Considering Getting a MistKing...

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

Hey chameleon keepers!

I just got my first veiled a month ago, his name is Nikolai....
And I've heard great things about the misting systems from MistKing....
So I'm saving up to get one.... And I was wondering...is the starter kit enough, or do you need to buy accessories with it?
Also, I am getting a drainage tray soon....( please don't get on my case, that I've had a chameleon for a month and still don't have an actual drainage system... My parents said I didn't need it, and no matter how much I argued, they wouldn't listen....) and that brings up another question. Will the drainage tray be enough? I've heard of "automatic" drainage systems, and want to know your opinions, because this is where all the info is. thanks!

 

[WAMBO]

Starter will be fine for your needs. You only need to find a reservoir like a bucket with a lid at Lowes or Home Depot, or use a a Sterilite container from them or Walmart or Target. And, you'll need drainage.
I drilled holes in the bottom of the cage, put the cage on legs and added a container underneath that can be emptied every day twos, then the entire structure sits in a washing machine drain pan from Home Depot [$20].

 

[WAMBO]

Model # 34067
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Washing Machine Pan


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• Protects floor from leaks
• Pans have holes for 1 in. PVC fitting
• Durable high impact polystyrene

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30 in. x 32 in. Washing Machine Drain Pan with PVC Fitting


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$19.11 /each

 

[MedicMan1]

The starter system is perfect and can be hooked up to SEVERAL nozzles. I have one and bought three extra nozzles for my MASSIVE cage. You wouldn't need an upgraded model unless you had several chameleon cages and required a high power set up.

As for the drainage, how big is your cage? I found a really simple and CHEAP (about $30) way to catch water. Just grab a metal rack and a Rubbermaid container. Make sure the metal rack fits into the container nicely, and the cage is smaller than the Rubbermaid container. I'll include pictures of mine. It works really nicely.

 

[MedicMan1]

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

Thanks @WAMBO and @MedicMan1! Those are both awesome ideas that will work nicely for my little dude, while being cheap and easy to create. I do have one question, tho. How do you drain the Rubbermaid container? Does it just evaporate?

 

[MedicMan1]

I give him a shower and deep clean his cage once a week. I tear everything down, stick him in his cage in the shower, and dump the Rubbermaid container and clean it while he's in the shower. The most it has ever gotten in a week is half full.

 

[WAMBO]

I have holes in the floor, a tray under it, and toss out the water every two days. The washing machine drain pan is a failsafe in case of overflow.

 

[WAMBO]

The above legs were made from a leftover furniture. The small amount of work has prevented hours of extra work later. You may have difficulty finding a container that can hold an extra large cage that has a footprint of 2 x 2 feet.

 

[WAMBO]

I give him a shower and deep clean his cage once a week. I tear everything down, stick him in his cage in the shower, and dump the Rubbermaid container and clean it while he's in the shower. The most it has ever gotten in a week is half full.

Do you use a Mistking in that setup above, or just a Little Dripper? Because a Mistking would put much more water in that Rubbermaid container than a Little Dripper, requiring emptying more often.

 

[MedicMan1]

I haven't set the MistKing up in the little cage (that one), but I run the dripper pretty much every day and mist a ton.

If you had that setup with a MistKing going, I would put it up on something like a table, install a extra mist king bulkhead with like two feet of tubing and an elbow (for drainage, you can order an extra bulkhead for like three dollars), and keep a stopper in the elbow. When you wanted to drain it, you could put a bucket under it, pull the stopper, and bingo, drain the container without tearing down the cage.

MistKing also makes a drainage bulkhead.

 

[Nursemaia]

I run a mister and use a washing machine pan. It drains into a 5 gallon bucket. I empty the bucket every other day. I wouldn't want it to sit full of water for a week. Bacterial growth and whatnot. Water gets stagnant and nasty quick

 

[WAMBO]

Indeed. The drain pans include a bulkhead just for draining into something else, even though the sides are 2 inches tall.I may do the same but had not decided where to place the bucket in my stand, so the aluminum pan underneath mine is temporary.

I run a mister and use a washing machine pan. It drains into a 5 gallon bucket. I empty the bucket every other day. I wouldn't want it to sit full of water for a week. Bacterial growth and whatnot. Water gets stagnant and nasty quick

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

Thanks guys! This sounds great!