Must I Mist....

[little leaf]

well, I am already thinking about getting another cham, I miss Gail so much, SOOO much, and maybe getting another one will help, I am thinking of getting a Jackson ( when the time is right) but my question is, when I misted Gail she HATED it so much, she would just drop off her branch, but she did not mind if I "rained" on her- it was almost like the mist tickled like as if your foot falls asleep or something, her reaction to the mist was just short of violent , but the heavy raindrops did not bother her at all - is a rain system just as good as a misting system as long as you keep the humidity up? I would be running a 24 hr drip , & then a cool mist system along with a rain system on a timer, is this ok? or to much water - I do not have a new cham (yet) so I have time to play with the set up - I went back to collecting more goodies for the time when I do get another - but want to get the correct things - what do you think on this ? my other question is, how long would I want to run the cool mister ?
Thanks for your input - I want to do it all the right way

 

[chameleonkev]

By mister do you mean fogger? Or a mister such as a mistking

 

[Meow Kitty]

well chameleons dont really enjoy being sprayed directly but occasionally my chameleon will walk into the mist king as it was going off

 

[tenchijin]

I wonder are you talking about using a spray bottle and directly spraying (misting) your cham? Or having a mister in the cage that is set to regulate humidity?

I would say it's not necessary in any way to spray them directly, the important thing is maintaining humidity and access to drinking water.
Aric

 

[Ferrah88]

I know I'm still a beginner chameleon owner, but my chameleon too needs high humidity like the jacksons.

I would assume it all depends on your location, how much spraying is needed. Your best bet might be to try out different things, to see what your chameleon tolerates most! Merimo, for example, runs out of hiding and onto the top leaves when I start misting with a spray bottle. I use the fines dropplets to give him a bit of moisture on his body that he actually comes seeking!

My opinion would be to try the rain system, and see if the humidity levels are high enough before considering anything more. But again, this is just thoughts from someone who has only had their first for not even a week

 

[kychemnerd]

I had the same problem as you. When I used to mist with a bottle, several of my chams hated it, but when I got a mister (the Monsoon), they started to love it. Most of the time, they will rush to be right in the stream when they hear it turn on.

I also use a dripper system so that they can drink/bathe in it when they don't feel like using the mister. As far as your question about how long you should mist, it really depends on the species. You mentioned possibly getting a Jackson. Jacksons like it to be fairly humid, around 55%-75%. I live in a very humid area, so I don't have to run my mister often, but if you live in a drier climate, you will want to increase the misting. If I were you, I would get a mister or fogger, and buy a humidity gauge. This will be the only way you can ensure that your humidity is where it should be.

Also, it is best to give the cham options in the environment, so if you do run a rain system, make sure it is only on one side of the cage, so that the cham can go to the opposite side if it prefers to be dry. Too much water can cause a myriad of problems.

Good luck!

 

[little leaf]

yes, its a cool mist fogger - it only is on one side - have the gauge alrady too
I am still playing with dif/ ideas for the set up
when I say mist, yes, I was using a spray bottle, but on a fine mist, I would aim it over her, and the water would kinda settle on her- but she hated it so I only misted the cage, not her direct, but even at that, when I misted the cage only, she still threw a fit- lol she just hated water , but would walk into the cool mist fogger and let the fog fall on her at times but if I changed the bottle to a heavy drop like rain, she was fine w/ it - she was a silly gal
my area (Ohio) is very dry right now, so that was my ? on this being to much water at one time once it all go going at the same time - I like the look of the rain system, but do not own either one yet, so I am just getting an idea of what seems to work best for the Jackson, as that is what I think I may get -
thank you all for your input

 

[tenchijin]

She probably hated the noise and the look of the spray bottle. Think about it, it's kind of a giant, hissing, violent beast to a little lizard! I doubt your cham will mind a quiet stream of mist coming from somewhere unseen.
Aric

 

[pssh]

Some chameleons just really dont like fine mist sprays. If you want an automatic misting system. Aquazamp makes a rain dome that creates a rain like effect (which some chameleons prefer to a fine mist.) Others like the fine mist more than a rain-like effect. It just depends. Some chameleons dont like getting wet at all!

