DIY rain attachment

[Lpsouth1978]

I totally get the vision! My panthers HATE the mist and run from it then drink from the leaves once it has shut off. I am thrilled to try this out and see how they react. I should have it done in an hour or so and will post a video once it is up and running.

 

[Psychobunny]

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.

Thanks, thats what I was trying to say, but you did it better
Without some way of adjusting the drops, so they come down like little rain drops (no stream) you need to lower the water pressure, you would go through gallons of water in no time, plus soak everything

 

[Psychobunny]

One thing I discovered and should share, don't poke holes to close to where the water tee connection is. Make your first holes about 4'' on both sides way from the water input.
What happens is, if holes are to close, the pressure is released too fast through them, and you get a stream. I am having to put little pieces of duct tape to cover the holes that are too close to the water infeed.

Did that make any sense, I am on my 2nd bottle of pinot noir after all

 

[Zen Reptiles]

This is how I make my rain chambers for tree frog breeding. Might I suggest using 4 'L' elbows to make a nice uniform square on the cage top instead of a circle. You could also use some 'T' connections to make a large outer square and a smaller inner square....though this is mostly for aesthetics.

I would definitely recommend using black line only, as the clear line will develop algae from the UVB light exposure.

This is a great idea for montanes!....now I just need some monataines......

edit: I also love doing this kind of thing while drinking wine LOL +1

 

[Psychobunny]

This is how I make my rain chambers for tree frog breeding. Might I suggest using 4 'L' elbows to make a nice uniform square on the cage top instead of a circle. You could also use some 'T' connections to make a large outer square and a smaller inner square....though this is mostly for aesthetics.

I would definitely recommend using black line only, as the clear line will develop algae from the UVB light exposure.

This is a great idea for montanes!....now I just need some monataines......

edit: I also love doing this kind of thing while drinking wine LOL +1

Yep, there is more than one way to skin a cham... err, I mean cat!
I know what your saying, and I was thinking along those lines, but I wanted to try working with what I had on hand, and it works great! so I am happy as a pig in poop!
This double ring for my xlarge jax cage is going to be just what I always intended to have.
I those white tubing, not clear, and I use distilled water.
I just thought the white color would absorb less heat, and it just seem to go better on the ceiling with all the light up there.

 

[Psychobunny]

I totally get the vision! My panthers HATE the mist and run from it then drink from the leaves once it has shut off. I am thrilled to try this out and see how they react. I should have it done in an hour or so and will post a video once it is up and running.

My panther runs when the mistking goes off. But I have been watching him all day, and when my rain ring goes off, he does not react at all, he sits right under the rain like it wasn't even there!!

 

[GrimsbyPatchwork]

One thing I discovered and should share, don't poke holes to close to where the water tee connection is. Make your first holes about 4'' on both sides way from the water input.
What happens is, if holes are to close, the pressure is released too fast through them, and you get a stream. I am having to put little pieces of duct tape to cover the holes that are too close to the water infeed.

Did that make any sense, I am on my 2nd bottle of pinot noir after all

makes perfect sense ..you can prepare your 3rd actually !

I had to replace a few rings due to making holes which spray, so the others barely drip..

I have used a flow adjuster before the rain loops to make sure both cages get the adequate pressure

..about what you said before, something along the lines of "think nature, it does not rain on a six inch diameter" ...that is true however it is still better than mist as if you imagine a cham in the wild being under the canopee of a tree with lots of foliage, he will Get the same effect on the outer part of the tree when it is raining so it still kinda makes sense.

 

[Psychobunny]

No holes close to water input:

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I finally got mine done and working. I actually had to do it twice. My first attempt ended up with a few holes that would just spray and the other would do nothing. On the second attempt, I modified the design a bit in order to really make it rain on Remy. I'm sure you will be able to see the changes.

Remy was not in it when I first tested it, but I turned it on with him in the cage, and he was not bothered at all. As a matter of fact, he started drinking almost immediately. It usually takes a couple minutes for him to drink when I mist.

I will have to order some different tubing. The black tubing I had was too soft and caused non-uniform holes. All I had left was the clear tubing.







Also, here is a video of it in action.

 

[GrimsbyPatchwork]

Here is my setup ...not as clean as what I see but it does the job..

 

[Psychobunny]

I finally got mine done and working. I actually had to do it twice. My first attempt ended up with a few holes that would just spray and the other would do nothing. On the second attempt, I modified the design a bit in order to really make it rain on Remy. I'm sure you will be able to see the changes.

Remy was not in it when I first tested it, but I turned it on with him in the cage, and he was not bothered at all. As a matter of fact, he started drinking almost immediately. It usually takes a couple minutes for him to drink when I mist.

