Question for Misting System Owners

[Ryan Jarosek]

I have a quick question. Do you have the heater on the timer for the misting or is it always on? I see it heats up then turns off.

Thanks for your help. I have it setup and is ready for some warm misting. Just need to fine tune it

 

[Silverdusk]

...Just thought I'd bring this thread up again. I just got a new 300watt Hydor and I'll be tapping the ends just like Dave did. So would someone who has this setup going on their mister tell me how it's working for them?

Thanks a ton,

Dan

 

[Drone]

i am interested in this as well.
the 300 watt version is the one people tapped? I belive I have a 1/4" pipe tap around the house somewhere...
where did you buy yours from? I found several aqurium venders online that sell it and have been thinking about how I am going to heat the water from my reservoir being pumped up to the heads.

 

[lampshade]

Have you tried a humidifier? They work very well. You get this nice white smoke that caroms throughout the entire enclosure and when the smoke settles it creates condensation and the chams love it. Plus I believe it's more effective at creating humidity that's liken more to their natural habitats.

 

[Silverdusk]

No I haven't yet. I've read to many negatives about URI's from them. (but I'm sure if done responsibly, there's no need to worry) Aren't humidifiers cool water? I was merely trying to warm the misting water a bit. I already know my guys like the mister. I've caught em racing for the nozzles to take a bath.

 

[Drone]

Have you tried a humidifier? They work very well. You get this nice white smoke that caroms throughout the entire enclosure and when the smoke settles it creates condensation and the chams love it. Plus I believe it's more effective at creating humidity that's liken more to their natural habitats.

I have a humidifier and I use it from time to time but doesnt produce much drinkable water as well as no way to control it, just turn it on and forget it. Though I suppose I could easily add it to my timer.
Plan on having both running actually, with me turning on the humidifier when it gets too dry. Thought of using this as well: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...-thermostats-and-timers/-/zoo-med-hygrotherm/

 

[beeze]

Do you have the heater on the same timer for the misting system? Or do you leave the heater on all the time? I am hooking up a misting system to two large cages and going to put the heater on top of the cages so it would be close to the misting nozzles. Should I mount the heater up and down or sideways, do you think it would make a differance?

Thanks

beeze

 

[dodolah]

no. don't turn it on at all times. That is a fire hazard waiting to happen.
I don't think it will make a difference.

 

[lyndra]

I don't have the RO system yet. They are selling one at Costco for about $159 that I was thinking about.

Hi, if possible try to find out for how long the replacement filters will be available, or buy up the entire stock of filters. We're having to replace our R/O system, because our filters are no longer in stock.
I use the R/O water for the entire family, children, furry, feathery and scaly critters as well as the plants in our cham's enclosure and those plants that may go in there.

 

[Silverdusk]

no. don't turn it on at all times. That is a fire hazard waiting to happen.

Why? If it's full of water, is it not like an aquarium setup except the water is not flowing? Also, if you had it on the same timer as your mister, does it have an adequate amount of time to heat the water or is the water within the heater the same as room temps? Or is this on a separate timer altogether. Please elaborate.

Thanks for your time. I really want to get this ti work.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

Why? If it's full of water, is it not like an aquarium setup except the water is not flowing? Also, if you had it on the same timer as your mister, does it have an adequate amount of time to heat the water or is the water within the heater the same as room temps? Or is this on a separate timer altogether. Please elaborate.

Thanks for your time. I really want to get this ti work.

What I do and am quite successful is

Have it on a timer , turn it on 15 min before the misting. Have it turn off at the same time as the misting ends. I have the water flow on the heater in the opposite direction it says to run it.

The water is not hot throughout the system but warms up enough that all 8 cages I run it on are not shockingly cold and are warm to the touch at the tip. One cage would be much warmer. My panthers and veiled enjoy the mist.

I have had a hose get to warm from leaving it on and causing it to blow a hole in it. It really needs to be turned off. It dumped 5 gal of water on my floor in the living room.

 

[ConcertPhotog]

and you ended up buying the Hydor 300W too Ryan? That's next on my list of chameleon cage purchases...

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

and you ended up buying the Hydor 300W too Ryan? That's next on my list of chameleon cage purchases...

