Why do we mist?

[Carlton]

IMHO fogging is for increasing humidity without the need to flood the cage multiple times a day. When some of these techniques got started we didn't have the luxury of auto misting systems designed for small scale enclosures so trying to keep a cage humid in dry conditions meant many spray sessions each day. The result was waterlogged plants, cage structures, furniture, etc. Its a quick way to saturate the air without creating a swamp. I have had montane species just sit in the fog enjoying it. Others not so much. Spraying or misting is more to provide drinking/eye-cleaning. If you've ever been in tropical forests you would see that there are lots of fogs and almost visible mists at some hours of the day. The chams could sit and absorb the moisture just by breathing. And, as the entire forest is humid, there is airflow from breezes.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Carlton thank you, that really makes sense! I've never been to a rainforest. Hell, I barely leave western PA

So I love the idea of using a fogger, I had one and my cham seemed to enjoy it, but it left slimey gross gunk everywhere pretty fast. Are there any resistant to this kind of bacteria build up(if it's even a problem) I'd pay more for a good ultrasonic fogger.

 

[Andee]

I know if you clean with white vinegar it can help prevent the bacteria build up longer, but idk if any actually are resistant to build up. I know there are some out there that are probably better with it.

 

[eahoormann]

This has totally piqued my interest in figuring out how to set up a rain system. I'm thinking just jerry-rigging my pressure pump sprayer into a container with a hole in it and a rubber band around the trigger... hmmm...

 

[broderp]

We have the mistkings set up on the top of all our cages that then spray down into them. This allows some mist to enter the cage as well as building up droplets on the screen top which then "rains" into the cage. I found this to be the best setup possible and wouldn't recommend anything else besides natural rain outside

Hi!!! Does the misting on top of the screen cause any issues with build up or clogging of the screen over time? I would assume the use of distilled water would help alleviate the issue, but wasn't sure how this worked out n the long run.
BTW, Sherman is doing AWESOME! Growing into a quite handsome young adult!

 

[NHenn]

Hi!!! Does the misting on top of the screen cause any issues with build up or clogging of the screen over time? I would assume the use of distilled water would help alleviate the issue, but wasn't sure how this worked out n the long run.
BTW, Sherman is doing AWESOME! Growing into a quite handsome young adult!

That is great to hear! Glad all is going well.

I've never had any issues with build up but that is because I run a 7 stage R/O system on my water supply. If you were to use normal tap water or hard water then you might see some build up over time yes.

 

[Carlton]

I know if you clean with white vinegar it can help prevent the bacteria build up longer, but idk if any actually are resistant to build up. I know there are some out there that are probably better with it.

I've seen a few ultrasonics advertised that supposedly do have a way to sterilize the water, but don't know if they actually do or not. Don't know how they would accomplish this without boiling the water or passing it along a UV tube. I have always used RO filtered water in mine and if you clean the unit out regularly they stay pretty clean as the water is the main source of contaminants. I rinse the reservoir, nebulizer disk area, and any piping with vinegar and bleach solution to get rid of any residues.

 

[RedMountainHome]

@jamest0o0 Can you show us your rain chamber?

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

This thread is pretty timely for me. I just got my butt chewed on a cham Facebook group last night after posting a quick vid of Ophelia sitting under the spray bottle (seemingly enjoying it). I don't want the rant to bubble over to this thread, but the bottom line (from a cham board member of some repute) was that spraying a veiled AT ALL is completely unnecessary and causes harm. He acted like I was shooting her with acid. Anyway, I didn't go into the many times O positioned herself as I was manually misting the enclosure so that she would get sprayed/misted. Plus, after her digging for a month, I used the hand mister to help dislodge the dried up dirt on her back or legs. Her face is still a little brown/dirty from laying, but her eyes are clear.

I have been wondering since last night, but would not even consider asking on that Facebook post, what would be the best way to assist a laying female in keeping her eyes cleaned from repeating hole digging... if not to offer some version of rain or moisture falling from the sky in her immediate vicinity? To answer the OP's question... this is one reason I hand mist O, but maybe I should not be?

 

[jamest0o0]

@RedMountainHome Its the mist king rain dripper or whatever, it cost 15$ or something. You can customize it to fit the top of your screen how you want. I'll try to get some pictures tomorrow for you. I'm going to just aim a nozzle at a screen on top of my free ranges so the water drips below.

@opheliaeatsbugs I guess veileds never get hit by rain drops lol? I spray my panthers all the time and they seem relaxed as can be.

 

[Carlton]

This thread is pretty timely for me. I just got my butt chewed on a cham Facebook group last night after posting a quick vid of Ophelia sitting under the spray bottle (seemingly enjoying it). I don't want the rant to bubble over to this thread, but the bottom line (from a cham board member of some repute) was that spraying a veiled AT ALL is completely unnecessary and causes harm. He acted like I was shooting her with acid. Anyway, I didn't go into the many times O positioned herself as I was manually misting the enclosure so that she would get sprayed/misted. Plus, after her digging for a month, I used the hand mister to help dislodge the dried up dirt on her back or legs. Her face is still a little brown/dirty from laying, but her eyes are clear.

I have been wondering since last night, but would not even consider asking on that Facebook post, what would be the best way to assist a laying female in keeping her eyes cleaned from repeating hole digging... if not to offer some version of rain or moisture falling from the sky in her immediate vicinity? To answer the OP's question... this is one reason I hand mist O, but maybe I should not be?

I've noticed sometimes that newbies on groups (converts who are just bursting with all that new information) go ballistic when someone dares to post information that goes against what they have just learned. They are not experienced enough to realize that there is never one single absolute way to do anything especially when dealing with animals who are individuals. Someone this rigid isn't worth listening to. Do they think a veiled cham never gets wet in the wild? What the heck do they think that tall casque is for anyway?

 

[jamest0o0]

@Carlton I've been guilty of that in the past lol. I like to think I'm experienced enough now to realize... I KNOW NOTHING! Now I just enjoy helping people with newb questions that I know because more experienced people (like you!) Tend to be busy with more complicated stuff. Really only thing that gets me mad is people ignoring advice and basically telling people off because they're told something they don't want to hear.