DIY Water System ?'s

NorCalAnthony

NorCalAnthony

Avid Member
Hello everyone,

I'm in the process of building an enclosure for the first time and am trying to figure out how to set up a drip and mist system. I know there are a few "off-the-shelf" options out there but they're pretty pricey and I have some time off from work with an injury and am trying to build everything myself to help reduce my cabin fever symptoms lol. The enclosure will be for a little panther that I plan on getting once it's new home is completed and will be 2'W x 1'D x 2'H.

So far I'm thinking about getting a Rubbermaid container to hold the water and a submersible pump (for a water fountain or indoor irrigation) and then run a 1/4" drip line up and out of a lid through a drilled hole. From there I'll run the drip line up the back of the cage and then tee off to two or three drip nozzles (depending on how many live plants I put in there) and then have another tee to a misting nozzle with a total cost of around $50 or less. I think I'm probably going to have to have two different pumps (one for the drip system and another for the mister) that way I can run them through separate timers with different intervals. I'll also have a removable drip tray to catch any excess water and figure that if there's too much excess water I can add a drainage system later. Does this sound like it would work? And is there anything else that I might need and am missing?

Thanks for any advice you guys can give.
 
The only thing I would be subjective on is make sure that the Rubbermaid won't leach out it natural bleach in the plastic and to make sure u have a pump that can run both dry an of course submerged without getting damaged as many of the water pumps u can buy from pet stores will only run wet and u fry the motor inside of them if they are run dry for more then a few minutes.. But other then that it sounds like a spot on plan and a nice cage setup post pictures when done please
 
Thanks I didn't think about the Rubbermaid leaching anything. Do all of them do it or would a solid colored container be better than a clear one? I'll be sure to get the type of pump that won't burn out if the tank goes dry, thanks for reminding me.

I'll be posting pics when I'm done but I still have a ways to go. I just finished prepping all of the frame work and started staining the wood tonight and am hoping to start assembly tomorrow. Then I get to start the faux rock background before I move on to the watering system.

Please keep the replies and advice coming.:)
 
http://youtu.be/a5nrtOXB9c0

I've been running this drip system for 3 years with no problems. I found an inexpensive pump at harbor freight at $18 that is powerful enough to run a drip on 6 cages or so (264 GPH)and have switched to the inexpensive lamp timer that does 1/2 hour increments. a 30 minute drip 4 times a day is more than enough to deliver the water you should need for just about any species of cham. I fill the resevior daily so it never runs dry but it would take 3 days to empty the 5 gallon bucket. If you want to get really fancy you could have an auto top-off pump like you would use for a reef tank sump but that is probably overkill. You should be able to fill the bucket and keep the pump from running dry. The adjustable drippers i use are about $5 a pack of 4 at Lowes. Let me know if you have any problems putting our system together. I should be able to help.
 
reptoman said:
http://youtu.be/a5nrtOXB9c0

I've been running this drip system for 3 years with no problems. I found an inexpensive pump at harbor freight at $18 that is powerful enough to run a drip on 6 cages or so (264 GPH)and have switched to the inexpensive lamp timer that does 1/2 hour increments. a 30 minute drip 4 times a day is more than enough to deliver the water you should need for just about any species of cham. I fill the resevior daily so it never runs dry but it would take 3 days to empty the 5 gallon bucket. If you want to get really fancy you could have an auto top-off pump like you would use for a reef tank sump but that is probably overkill. You should be able to fill the bucket and keep the pump from running dry. The adjustable drippers i use are about $5 a pack of 4 at Lowes. Let me know if you have any problems putting our system together. I should be able to help.
Click to expand...

Wow that setup is amazing! I'd love to have a room like that set up at my house some day but I'm not sure I could clear it with my wife lol. Thanks for your input, that's really similar to the setup that I was planning out in my head just on a much smaller scale for mine. I do have one question though, I didn't see any mist nozzles in the video. Are they not necessary once you have that many drippers and live plants in each cage or do you have some other system for misting?
 
If you are using tht big Rubbermaid like u said I should be able to run two pumps in it one for a dropper system and one for mist nozzles and with your huge resivor it shouldn't run out even running both I also would suggest that u do more then just a dripper system as misting is what crisply stimulates them to drink so don't just do a dripper and also with the setup I'm talking about u should have no problem constructing this of u new help I have made a few and I could deff help u :)

I believe that the rubbermaid wont leach but I would check into it just incase as I know plastic watter bottles leach there bleach when the water is left in for too long or gets to warm and starts to leach out all the plastic so just check into that because that would kill your cham/Chams quicker then quick

I would also say that u want to make sure u get a seconds timer for te pumps as u dont want them running 100% of the time :)
 