Thats the one

 

[ageber]

i use a slightly different system I thought I would share. I have a pro-mist system. I have a 5 gallon jug that has an aquarium heater in it, totally submersed, on high and brings the water to a very warm temperature but not hot. The misting system has nozzles that when done misting release any excess water so the lines are clear. The pump is set to a timer so it kicks on whenever i want it to. each cage only has 1 nozzle in the center and the spray is a super fine mist. The chams seem to love it. I have not experienced any drainage problems as of yet although the bottoms of my cages have several layers of paper towels which i clean pretty much daily. I don't know how this compares to the other mist system but thought i would share an alternative I found

 

[Dotchoy]

Mr Weldon helped me attach the inline heater.
I hope i don't butcher the tool name that he used..
I think he used a "pipe threading tool." (Wishing Dave will chime in here, whether i got it right or wrong).

we use that tool to cut into both ends of the hydor (where you supposed to attached big hose) and make spiral ridges so you can attach the thingamajig that Herpmist use to connect into poly tubing (I think it's called "union".)

After connecting it, we sealed with some kind of a tape.
If I have to guess the name of the tape is "sealant tape."

OMG! now you know why i never make any DIY project.
Here are the pics:

Close ups:

Where did you get those fittings and what are they called???? Thanks

 

[nick barta]

With Dave Weldon's advise, I have just set up my system for 6 cages. When I went to cut the threads on the inside of each end of the Hydor 300 watt heater, I discovered there is a difference between METAL PIPE Tap threads and plastic tap threads. Be sure to get the right one.

The white plastic fittings are found at Lowes or Home Depot in the refrigerator section, they use them to plumb the water to the refrigerators for ice makers and water in the door.

You only want your water heated just prior to, and during misting, as standing warm water will breed more nasties to mess up your Chams eyes, etc.

The hottest water out of your tap will be cool enough for the Chams, because as it sprays out it looses a LOT of heat. Fire that 300 watts up! (try spraying your hottest tap water on your arm through a hand mister-it really is true!)

Dave Weldon talked to me about the challenge of not dousing your Chams with the room temperature (aka COLD) water that is in the 1/4 inch tube and supply bucket, in the beginning of the cycle. So... I am trying something "outside the box."
I am using a continous system that does not "dead end," but dumps back into the supply bucket. The pump and heater run PRIOR to misting to warm all the water in the tubing, as well as the supply bucket. Then a selenoid closes the system as it dumps into the supply bucket and that creates the pressure to fire up the nozzles. So far I have great results, but more time is needed to record temperatures, and verify that the system has no weaknesses.
Hope this helps!!
CHEERS!!!

 

[Dotchoy]

Helps very much, thank you

 

[summoner12]

I have my system the way you described and the water comes out as 'warm'. My chams don't seem to mind. I do not use a heater however. In the AM I pump fresh HOT HOT HOT HOT water into my tank and the system runs its first morning cycle. The water is 'room temp' or... 'warm' or.... 'not cold'.

How do you know you are getting the right tap?

With Dave Weldon's advise, I have just set up my system for 6 cages. When I went to cut the threads on the inside of each end of the Hydor 300 watt heater, I discovered there is a difference between METAL PIPE Tap threads and plastic tap threads. Be sure to get the right one.

The white plastic fittings are found at Lowes or Home Depot in the refrigerator section, they use them to plumb the water to the refrigerators for ice makers and water in the door.

You only want your water heated just prior to, and during misting, as standing warm water will breed more nasties to mess up your Chams eyes, etc.

The hottest water out of your tap will be cool enough for the Chams, because as it sprays out it looses a LOT of heat. Fire that 300 watts up! (try spraying your hottest tap water on your arm through a hand mister-it really is true!)

Dave Weldon talked to me about the challenge of not dousing your Chams with the room temperature (aka COLD) water that is in the 1/4 inch tube and supply bucket, in the beginning of the cycle. So... I am trying something "outside the box."
I am using a continous system that does not "dead end," but dumps back into the supply bucket. The pump and heater run PRIOR to misting to warm all the water in the tubing, as well as the supply bucket. Then a selenoid closes the system as it dumps into the supply bucket and that creates the pressure to fire up the nozzles. So far I have great results, but more time is needed to record temperatures, and verify that the system has no weaknesses.
Hope this helps!!
CHEERS!!!

 

[summoner12]

Ryan, are you running that CostCo RO system?

 

[nick barta]

Summoner,

Pipe taps are for metal which is the wrong thread for the white plastic fitting we thread into each end of the heater. I bought a 1/4 inch tap at a local hardware store, Home Depot did not have regular (single) 1/4 inch taps you could buy. It was about $7.00. Just take the white fitting in with you, so they can get you the right 1/4 inch tap.

Are you filling your reserve tank by hand in the AM, or is it automatic via timer and plumbing to your house hot water?

Hope this helps.