 

[laurie]

Cheryl my chams are pigs, but you know that. I have drippers, a mistking, and I spray them by hand. let's be honest here, I spray them because I enjoy it. But I have found so do most of my chams. Only 1 out of 5 will not drink when I hand spray him. But then he hates me, so that may be part of hating me misting him.
All my chams should get plenty of water, but when I spray for a minute or two and see them start guzzling water, I am reassured. Being the nut I am, when I see them eat, I know they eat, when I see them drink, I know they drink. It took a while for some of them to come around. I still have one that I know I will mist with my spray bottle for about 2 minutes before he will start drinking. I enjoy the interaction, if you can call it that, and it is a perfect time for me to access the health of each Cham without stressing them. I know I am a sucker.

 

[little leaf]

She probably hated the noise and the look of the spray bottle. Think about it, it's kind of a giant, hissing, violent beast to a little lizard! I doubt your cham will mind a quiet stream of mist coming from somewhere unseen.
Aric

Gail was blind - she was a rescue, and I was told they can not hear - I felt foolish when I found this out because I was playing "the rain forest" on CD for her when she was not feeling well- lol

 

[little leaf]

Cheryl my chams are pigs, but you know that. I have drippers, a mistking, and I spray them by hand. let's be honest here, I spray them because I enjoy it. But I have found so do most of my chams. Only 1 out of 5 will not drink when I hand spray him. But then he hates me, so that may be part of hating me misting him.
All my chams should get plenty of water, but when I spray for a minute or two and see them start guzzling water, I am resusred. Being the nut I am, when I see them eat, I know they eat, when I see them drink, I know they drink. I took a while for some og them to come around. I still have one that I know I will mist with my spray bottle for about 2 minutes before he will start drinking. I enjoy the interaction, if you can call it that, and it is a perfect time for me to access the health of each Cham without stressing them. I know I am a sucker.

awww- hate you ?- never , I am sure they all love you , and I think we are all suckers and our chams know it but I agree, I also liked to SEE what they do - as you do - KNOW they ate (well, when I get one, I plan to do it that way also, I just hope I dont pester my cham to much - lol )

 

[tenchijin]

Gail was blind - she was a rescue, and I was told they can not hear - I felt foolish when I found this out because I was playing "the rain forest" on CD for her when she was not feeling well- lol

They are deaf but I suspect they can feel vibrations. They do hiss at each other. Being blind may make being sprayed even less pleasant. Kinda always feeling on edge, maybe? But regardless, some chams just don't like it. Many do. I remember a couple of my panthers loved being squirted right in the face with a bottle- we'd time it and they'd stand there for quite some time drinking.
Aric

 

[little leaf]

yes, I think it is all based on the cham - like you say, some do, some don't - Gail was a DON'T - lol
the music, I am also sure she could "feel" it and it made both of us feel better I was in the Amazon for about a month - I miss the smell of it more than the sounds to be honest ~ so earthy......and kinda sweet -lol

I know alot of what I do will be based on the new cham, and what he/she likes too - I just want to give a good, healthy home for what ever I get - I plan on a Jackson, so I bet that means I end up w/ a panther- LL

 

[summoner12]

I would use Rain

I would look into the AquaZamp RainDome as a more natural way of providing humdity and drinking water.

Check out Sweet Pee drinking it up at the Reptile Super Show in Pomona.

 

[little leaf]

how cute is she !!! that is the way I am thinking about going- a little more natural for them - the rain - plus I love the sound of rain

 

[ataraxia]

You are correct cheryl. They really do prefer rain drops over misting any day of the week. If you buy a misting system just suspend the nozzle (around 8 inches, may have to adjust to your type of nozzle) above the top of the screen. It will result in drops of water forming then falling through like rain.

Aquazamp sales "the rain dome" that would also do what you want.