Humidity tricks

[ZippiesPal]

Zippy wont be here for another three weeks, so theres time.

His Basking light puts out about 120F at the screenm and the center of the back wall reads about 74F 8 to 10" from the bulb as read on a crappy $2.00 plastic thermometer.

On an equaly crappy thermometer/humidity gauge placed in the center of the back wall the temp is 70F at 18" from the basking bulb and humidity is stuck between 40 & 50% (it was 50% a few minutes after I misted with a spray bottle). Its at 42% right now an hout later. I also have plans for a Repti-sun 5.0, but that will be in a couple of weeks (or less).

Right now there is only a small Ficus plant in a small ceramic pot, no vines, or any other greenery (we have big plans for that next weekend). I have a small household humidifier sitting outside the cage, and that kept it at 50% last night when it ran. A friend of mine wets towels and lets them dry in the livingroom in order to maintain enough humidity to keep his guitars from being too dry. So there are some very clean (at least as clean as paper towels) lining the bottom of his cage.
I have a Habba-mister ordered and shipping at this very moment (ordered that two days ago).

Another post talks about putting plastic on the exterior of the cage, but I hesitate to do that because of the 'ugliness factor'.

I am looking for additional ideas for improving the humidity, or reassurance that the Habba-mister will solve this problem. I also need better instruments for sensing Temp and Humidity, but I can shop for that stuff on line by myself. Its improving the humidity that I am concerned with for now.

Ideas???

 

[ColorCham427]

I'd get that soil wet... Other than that idea, I don't know much other then placing a sheet of plastic on one of the sides for now.

I think it's OK til you get some bigger live plants in there.

Ignore the "ugly-ness" part of the plastic sheet and look at your chameleon if it really bothers you! not really mad

 

[pssh]

Try buying a not crappy hydrometer. You'd be surprised how off the cheap things can be.

 

[sandrachameleon]

...Its improving the humidity that I am concerned with for now.



Ideas???

• Regular mistings.
• A dripper running frequently (or all day) and dripping several drips a minute
• Live plants (in the cage, elsewhere in the room)
• A fish tank or any big bowl of open water, especially warm water, in the same room. Like a bowl of water with a sponge sticking out of the middle (half in water, half in air). Or a bucket of wet sand in the room.
• Having the steam from your shower room directed into the chameleon room.
• Keep the cage in a smaller room you can section off from the rest of the house and keep more humid.
• NOT using a screen cage, or covering two or three sides of a screen cage with a solid material, to help the cage retain humdity. Covering a side or two of the cage with a wet towel (changed daily) will certainly help. Leaving a constantly damp towel on the bottom of the cage all the time may lead to mildew or mold under the towel, depending on what the bottom of the cage is like.
• Running a humidifier in the same room as the chameleon.

You do want the quality temp and humidity guages. Get a couple that measure Highs and Lows over time, so you can see how hot/cold/dry it was while you were away at work or asleep. 120F is far too hot, if that's really how hot your basking spot is.

 

[DGray]

humidifier

I was never able to make the humidity really change until I got an ultrasonic humidifier. Now I have two of them. I pipe the output into each enclosure and its fun to see the chameleons "bathe" in the stream of fog. They love it.

 

[ZippiesPal]

How...

... do you 'pipe in' the steam?

I have a screen cage, wouldnt the water vapor droplets plate out and condence on the screen mesh?

I have a mister ordered and on the way.

A dripper will be easy to make.

There are already plenty of live plants.

I have made a beautiful kingdom of plants around his enclosure in our livingroom. I hate to move all of that to a spare room, but I will if I have to.

We will hang some plastic sheeting, and if conditions improve, then we will use plesiglass.

If you have a photo of how you 'pipped in' the hist, I will like to see that.

 

[Clifford]

I was never able to make the humidity really change until I got an ultrasonic humidifier. Now I have two of them. I pipe the output into each enclosure and its fun to see the chameleons "bathe" in the stream of fog. They love it.

Wouldnt too much heavy fog risk a respiratory infection? They like it moderately humid, but they're not fog/mist dwellers.