Need to get this straight.
- Thread starter Progrmor
- Start date
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
Some chams need the stimulation of water hitting the leaves for longer than 30 seconds. Some places are drier, and need longer misting times to raise the humidity to proper levels. Here in Florida it's pretty humid, but I have my mister set to run 3 times a day, 15 minutes each time. I find that I do not have any trouble with orange urates that way, and all of the runoff water I use to water my plants, so it's not wasted.
Progrmor
Member
I see. But if I would to mist for longer than 30 sec, my cage floor would probably be filled with water. (Got glass tank.). And I hand mist so if I would to stand and mist for 15 min I would get pretty exhausting!
But would longer mists help getting her better hydrated? (my humidity is about 86% after mist, 65% between)jackschamnewbie
New Member
I see. But if I would to mist for longer than 30 sec, my cage floor would probably be filled with water. (Got glass tank.). And I hand mist so if I would to stand and mist for 15 min I would get pretty exhausting!
bad bad bad bad bad, no glass tanks!
misting a lot in a tank that small is sure to grow some funky stuff that could get your buddy sick.
Just say no...
People that use this much water have a drainage system set up to allow for it, and soil for their plants is designed to handle it without rotting.
Get rid of the tanks floor, if you can't replace the thing entirely, and replace it with something that drains. Carefully, glass is sharp if you break it and sucks to clean up. especially if you cut yourself after you break it and have to clean up extra mess.
If you haven't seen them, please study these and do your best to replicate the common idea.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/drainage-systems-cages-get-creative-102038/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/official-enclosure-picture-thread-49688/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/official-enclosure-picture-thread-2-post-your-pics-94781/
These have also been conveniently stickyd to the very top of the enclosure forum
pigglett79
Avid Member
There isnt anything wrong with glass tanks as long as they are The type designed for airflow. Many people use them very successfully. You can create drainage, but would require glass cutting, I have seen it done well. For now, if your chameleon has white ureates and drinks with what you are doing, then you are fine. Some just are more difficult to get to drink.
Progrmor
Member
As Pigglett said, I´ve heard many with sucess with glass tanks and so far it have been going good for me too. But I am thinking of buying mesh since it is hard to attach the vines properly in a glass tank.
Right now im just wiping up the remaining water on the tank floor before I got to bed and repeat.
jackschamnewbie
New Member
Glass doesn't seem worth it to me unless you literally live in a desert or a frozen waste land.
I live in an extremely dry and cold state and glass never did me any good but give me a ton of extra mess to clean up and extra stress on the cham. A tank big enough for a month old cham cost about 50$ I could only image a glass tank for a cham of adult size would cost. Whats an 18x18x36" glass terrarium run you these days? Idk, that seems like a completely ludicrous idea to me.
And what do you mean?
Cutting the caulking out of the bottom of a glass tank is not exactly brain surgery.
Im sorry i just hate glass,
its nothing personal to you,
for using it and liking it.
you glass likers...
Oh! there are little suction cups with metal hoops and or clips attached to them that you can buy from the grocery store or walmart, I used them to stick vines where i wanted them in my glass tank.
I live in an extremely dry and cold state and glass never did me any good but give me a ton of extra mess to clean up and extra stress on the cham. A tank big enough for a month old cham cost about 50$ I could only image a glass tank for a cham of adult size would cost. Whats an 18x18x36" glass terrarium run you these days? Idk, that seems like a completely ludicrous idea to me.
And what do you mean?
Cutting the caulking out of the bottom of a glass tank is not exactly brain surgery.
Im sorry i just hate glass, its nothing personal to you,
for using it and liking it.
you glass likers...
Oh! there are little suction cups with metal hoops and or clips attached to them that you can buy from the grocery store or walmart, I used them to stick vines where i wanted them in my glass tank.
Trace
Captain Awesome
I have never understood the ideology of having to spray a chameleon for a few minutes to spur them to drink. Chameleons would not have survived this long if they need to be stimulated to drink when presented with water.
I wouldn't be surprised if high humidity played an important role in the hydration of chameleons.
In the wild it doesn't rain for just 30 seconds a few times a day. Many parts of Africa have marked rainy and dry seasons and some species of chameleons are dependent on these changes to survive. Some species only breed once a year and these mating times coincide with these seasonal variations so some of us try and replicate these changes with longer mist times and humidifier use.
