# Misting System or Hand-Mist?



## T2theG (Jul 6, 2013)

I was just wondering what some of the other members on here think about having an auto misting system or just hand-misting a vivarium?

My viv is an 18" Cubed Exo Terra Vivarium that I have a Exo Terra Monsoon hooked up to and then a Hygrotherm controlling the humidity and the temp in the viv. A lot of people on here have told me to steer away from the monsoon and the hygrotherm because of inevitable issues or complete failure in the products.

I've had the whole viv up and running for about a month now with no issues, but I'm just worried if as many people told me they had issues with it that I will too eventually. 

Thanks for any help in advance, I have also attached a picture of my viv currently. Enjoy!


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

I have 17 tanks and hand mist with a cheap spray bottle. It's adequate and I enjoy the time it affords me to look over the tanks and the frogs to make sure everything's ok. Quick mist in the morning, followed by some delicious flies. 

ETA: Ooooh your tank is gorgeous!


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## SDRiding (Jul 31, 2012)

Mount the hygrotherm sensor away from any of the organics and so the mist doesn't spray directly on it. I actually started with a hygrotherm and monsoon. The monsoon became possessed and would turn on whenever it wanted. The hygrotherm would routinely become stuck at 95 rh. Many humidity gauges seem to have issues when permanently placed in a viv. Now I just hand mist, it's actually easier than fussing and worrying about them. The hand mister I use has a jet setting that comes in handy for keeping things clean too.

Nice looking viv you have there! Just keep an eye on how it operates, you might have a different experience.


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## Sea-Agg09 (Feb 2, 2013)

1 tank up to about... 4-5 tanks. I would hand mist. More and I would get a mister.


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## B-NICE (Jul 15, 2011)

I have 2 hand misters and I'm on 13 tanks. Mist king is the favorite...


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## CJ PELCH (Apr 9, 2013)

12 tanks here with both tree frogs and darts in separate enclosures.

I have a monsoon...But it sux horribly. I handmist now. I was thinking about getting a mist king but as frogface stated: Its good to look over your vivs to make sure everything is in order. I got lazy when i had those stupid automatic remote starter misters. Only thing i would recommend on timers and automatic settings is light and ONLY lighting. Just my 2 cents.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Do you have just one tank? Hand mist. It'll save you a few bucks, and it'll also give you a better sense oh whats going on with your tank since you're interacting with it more


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## LexisaurusRex (Aug 8, 2013)

I love hand misting so everything doesn't get overly wet. And I get to see all my pals! We use one if those pesticide sprayer pumps (smallest one without a hose) that was like $8 at home depo and it works so great! Takes 30 seconds to mist.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


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## bsr8129 (Sep 23, 2010)

If you start out with one tank, remember that one may turn into 4, then 7, then 9+ and you may - want to get a mist system. I started with one tank and now have 9 tanks and trying to retofit the system is going to be a pain in the butt. Always plan ahead if you can.


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## JonRich (Oct 19, 2012)

I have had a Monsoon for some time now. It recently failed (with a full tank of water) and the timer stayed on the whole day. It flooded the 3 tanks it was running on. Thank god these were false bottom tanks and all i had to so was siphon out the water. But i would be pulling my hair out if they were full substrate, even with a drainage layer.

I hand mist all my other tanks. Only upside to having a system is if you leave the house before the lights for your tanks come on. I try not to mist while the animals are asleep. Its also good for the times when i'm gone for a few days.

I have a MistKing now. I still use the Monsoon container to hold water, just drilled the MistKing bulkhead into it straight to the MK pump. I even used the already existing tubing that was already ran to tanks.


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## IEatBugs (May 15, 2012)

Just as others have said, for a few tanks I would just hand mist them, it works just fine and you can control how much water and where the water goes. On the other hand, having a misting system does have its benefits. Being able to leave for a few days and still keeping the humidity up is always nice. Using a hand sprayer does allow for more interaction with the tank but I use my feeding time to check out the frogs. Having an auto mister saves me time and allows me to use the time to better the vivs or do more cleaning or build new ones.


