to get bacteria, mold, and algae growing in it so if it were me I would just leave it the way it is.

 

[DaChameleonKing]

You need a screen cage to generate airflow. Chameleons need airflow! glass tanks develop health problems for chameleons!

 

[gotwqqd]

I was wondering if I could use some window/storm door screen to cover the bottom.
This seems like it would allow water to go into soil easily, allow soil to release humidity, and keep the animal from eating any soil/particulates.