Has anyone considered Super Absorbant Polymers (water beads) as a drainage solution?

[Ceycham]

I'm just having one of those Hmmm moments as I'm considering drainage options for my new enclosure build. My current and unproblematic setup has water draining through a screen bottom into a tray, which then drains water to a 2 gallon bucket via a funnel like system below the enclosure. I have never had to empty this bucket despite several mist-king sessions daily for months, maybe a year now. It's gotten maybe half full at most and the rest is lost to evaporation.

I don't know what brought me to thinking of it, but I started to wonder if a drain would be needed at all if there was something to absorb the water at the bottom and keep it in a safe state long enough for it to evaporate on its own. I started thinking about a layer of water beads. What if you fill a tray at the bottom with water beads. Do you suppose they would absorb all the fluid and then evaporate in between misting enough to not require further attention? It could theoretically help with keeping humidity up. It would need to be covered with screen to keep the cham from ingesting it, but other than that, I'm curious if there's a downside? In my current build it would mean he didn't have to give up half the height of his enclosure to drainage space below. Does anyone have concerns about mold or bacteria? Does mold grow on these things? Any thoughts?

 

[Ceycham]

Nvm, I'm reading they mold! So much for ideas!

 

[Ceycham]

Now looking into Silica cat litter....Claims resistant to mold and bacteria, but would it absorbent enough.....Dare I experiment? I figure The mist-king is putting out close to a liter a day. I'd love to lay out a tray full of cat litter and pour a liter a day into it, but I'm afraid my cats might use it too....lol. Anyone not have cats and wants to take this idea to experiment phase?

 

[JacksJill]

Look at hydro balls

 

[Ilike4hornedchams]

Hydroton, cheap and does what you need. I just bought 10 L of it for a bio-active terrarium i'm working on

 

[cham_urchin]

I mist every 4 hours for 2 minutes, 7am-7pm, and evap is taking care of most of the water that makes it to the cage floor. I've hung all the plants, and my floor is plastic with holes drilled, with a tray beneath. Nothing ever makes it to the tray. I too worried about drainage but its turned out to be a non-factor for my set up. I do live in a dry climate; Colorado. But I can sponge up the excess with a paper towel at the end of the day.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

So what problem are you trying to solve? Why are you doing this? Just for the sake of experimentation?