For ExoTerra Waterfall Owners...
- Thread starter Ganoosh
- Start date
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
I hope you don't keep said waterfall in a chameleon enclosure!
-Brad
-Brad
I sure do, Do you think the constant noise might bother him? The website mentions chameleons several times in the product description...http://www.exo-terra.com/EN/products/water_falls_i.html...
Could you please explain further?
Could you please explain further?
scooter4n
Established Member
Chams can't hear. Vibration can, but not noise, unless it is very low frequency noise.
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
What was it Heika used to say? "Just because the product has a picture of a chameleon on it doesn't mean it's for a chameleon."
Waterfalls are a wonderful breeding ground for bacteria, not to mention a cricket killer and often times a chameleon's first choice for a toilet.
We need to think about how chams drink and where their water comes from.
Rain and dew, very clean fresh water.
The best way to replicate this in captivity is with drippers and misters that are filled daily with fresh clean water.
Recycled water in a fountain or waterfall, even when filtered, doesn't come close to being clean enough.
Lots of animals including many reptiles and amphibians are well served with a waterfall....chameleons are not among them.
Best to remove it and it's potential to make your animal sick.
-Brad
Waterfalls are a wonderful breeding ground for bacteria, not to mention a cricket killer and often times a chameleon's first choice for a toilet.
We need to think about how chams drink and where their water comes from.
Rain and dew, very clean fresh water.
The best way to replicate this in captivity is with drippers and misters that are filled daily with fresh clean water.
Recycled water in a fountain or waterfall, even when filtered, doesn't come close to being clean enough.
Lots of animals including many reptiles and amphibians are well served with a waterfall....chameleons are not among them.
Best to remove it and it's potential to make your animal sick.
-Brad
Makes sense, Luckily it hasn't been in there long enough to create any problems, what a shame though it was expensive.
Consider it done, thanks for the advice. As for the fogger?
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
You know, I've never had one but all I hear is how often they stop working and how short a lifespan the "element" has.
Is it possible you could return these things?
-Brad
Is it possible you could return these things?
-Brad
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
You're welcome and the garden is a great location!
I have three in mine.
-Brad
I have three in mine.
-Brad
Marc10edora
Avid Member
A big banner should be posted on the home page of what not to buy for your chameleon. (including waterfalls)
I find it sad how poorly chameleons seem to be represented in these pet stores....
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Rango.Da.Cham
New Member
I've had the water fall for almost s year now, every now and then a cricket will die but not that many get up in the system. Overall I would recommend it because although you have to clean it every week, it provides humidity and water for your chameleon. I've seen him drink from it and he seems to not use it as a toilet. Now, as long as you use distilled water you should be fine from bacteria. Great product.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
IMHO waterfalls are a hassle. They don't raise the cage humidity all that much unless they are splashing a lot of the cage foliage. Most chams don't drink from them...occasionally one may, but I still don't want my chams drinking potentially contaminated water. If you are misting and/or fogging the cage the waterfall isn't adding much. I would never clean one out once a week. Using distilled water won't keep it cleaner, because as soon as anything falls into it all it will do is recirculate the contaminated water over and over. The contaminants end up spreading throughout the pump system so the water will never be as clean after that unless you decontaminate the entire system.
On top of this I don't like their looks...that fakey rock thing just doesn't appeal to me.
As for the fogger, it depends what type you have. A small terrarium fogger with the open water pool can die if the nebulizer disk is damaged; either when it runs dry (so if the water volume is small you can't run it all the time without checking it), if something falls onto the disk (bit of shed, loose feeder, leaf), or there's a buildup of mineral deposits. If you use RO filtered or distilled water they tend to last longer, though you should clean it regularly with vinegar.
On top of this I don't like their looks...that fakey rock thing just doesn't appeal to me.
As for the fogger, it depends what type you have. A small terrarium fogger with the open water pool can die if the nebulizer disk is damaged; either when it runs dry (so if the water volume is small you can't run it all the time without checking it), if something falls onto the disk (bit of shed, loose feeder, leaf), or there's a buildup of mineral deposits. If you use RO filtered or distilled water they tend to last longer, though you should clean it regularly with vinegar.
