DIY rain attachment

[Psychobunny]

I have tried both the mistking and aquazamp rain attachments and do not like either of them. They only provide a small patch of rain, and my chams are not likely to be directly under it when it goes off, and they are not inclinded to get under it if they are on the other side away from the rain.
So, I got a piece of 1/4'' tubing, about 18'', connected both ends to a tee to make a loop, and punched holes in the tube about 1'' appart all around.
Then I connected it to the pump, and secured it to the inside top of the cage using small wire ties.
It works great! and I now have the rain I want, and it rains on the whole cage, not just a small patch.
Of course, it uses a lot more water, and there is some over-spray, but my cham gets rained on no matter where he is.
I will post some pics when I get home, but it was so easy, and only took me about 15 minutes.
All you need is some 1/4'' tubing, a tee with 3 1/4'' inputs, and some small wire ties.

 

[GrimsbyPatchwork]

Great ...that is what I am aiming for as just received a submersible water pump as the diaphragm pump I have is way too strong to make rain...

Can wait to see pics ...if you can post a vid instead it would be better

 

[nightanole]

Soaker hose works good too since its like 90 psi.

 

[Psychobunny]

I run it off my mistking pump, no problems. I also put a 'in-line' flow valve on it to regulate the flow going in to the rain attachment.

You do have to make a 1/4'' hole in the screen to feed the line from the pump.

 

[Thegreatfonz]

Pictures would be great, I made a simple DIY raindome as well and my cham definitely likes it more than the normal mist king nozzle spray. But I came across the same issue you did, it doesn't cover a large enough area. So pics please!

 

[Psychobunny]

I'll post some pics this afternoon/evening.
Dont know how to post a video, never done it before, not even sure I have the proper software and such.

You really need to have a in-line ball/needle valve to turn the flow down, otherwise, it's like a lawn sprinkler and will get water everywhere
unless you use a lower psi fish pump or something.
I prefer to have everything run off of one pump with the mistking timer.

 

[JosieJobo]

This sounds brilliant worried that I never see my 5m male panther chameleon drinking (though he is very helthy) id like to set one of these up so it sprays though the day while im at work but I have a living vivarium and worried the hole thing will be saturated and the plants will die ive aleardy changed the compost for a sand and compost mix but could still do with more drainage any ideas?? I cyphen the water out a lot as it is think a rain styerm ive have to do it morning and night?? Xx

 

[Psychobunny]

This thing dumps a lot of water, so yeah, it would soak your plants

 

[Mikey1two]

In my outdoor enclosure, I had a similar idea, I spiraled 1/4 soaker hose which provides a good "rain". Problem in my case was I used too much hose in one and too little in the other. My cham in the heavy rain setup usually drops to the bottom of the cage. I switched back to a 2 gph mister. My chams (quads) seem to like the mist the best.
Best of luck with your setup!
Mikey

 

[Psychobunny]

Okay, finally got some pics.

First pic show the stuff you need; 1/4 OD needle compression valve, 1/4 OD tubing, tube cutter to make nice square cuts, 1/4'' tees, small automotive wire ties.
This first pic is for a xlarge cage, and the small joining piece of tube does not have holes in it.
The black dots indicate where the pin holes are. I use a standard push-pin to make the holes.
This will cover the whole cage, not just a patch.
I haven't installed the larger one yet because I am waiting for another needle valve.
These needle valves can be expensive, but doing some Google searching pays off. I found one on eBay, old stock, opened box, never used for $12.00.

Be sure they are needle valves with compression fittings for 1/4'' OD tubing.
They can be adjusted to give you a perfect rain drop size.

My pic of the actual rain did not come out that well, a video would show it better, but I don't know how to post a vid!!

Keep in mind, this really dumps a lot of water, and is much more like rain then either the mistking or aquazamp systems. It uses a lot of water.
You will need a large water tank and very good drainage.
I am controlling any splashback by taping pieces of thick clear plastic on the sides and front bottom.

This is very easy to do, only a few parts involved, only takes a few minutes to make, and does not cost much.

Here are the pics:

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Psychobunny, this seems like a great Idea! Are you just using this instead of misting, or are you still misting as well? It seems to me that if you have it raining in the entire cage, you would not need to mist.

After I saw your pics this morning, I took a look around to see if I had what I needed to make one of these, and look what I came up with. It only took about 3 minutes to make.





I still need to poke the holes in it and get the needle valve. I found the 1/4" compression needle valve at my local Home Depot for about $8. I just need to pick it up this afternoon. I will take a video once it is up and running and let everyone know how it does.

