# whats the best manual misting or automatic?



## Raccoon (Mar 11, 2013)

What is the best option? manual misting (if so how much should you mist? maybe someone can upload video? :/) and if automatic do i just buy a thing that you can control like how many minutes per day it should be on? etc


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## GP dynamite (Feb 19, 2013)

This all depends on how much time you are able to invest in your frogs, many tanks you're doing, and evaporation etc... Many people here on the forum have frog rooms with 10-20+ Vivs. Hand misting for them is just not an option unless they want to do it for hours. You don't want to drown plants. You just want to keep the soil from drying out completely. 


I have four Vivs that I mist manually. I use a hand held pump mister. It cost me about 3 bucks at home improvement store. I basically just dampen everything. I spend about 15 seconds misting the ground in each of my 20 gallon tanks and then flush the bromeliads for about 3-5 seconds per bromeliad. The 40 gallon takes me about 30 secs of misting. I do this once every week to ten days to maintain 85-90percent humidity

If you want to use auto misting option there are a few good options. The mist king is the one I would purchase when I decide to go with the automated option. The basic setup can run up to ten misting heads at once. Then you have the monsoon by exoterra which is good if you plan on being away for an extended period. Some people have purchased pumps and made their own. I'm not that savvy nor will I pretend to be. *if you go with the automated misting option, you will have to either drill the tank and place a bulkhead for drainage or set up a small hidden pipe for siphoning water.*. If the soil is sitting in water, it will decompose rapidly causing all plants to die and a very foul swampy smelling vivarium. Hope this helps. I'm sure others will provide input as well


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## Raccoon (Mar 11, 2013)

GP dynamite said:


> This all depends on how much time you are able to invest in your frogs, many tanks you're doing, and evaporation etc... Many people here on the forum have frog rooms with 10-20+ Vivs. Hand misting for them is just not an option unless they want to do it for hours. You don't want to drown plants. You just want to keep the soil from drying out completely.
> 
> 
> I have four Vivs that I mist manually. I use a hand held pump mister. It cost me about 3 bucks at home improvement store. I basically just dampen everything. I spend about 15 seconds misting the ground in each of my 20 gallon tanks and then flush the bromeliads for about 3-5 seconds per bromeliad. The 40 gallon takes me about 30 secs of misting. I do this once every week to ten days to maintain 85-90percent humidity
> ...


wait wait wait... 
i thought it was like once a day?
becouse u know the dry season is like every other day once a day!
im confused help


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## epiphytes etc. (Nov 22, 2010)

I have 15 vivs and I hand mist them. I like that it gives me a chance to check on frogs and plants on a regular basis. For my dry season(s), I only mist about twice a week. For my wetter season(s), I mist nearly every day, but sometimes I don't. It's best not to over think it too much.


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## frogparty (Dec 27, 2007)

I also hand mist the 5 vivs I have going currently. 
For my "wet season" mid spring through mid fall I mist every day, or every other day
For my "dry season" I must only once or twice a week. I do NOT saturate my substrate, I mist enough to clean the glass, refill bromeliads and moisten moss around plants. 

You really don't need to mist as much as many people on here do. In my experience, most froggers keep their tanks far too wet


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## frogfreak (Mar 4, 2009)

I have an automatic misting system, but only use very short bursts to keep the humidity up. I have lots on ventilation.

I mist by hand also to water plants individually, when needed.

I agree, that many people keep their tanks far to wet.


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## gturmindright (Mar 15, 2006)

Automation is better. Less disturbance. If you can get it setup properly with the timer and timing etc...not that its difficult but I mist by hand. I like to do it around feeding time bc it seems like it makes the flies more active.The frequency of your misting depends on your ventilation and what type of environment youre trying to create.


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## GP dynamite (Feb 19, 2013)

I didn't mention that the reason I mist weekly is A) my Santa Isabels don't need any more breeding coercion they do just fine and B) my plants are thriving and my humidity stays at 85 % with that misting schedule. Keeping in mind that some of us live in more arid regions than others.

I like being able to check on the frogs microfauna population and plants.


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## Boboluke (Apr 12, 2013)

I only have the one viv (so far), but with the absolute lack of humidity here and the need for ventilation to keep temperature under control I went with the automated route. I was using a hand sprayer, but it got a bit much since I would have to spray 3 or 4 times each day.

The really fine mist from the nozzles also seems to be a lot softer than if you accidentally blast someone with a hand sprayer.


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