Watering with ice cubes

[reefercheefer]

I know when I found this out i wish i would have sooner. Hopefully some of you benefit from this tecnique.

1. start with bioled, filtered or distilled water.
2. freeze in ice cube trays.
3. place 3 cubes on top of the screen and let them melt
4. watch your chams enjoy crisp water

Note: You may require a cube extra or less depending on how much yur cham drinks. how long it takes your cham to notice water etc. I also mist the cage down at watering time.

Drainage: paper towels on the of the cage.
Female cages: I let it drain into the lay bin (when not gravid)

I have never owned a mist king or fogger that spray 100 times a day and have never had any chams die on me.

 

[KirbyTheCham]

Do they enjoy drinking the cold water? This is a good idea....thanks.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Yes, a lot of us use this for extra watering. You're likely to find it on any watering thread, sometimes my chams will just sit and hold their tongue under the drippings, I love it.

 

[Zubi]

I actually heard that that is bad for them because the cold water slows down their metabolism greatly

 

[sandrachameleon]

Overall, I dont recommend melting ice cubes as a water source

 

[jannb]

Overall, I dont recommend melting ice cubes as a water source

I totally agree.

 

[laurie]

Sorry I totally disagree. I mist with warm water. I have a heater in both my mist kings. The heaters don't have the water warm when it hits my chams, but at least it isn't ice cold. Why would any one put ice water on a Cham? These are cold blooded creatures, and you want to drip ice water on them? Why would you not use a normal dripper?

Aiso if you have never lost a Cham, then I will bet you haven't had very many chams and not for very long. Sadly we all lose chams.

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

There's a bunch of different opinions on it. When mine actually starts to go through the screen it's warm, as a puddle collects on my screen, then when it gets big enough it starts to drip, I guess I have smaller holes in my screen than normal people.

 

[KirbyTheCham]

That's what I was wondering, I've always read it's recommended to mist with warm water so the ice cube didn't sound ideal for our little cold blooded buds.

 

[reefercheefer]

Yes, a lot of us use this for extra watering. You're likely to find it on any watering thread, sometimes my chams will just sit and hold their tongue under the drippings, I love it.

mine do the same, i had a concern with them rubbing out thier noses out but they havent yet so id say they are doing well.

 

[reefercheefer]

You guys are saying that this is bad yet i havent seen it do any harm. Ive owned vields and panthers for about 8 years on and off.

 

[Preekoo]

There's a bunch of different opinions on it. When mine actually starts to go through the screen it's warm, as a puddle collects on my screen, then when it gets big enough it starts to drip, I guess I have smaller holes in my screen than normal people.

Thats what happens with my dripper. I actually poked a small hole for the water to drip through but i could never keep the tube in one spot xP

 

[hoofy888]

y not just use a dripper. they cost like 5 bucks.

 

[laurie]

y not just use a dripper. they cost like 5 bucks.

Thank you, I like it when some one thinks like I do. Or even when someone thinks....

 

[chameleoman]

i mist with warm water and then put ice cubes ( arrowhead )on the top and they drink if never had a problem my cham is 3 years old and has been drinking like that since hes was around 5 months old

 

[Elizadolots]

While I don't think this is the "best thing ever" option, I do think it has merit. I would suggest putting the ice cubes in a plastic cup with a hole or two punched in it...then you get the benefits of a really slow drip.

We all talk about how hot water chills on the way to the chameleon in the shower ...well...ice water warms when it's under hot lights.

Also, when I did put ice cubes on the top of the cage, the chameleons I had parked right under the cubes and licked the water off the cubes...so, I don't really know why we assume they can't appreciate a nice cool drink....

Maybe they see it as a way to moderate their temperatures under the unending heat light we subject them to....

 

[cricketkilla]

I recommend a dripper personally, Chameleons don't get Ice water in their natural habitat. And I agree about it throwing off their metabolism since they're cold blooded.

 

[chameleoman]

I recommend a dripper personally, Chameleons don't get Ice water in their natural habitat. And I agree about it throwing off their metabolism since they're cold blooded.

actually yes they do in the forest where they live it gets cold, thus when it rains it gets on them then the breeze chills them and rain water is cold either way because it has to be cold to rain.

 

[Elizadolots]

Chameleons don't get Ice water in their natural habitat

They also don't sit 6 inches below a heat bulb....

 

[Trace]

I have never owned a mist king or fogger that spray 100 times a day and have never had any chams die on me.

Maybe you haven’t been keeping as long as some of us to know the difference.

Beyond letting the chameleon have a drink, I use a misting system to simulate the lengthy rainy seasons that happen once or twice a year in East Africa. My focus is on species from this area but different rainy seasons happen all over the continent - including Madagascar. Many species need these annual changes in temperature, humidity and water to survive in captivity and ultimately breed and a few ice cubes on the top of a cage just won’t cut it.

But hey, if it works for you…