Anybody use an automatic mister for there cage?

[morgan2341]

Hi everybody! Since our little rescue Thor passed away this week we are trying to make sure our next family member has the optimum care. I was looking into an automatic mister, we misted the last cage by hand and I feel that while we were at work the humidity dropped. Does anybody use and recommend an automatic mister? Thanks guys!!

[GrifTheGreat]

Hi everybody! Since our little rescue Thor passed away this week we are trying to make sure our next family member has the optimum care. I was looking into an automatic mister, we misted the last cage by hand and I feel that while we were at work the humidity dropped. Does anybody use and recommend an automatic mister? Thanks guys!!

I use fog machines hooked up to a Hygrotherm unit. Every time the humidity drops below my set level the unit will turn the fogger on and fog the enclosure until the humidity reaches my set level, then the unit shuts the fogger off.

They work well, but you will be better off buying from Amazon.com so that you get a good deal on both a Hygrotherm and Repti-fogger.

[tinkgirl77]

Cheapest place I found in last 2 weeks (and still is just checked ) thatpetplace.com.... reptifogger $39.39 and hygrotherm $56.52 and free shipping on orders over $99. !!!! Best deal I've seen so far.

[Lija]

for a mister you can use mistking or moonson, both are good, i tried both and like mistking better, but like Grif I have frogs on hydrotherm with reptifogger for one cage and foggers, made out of utrasonic humidifiers, for the rest. Reptifogger is such a headache, i returned 4 of them, current one is still working but I gotta use only distilled water for it, don't buy it unless they have a good return policy.

[morgan2341]

Thanks everybody!!

[Louis Charles Bruckner]

I also have a hygrotherm and a repti-fogger

I love the Repti-fogger.

It seems to be a really well made product.
just be sure to follow the instructions.
I only use distilled water in it. Even bottle water has minerals in it
that over time will foul the ultrasonics.
The flexible hose on the out put is great.
However I do recommend that you have at leas 3 inches of the output hose of the fogger vertical
before you make a bend in it especially if you have the setting higher than 50%
I don't recommend operating the fogger with the setting over 30%
The fog will be so dense it will condense in the hose before it gets to the tank.
I have mine in the min setting and it may run a bit longer but the fog is very fine
and humidifies the area better.

If you operate it with out the output tube attached with the setting at or above 50% you will see large water droplets being ejected out of the unit and this will increase water use and put water into the output tube and if the output tube is also horizontal for a long distance it will collect water
and could cause problems.

So I would recommend having the unit at the base of the enclosure near the point you
want the fog to enter the enclosure and have a short bend into the enclosure.
You don't want to place the flow of the fogger right above the sensor it will
not humidify the enclosure properly.
It is like having a heater blowing on the thermostat.

Also placement of the temperature/humidity sensor is critical.
Placing it in the middle of the enclosure on the back is what I recommend.
Since if you place it so close to the substrate it may make the top of the enclosure
too hot and too dry.

It also depends on where your inhabitant spends most of its time at.
I.E a whites tree frog will more than likely like to be at the top and
a packman frog will be in the substrate.

Also you want to protect the sensor from getting wet it will cause problems and
will efect the accuracy and responsiveness of the sensor.

I strongly suggest that you get some sticky taped velcro to mount the sensor.
And the control head of the hygrotherm.

the pros.
It can be programmed with a night and day temp and humidity gradients.
and can be used to heat or cool.

There is also some things I don't like about it.
#1 the backlight of the display is on all the time. and it is some what bright.
it will flash when there is a problem.
#2 you can't see both temp and humidity readings at the same time.
only the current reading and it s set point. you have to press the mode button
to toggle from one reading to the other.
#3 The night and day mode is controlled by a light sensor on the front of the unit.
so it will be keyed by what ever ambient light source you have in front of it.

[GrifTheGreat]

Good detailed explanation of use Louis.

Despite its flaws the Hygrotherm is quite reliable and the night settings don't have to be used at all and the unit will still function properly. It all depends on how you want your setup to function.

I recommend lights be placed on a separate timer so the night time setting of the Hygro can be passed over. The Zilla Power Center are a good unit for lights and have 8 outlets. 2 daylight, 2 night, and 4 constents. Also very reliable especially for a 12 hour day/night cycle.

[flybyferns]

I use a mist king - the basic set up comes with a seconds timer to adjust the misting frequency and duration

I use a few gadgets to monitor temp and humidity, but my main one is an in an indoor outdoor 'Ambient Weather' station

I have 2 receivers............. one down in the basement where the enclosures are and one right in front of me, upstairs, here at my desk) I have three thermometers-- connected to these receivers simultaneously -- I can change channels to monitor any tank the thermometer happens to be in.

[tinkgirl77]

Wow lynn, that's awesome.