Misting, Fogging, Ultrasonic Cool Mist, Hand Spraying ???

[Philsuma]

What does it all mean ?

Make my head stop hurting !

Hand Misting - 100% must. It allows you to "spot mist" and forces the hobbyist to "engage" the viv. Hand misters are cheap and available EVERYWHERE in many sizes and colours . Use a clean / new one. THIS is the recommended method of delivering humidity to the enclosure and frogs. 

Auto Misting system - Very important in large scale operations and multiple vivs....like 10-20 or more. Allows for vacations and time off....greatly assists in that manner. MistKing is one such product / brand.

Cool Mist "ultrasonic" Fogging - Least important but def a helpful addition. Some plants prefer it and thrive better with the cool ultrasonic mist rather than a fine water droplet spray. A "Wow" factor for guests to enjoy as well. Has it's place in the hobby but certainly comes after misting in terms of importance. The unit sits OUTSIDE the vivarium and the mist is plumbed into the vivarium via a tube. KAZ and Vicks are two examples of Brands / companies. This is not to be used on a daily basis - these animals do not live in a cloud forest. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that the ultrasonic humidity harms the frogs. 

In-viv circular or Disc "bubbler" fogger that gets set in a pool of water inside the viv - Complete trash and dangerous.....kills animals and malfuntions always.

[Philsuma]

Trying to clear this up...get a starting point for more in depth discussion.

Lot of newbies unsure of what the various "water delivery" systems are and they seem to be advising each other...incorrectly.

[Natures Gems]

i use the hand misting system and it works well for me. i've been thinking about eventually having a misting system or ultrasonic.

are there any frog safety issues associated with ultrasonic units or misting systems such as the amount of pressure expelled if a frog is directly in proximity of the misting unit? are there adjustments to pressure?

tom

[Philsuma]

i use the hand misting system and it works well for me. i've been thinking about eventually having a misting system or ultrasonic.

are there any frog safety issues associated with ultrasonic units or misting systems such as the amount of pressure expelled if a frog is directly in proximity of the misting unit? are there adjustments to pressure?

tom

No problems, issues or health concerns that I have ever seen or heard.

My personal experience - I've had azureus literally "bathe" under the flow / output of the cool mist. I'm sure they even sought it out.

Some plants - ferns esp, grow like crazy with the ultrasonic.

[Natures Gems]

thanks phil good to know. my plants already grow like weeds with hand misting. i'd probably be pruning constantly with those sytems.

i wasn't quite sure how the systems worked as far as the pressure coming out of the outflow nozzles/ports but i'm glad there are no known issues. thanks

tom

[Philsuma]

Tom,

Pick up one of the "KAZ" brand units off eBay and experiment with it. They are not that expensive and are very durable.

Here's the exact model I like and recommend. I used to run 4 of these and had done so for years without any problems. They even run "dry" and don't break or burn up.





http://www.ebay.com/sch/?_from=R40&_trk ... Categories

http://health-and-beauty.become.com/kaz ... c206096854

[Natures Gems]

thanks phil i appreciate it . i'm saving the links and will research when ready. great feature that they can run low just in case. again thanks for those links.

tom

[J Teezy]

misting systems are also great for just one viv. Set on a timer i only need to go into my viv to feed and spot clean. Keeps humidity right where i want it all the time

[Philsuma]

if you are new...select a good clean, brand new, hand pump mister from home depot, lowes ect.

Do not try to plumb a fogger in for your first viv. Foggers are pretty much for show and they can malfunction or otherwise be cantankerous.

Go simple at first. A hand mister is all that is needed.

[Philsuma]

Most Dart Frogs do not live in a cloud forest. Some Costa Rica pumilio are close as I understand it, but it's more of a range issue and not the norm.

I would not recommend using only an ultrasonic fogger for humidity purposes. I would also think that animals may develop lung and possible bacterial issues.

Misting is both more realistic and safer.

[Philsuma]

Most Dart Frogs do not live in a cloud forest. Some Costa Rica pumilio are close as I understand it, but it's more of a range issue and not the norm.

I would not recommend using only an ultrasonic fogger for humidity purposes. I would also think that animals may develop lung and possible bacterial issues.

Misting is both more realistic and safer.

[goods]

Most Dart Frogs do not live in a cloud forest. Some Costa Rica pumilio are close as I understand it, but it's more of a range issue and not the norm.

I would not recommend using only an ultrasonic fogger for humidity purposes. I would also think that animals may develop lung and possible bacterial issues.

Misting is both more realistic and safer.

No problems, issues or health concerns that I have ever seen or heard.

My personal experience - I've had azureus literally "bathe" under the flow / output of the cool mist. I'm sure they even sought it out.

Some plants - ferns esp, grow like crazy with the ultrasonic.

So what changed??

[Philsuma]

Oops forgot the accompanying new text. Glad someone is paying attention! Just some real world observation to combat the minority opinion that 100% fogging is OK and can take the place of misting.

No way IMO

Having observed Costa Rican and Panamanian dart frogs, there is no way an aquarium full of ultrasonic fog is natural or healthy for them.

[goods]

While I don't think running a fogger the entire time lights are on is at all a good thing, I do think they have their place. If they're run connected to a quality humidistat or say 15 to 20 sec a few times a day to supplement misting, I think they are beneficial. Many people keep their tanks entirely too wet from misting, so I think these ultrasonic humidifiers serve as a way to boost humidity without absolutely soaking the tank.

There are some interesting pictures in the species account section of the Lotters et al. book of the habitat of either Oophaga arborea or vicentei (I don't have my book here right now to be sure...doing this off memory) where trees and bromeliads are totally shrouded in mist. I know these aren't species that are readily around (or around at all), but that would be an interesting habitat to replicate.

[Philsuma]

Hand spraying or even general misting?...it varies from tank to tank and physical location. There is no such thing as a guide on how much to mist or what humidity to arrive at. Humidity and misting are husbandry aspects that each hobbyist is going to have to 'feel their way around'.

[Philsuma]

boom