I wouldn't be surprised if high humidity played an important role in the hydration of chameleons.
In the wild it doesn't rain for just 30 seconds a few times a day. Many parts of Africa have marked rainy and dry seasons and some species of chameleons are dependent on these changes to survive. Some species only breed once a year and these mating times coincide with these seasonal variations so some of us try and replicate these changes with longer mist times and humidifier use.
melble68
Established Member
You've got to remember that every one around here are from some pretty different locales around the world. Glass tanks can be perfect for some folks, where like one for me here in FL just ain't quite right. And then different types of chameleons have completely different types of requirements. Either way screen or glass, some how we have to figure out what to do w/ the run off water after a good misting. Get creative.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I see. But if I would to mist for longer than 30 sec, my cage floor would probably be filled with water. (Got glass tank.). And I hand mist so if I would to stand and mist for 15 min I would get pretty exhausting!
how inconvenient or exhausting for you it may be is irrelevant.
what matters is providing adequate hydration for your chameleons. 30 seconds a couple times a day may be enough. It depends on what the cham eats, the humidity in the enclosure (in your case, plenty high), how quickly the chameleon starts drinking when misted, whether or not you use a dripper, etc.
If your chams urate is bright white (not yellow or orange) then you don't much need to worry.
If your cham needs more water, provide more water through misting (there are pump sprayers that will save you from hand strain) and use a towel to soak up excess. Or, use a dripper with a collection bowl to catch the extra water (empty the bowl daily / as needed)
p.s. many glass or otherwise solid-walled enclosures are perfectly fine, and indeed are the preferred method in some climates. just make sure yours has some vents on the lower third of the cage.
ataraxia
Avid Member
Whats different in 90% of the set ups is the use of fine mist. That is the one major component in why many chameleons run from water. It is not natural. Not that they wont go for cover even then BUT you will not get the same response if it is "raining drops".
I use to think many put to much thought into humidity. I now know humidity plays a major role in the hydration needs of an animal.
its nothing personal to you,
for using it and liking it.
you glass likers...
Hahaha!
pigglett79
Avid Member
I have to say, I converted my mistking nozzles to a rain type set up because I found that my boys did not want anything to do with the mist, but did drink readily when the rain drops came down from the top. Made a huge difference. Its all about figuring out what works best for your chameleons. Ever since I switched to rain, they drink like crazy.
Trace
Captain Awesome
Interesting points. I don’t like those rain domes (et.al) for precisely that reason. The smaller species of chameleon will run away from the larger drops which defeats the purpose of said dome. The domes may be good for something like the Trioceros cristatus that is used to rain but I certainly wouldn’t recommend them for the smaller, higher elevation montanes (e.g. bitaeniatus) that are used to getting their hydration from the daily mists.
pigglett79
Avid Member
My experience is with Jackson and panther, they both have shown much better response to rain drops through the top of the screen than the mist.
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
I've never tried the rain drop setting, and have only used the mist. However, that's the great thing about the forums, I'm now inspired to try it on my day off to see the difference. I had a hard time keeping them hydrated during the 10 minute cycle, however the 15 seems to do the trick. My screen cages are mounted on plastic utility sinks, and there are buckets under the drains, so I just empty them onto my outdoor plants when they fill up. Drainage is a snap for me.
Progrmor
Member
Just needed to quote this! Haha it sounded funny what you said about me living in a frozen waste land. That is actually exactly what Im doingGlass doesn't seem worth it to me unless you literally live in a desert or a frozen waste land.
I live in an extremely dry and cold state and glass never did me any good but give me a ton of extra mess to clean up and extra stress on the cham. A tank big enough for a month old cham cost about 50$ I could only image a glass tank for a cham of adult size would cost. Whats an 18x18x36" glass terrarium run you these days? Idk, that seems like a completely ludicrous idea to me.
And what do you mean?
Cutting the caulking out of the bottom of a glass tank is not exactly brain surgery.
its nothing personal to you,
for using it and liking it.
you glass likers...
Oh! there are little suction cups with metal hoops and or clips attached to them that you can buy from the grocery store or walmart, I used them to stick vines where i wanted them in my glass tank.
Sweden is covered in snow like 70% of the year. So yeah.