NorCalAnthony said:
Wow that setup is amazing! I'd love to have a room like that set up at my house some day but I'm not sure I could clear it with my wife lol. Thanks for your input, that's really similar to the setup that I was planning out in my head just on a much smaller scale for mine. I do have one question though, I didn't see any mist nozzles in the video. Are they not necessary once you have that many drippers and live plants in each cage or do you have some other system for misting?
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'm embarrased to say I got a mistking for christmas but have not hooked it up yet :eek:. I hand mist the cages before and after work and my wife takes care of that during the day. I check the drippers daily and make sure all of them are putting out the correct amount of water. Hand misting along with the auto dripper has been working for me for the last 3 years or so but I plan to use the mistking on my montane species and possibly my baby bins. A dripper by itself would do just fine for a panther or veild IMO with a couple of hand mistings early and late during the light cycle.
 
Thanks for all of your guys' input. I think I'm going to have separate pumps for the mist and drip lines that way I can have them set to go off at different times and for different durations. I'll still be using a Rubbermaid or Sterilite tote but I don't think I'm going to get one of the big ones for my little enclosure, probably just a 5 gallon or so sized one. I was thinking about using one of the Zilla surge protectors with the digital timers built in that way I can cut down on how much stuff I have cluttering up the area. Have you guys used one of these before or would I just be better off buying a surge protector and add a couple of the timers with seconds duration? Thanks again for all of your input.
 
quick thought u can also use a RO pump or any kind of diaphram pump and some hydroponic mister nozzles to make your own mister system that is surprisingly similar to a mist king
 
ph34r or NorCalAnthony, that's what I've been trying to do, too. Problem is I can't find a decent price on an RO pump on line. Do you know of any place that might have one cheap? I found a place called Procon but there are so many items it's confusing. How about just a pond pump that has a 7-11' rise (approx. 2-3.5m)? Thanks
 
mrfixit01 said:
ph34r or NorCalAnthony, that's what I've been trying to do, too. Problem is I can't find a decent price on an RO pump on line. Do you know of any place that might have one cheap? I found a place called Procon but there are so many items it's confusing. How about just a pond pump that has a 7-11' rise (approx. 2-3.5m)? Thanks
Click to expand...

I tried that a long time ago but could not get the pressure right to run misting nozzles. after all the trial and error its easier to just buy a mistking or other misting system made for your application. JMO
 
mrfixit01 said:
ph34r or NorCalAnthony, that's what I've been trying to do, too. Problem is I can't find a decent price on an RO pump on line. Do you know of any place that might have one cheap? I found a place called Procon but there are so many items it's confusing. How about just a pond pump that has a 7-11' rise (approx. 2-3.5m)? Thanks
Click to expand...

Do you have any hydroponics stores in your area? If so check them.
 
My brother-in-law owns a hydroponics store about an hour or so south of where I'm at that sells the different pumps for indoor irrigation cheaper than what Home Depot or Lowes carries them for. He's going to play around with a couple of them to find out which will work best for my application and then hopefully give me a hefty family discount on them lol. Once I get my system set up and know which pumps and models work best I'll let you guys know. I'm hoping to get to that stage of my build by the end of this coming week since I should be done staining and sealing the wood tonight and then I can install the screens and do final assembly tomorrow. Then all I have to do is make my fake rock background and then I can start my drip and mist system. Still have a ways to go but I'm having fun learning as I do it.:)
 
pond pump is a total waste of time dont even bother trying they just dont get the right pressure even if u reduce thee lines and everything, u need a diaphram pump in order to get the right setup, best i can say is just try to shop around for one someone somewhere has to have one for a good price.


and for allfallsdown these are the ones ive bought but havent got a chance to test them i still need to allocate a good pump for a good price

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Hydro-Fogger...607?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1c26ab1d1f
 
I use a rack system with six cages stacked on top of each other, underneath is rectangle tubs made from corrugated PVC, which drains into the bottom tub. Maybe if I can remember my photobucket password I can post pics. I just got all this together but anyways i use a tiny reptiflo 250 pump from the pet store, with a piece of air tubing siliconed into it that pumps it nearly dry every other day. I run about a gallon of water through my 7 nozzles a day, run the pump every other day into a water jug and dump it through my garden as liquid fertilizer. Easiest thing I have found.
 
mrfixit01 said:
If you want the system to 'fog' or mist, try DIG Irrigation products. They have lots of different fittings, usually at Home Depot or maybe Lowe's back in the lawn/irrigation section. A pack of 5 spray/mister barbs costs around $3.50. Here's the manufacturer's web http://www.digcorp.com/DIY/223-Foggers_&_Misters/diy_products
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, I was able to find some of these at a local nursery and can't wait to try them out once I finish getting everything else wrapped up and can start on my watering system.
 
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