I will have to order some different tubing. The black tubing I had was too soft and caused non-uniform holes. All I had left was the clear tubing.







Also, here is a video of it in action.

Awesome, you have several connecting rings, I may just ad another one to Noogie's (my jax) cage, got plenty of tubing

I was waiting for someone to post a vid, since I'm too lame to do one. This vid shows exactly what you get when you do
it right. Thanks for posting it

Just be sure to put some drain holes in any feeder cups you may have hanging on the cage walls, or you will soon have cricket soup

I think I started a revolution!

Eat your heart out MistKing

 

[Cait0420]

Wow this looks great! Seems simple enough, what a great idea

 

[Psychobunny]

Got up this morning and found a small problem, easy to correct, but you guyz should know about it.
A part of the tubing was directly under the 60W basking bulb, flush against the screen. The lamp fixture is also siting on top of the cage flush.
Anyway, the lamp melted the tubing in a spot.
So, either you will need to position the tubing so no portion is under the bulb, or raise the light fixture.
Here is a pic of the melted spot:

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Awesome, you have several connecting rings, I may just ad another one to Noogie's (my jax) cage, got plenty of tubing

I was waiting for someone to post a vid, since I'm too lame to do one. This vid shows exactly what you get when you do
it right. Thanks for posting it

Just be sure to put some drain holes in any feeder cups you may have hanging on the cage walls, or you will soon have cricket soup

I think I started a revolution!

Eat your heart out MistKing

I thought that having more rings would give even better coverage. I stopped at 4 because it seemed like more would block too much light.

All of my feeder cups have the bottom cut off an then replaced with aluminum screen which I attached using a hot glue gun. This ensures that whatever I am feeding does not become soup.

Got up this morning and found a small problem, easy to correct, but you guyz should know about it.
A part of the tubing was directly under the 60W basking bulb, flush against the screen. The lamp fixture is also siting on top of the cage flush.
Anyway, the lamp melted the tubing in a spot.
So, either you will need to position the tubing so no portion is under the bulb, or raise the light fixture.
Here is a pic of the melted spot:

My light is suspended about 6-8" off the top of the cage, so this is not a problem for me.

 

[nick barta]

I may have missed it in the posts, but you don't need to poke holes in 1/4 inch tubing and have any pressure valve.

Lowes sells 50 feet of 1/4 inch soaker hose for $10.00.

The only downside is the last cage(s) get a bit less water flow, but still sufficient.

Been using this system for 8 months.

Nick

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I may have missed it in the posts, but you don't need to poke holes in 1/4 inch tubing and have any pressure valve.

Lowes sells 50 feet of 1/4 inch soaker hose for $10.00.

The only downside is the last cage(s) get a bit less water flow, but still sufficient.

Been using this system for 8 months.

Nick

I actually bought soaker hose,but do not have the correct connectors for it. I had almost everything I needed for this configuration.

May I ask how you hooked everything up? Did you just use plastic connectors with barbed ends?

 

[Psychobunny]

I thought that having more rings would give even better coverage. I stopped at 4 because it seemed like more would block too much light.

All of my feeder cups have the bottom cut off an then replaced with aluminum screen which I attached using a hot glue gun. This ensures that whatever I am feeding does not become soup.



My light is suspended about 6-8" off the top of the cage, so this is not a problem for me.

What did you use to poke the holes, and how far apart?
I tried 3 rings, but does not drip well on the last ring.

 

[Psychobunny]

I may have missed it in the posts, but you don't need to poke holes in 1/4 inch tubing and have any pressure valve.

Lowes sells 50 feet of 1/4 inch soaker hose for $10.00.

The only downside is the last cage(s) get a bit less water flow, but still sufficient.

Been using this system for 8 months.

Nick

I have some of this, only it's 1/2'' and has a standard female threaded hose connection on it, and the holes are spaced 6'' apart.
Maybe it's not the same stuff, there are a bunch of garden irrigation hose on the market, not sure what this stuff is called!?

Can you run the 1/4'' hose from a mistking pump?

If so, how do you connect it?
A link to pics of your setup would be great

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I used a small nail and spaced them 1 to 1.5" apart.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I have some of this, only it's 1/2'' and has a standard female threaded hose connection on it, and the holes are spaced 6'' apart.
Maybe it's not the same stuff, there are a bunch of garden irrigation hose on the market, not sure what this stuff is called!?

Can you run the 1/4'' hose from a mistking pump?

If so, how do you connect it?
A link to pics of your setup would be great

I have some 1/4" soaker hose that I am going to try today. I have to go buy a couple of small connectors, but I am optomistic that it will work. I will post pics and parts if all goes well.