 

[Psychobunny]

Yep, you got it

Lots of mistking owners probably already have the parts they need to build one.
Just make sure you holes are at least 1'' apart, and you really do need one of these:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351015551189?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Get a needle valve, not a ball valve, as they do not control the drop size nearly as well.
Stainless steel would be better if you can find one at a good price.

I put a 1/4'' union before the needle valve, that way, I can simply unplug it if I need to move the cage.

I just bought another needle valve for $6.00, it was old stock, and opened box, but never used. So you don't need to spend $50+ for one, just do a search.
Sometimes, you just have to wait until someone puts one up on eBay, but unless you can regulate the flow some other way, you will not be satisfied if you don't have an in-line needle valve.

After pocking the holes, just turn it so the holes face down under your cage top, and secure it all around with those little wire ties.
They are small enough to fit through a reptibreeze screen cage with minimal force.
And yes, it covers the whole cage if you measure correctly, and does not get in the way of anything since it's on the inside, and not on top

I discovered my chams will not bother to walk over to where the little patch of rain is when I had the mistking and aquazamp systems. So, unless they just happened to be under it when it goes off, they don't even pay attention to it

P.S. Important, be sure the holes are no larger then what you get from a push-pin.
I tried using my smallest drill bit, and that was a miserable failure.
Need to be pin-hole size

 

[Lpsouth1978]

There is really no reason to go to ebay and wait for the part to be shipped. I am picking this one up at my local home depot today. It is still the needle valve, it just doesn't have the snazzy knob on it, but should work just as well.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DIAL-1-4...n-Needle-Valve-94045/100175352?keyword=711470

 

[whitruss]

very nice, im trying to do one just like that, what kind of pump are you using?
and what does the needle compression valve do?

 

[Psychobunny]

There is really no reason to go to ebay and wait for the part to be shipped. I am picking this one up at my local home depot today. It is still the needle valve, it just doesn't have the snazzy knob on it, but should work just as well.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/DIAL-1-4...n-Needle-Valve-94045/100175352?keyword=711470

Yep, that should work fine, just make sure it has the 1/4'' ferrules on both ends.
Make sure not to over tighten in case you have never used these before.
I finger tight, then 1/2 turn with open end wrench.

When your all done, let me know what you think please

I'm sure your smarter than I, so maybe you could post a vid

 

[Lpsouth1978]

very nice, im trying to do one just like that, what kind of pump are you using?
and what does the needle compression valve do?

I believe that Psychobunny is using the Mistking or Aquazamp pump. I am using an RO booster pump that I had laying around. It is basically the same thing as the ones that you get from Mistking or Aquazamp.

As for the Needle compression valve, it lets you regulate the amount of water that is going into the "rain dome". If you have too much water, you will have a constant stream of water instead of rain. Also you will pump so much water through, that you may flood your room. The needle valve is necessary, beacuse it allows fine adjustment, whereas a ball valve is much more difficult to get the right flow with.

 

[Psychobunny]

very nice, im trying to do one just like that, what kind of pump are you using?
and what does the needle compression valve do?

I am using the standard pump that comes with the mistking system.

The valve is needed to adjust the flow going into the rain ring, you will need to turn the flow down or water will pour out and get everywhere, you want steady, drops, like a dripper, only faster. Too much pressure and you will have a little shower, like a bathroom shower head.

If using a pump with lower psi output, you may not need a valve.
I just like the idea of having everything run off one pump with all on a single timer.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Psychobunny, Are you still misting as well?

 

[GrimsbyPatchwork]

That is great ..mine is precisely the same but instead with an aquarium pump and a minute timer attached to it. It is currently watering two cages.

I just got it running today and it works fantastically...was so easy and cheap to set up too...and it is so more natural to have actual rain pour on the cage and not mist. My chams hate the mist so this is how this idea started...

I will post pics shortly as have not taken pics yet and don't want to switch on the lights and disturb them .

 

[Psychobunny]

Psychobunny, Are you still misting as well?

I only mist when they are shedding.
My veiled don't need a lot of misting and high RH, but my jax and panther do.

I almost never mist veiled. They both have a dripper, and the standard miskting nozzle.

I only have the rain for my jax and panther, and I cant wait until I get that other valve so I can install this rain thing in his cage.
I have never seen him use the mistking rain nozzle. But I spray him from above with a spray bottle, it takes a minute or 2 before he starts to drink. So I know if the rain would fall on him, he would drink.
Think of nature, the rain doesn't just fall on a 6'' patch, while the cham is at the a few feet away, just looking at it