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## JohnVI (May 1, 2013)

So for hand misting, do you run the risk of the flies getting out. And what is the best thing to do if you do go away for a few days. .ample supply of food with a banana slice and just saturate everything. .

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2


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## frogface (Feb 20, 2010)

JohnVI said:


> So for hand misting, do you run the risk of the flies getting out. And what is the best thing to do if you do go away for a few days. .ample supply of food with a banana slice and just saturate everything. .
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2


Frogs should be ok for a few days without feeding as long as they are already healthy frogs. It's nice to have microfauna in the tank for them to snack on. I think it's a good idea to have some form of water source so they can soak, in case the tank loses humidity while you are away.


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## bsr8129 (Sep 23, 2010)

JohnVI said:


> So for hand misting, do you run the risk of the flies getting out. And what is the best thing to do if you do go away for a few days. .ample supply of food with a banana slice and just saturate everything. .
> 
> Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2


yes one of the reasons I am going with a mistking is if i mist the day after feeding I get all kinds of fly escapees. Currently I only hand mist my tanks every 3 or 4 days.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

I hand mist 23 vivariums and I have a Monsoon hooked up on one. I totally agree with what others have said previously. You get much more close up and personal with your frogs when you hand mist. You get to see their behavior more, interactions with tankmates, general health of the frog by spending the time to mist by hand vs and automated misting system. While I do admit sometimes it would be nice to hit a button and mist all the tanks with no effort, I think by and large it's our human laziness that drives us to the automated misting systems. We can't hold these frogs, so other than feeding time, how many times do you really have a chance to open up the viv and observe them closely? Hand misting is an opportunity to do exactly that. 
I would encourage everyone to mist by hand. It allows for more seasonal variation, as there are usually distinct wet and dry seasons in the neotropics, and it also allows for daily variations. For example here in SWFL we usually get a nice rainstorm in the mid to late afternoon at this time of year. I can hand mist my frogs as the storm front rolls through. This in combination with the change in barometric pressure stimulates the frogs to call like crazy, perhaps more courting/egg laying is occurring during these events. 
I'm all for trying to create seasonal variation for my frogs, including the photoperiod, in an attempt to replicate their natural environment as close as possible.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

IEatBugs said:


> Being able to leave for a few days and still keeping the humidity up is always nice.


I've left my tank without misting for a week before without any repercussions. If your tank is unvented it'll hold the humidity for a good amount of time even if it looks dry. The humidity in NJ is only at 36% right now, and I regularly go 1-3 days without misting. In Ft. Myers, FL right now the humidity is a whopping 83%! I wouldn't worry about misting again until the ambient humidity dropped below 50%.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wea...+Ft.+Myers,+FL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

hypostatic said:


> I've left my tank without misting for a week before without any repercussions. If your tank is unvented it'll hold the humidity for a good amount of time even if it looks dry. The humidity in NJ is only at 36% right now, and I regularly go 1-3 days without misting. In Ft. Myers, FL right now the humidity is a whopping 83%! I wouldn't worry about misting again until the ambient humidity dropped below 50%.
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=wea...+Ft.+Myers,+FL&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official


Well we just had our afternoon thunderstorm roll through so according to my Davis Weather Station the outside humidity is 91%. Now because we have to run the A/C pretty much year round here it does dry out the air somewhat. Right now the humidity in the frogroom is at 60%. I don't mist often, 2, maybe 3 times a week at most. When I shut the frogs off from breeding, I may mist once a week or once every 10 days.


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## hypostatic (Apr 25, 2011)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> We can't hold these frogs, so other than feeding time, how many times do you really have a chance to open up the viv and observe them closely? Hand misting is an opportunity to do exactly that.


Also, my big and bold azureus will come out and greet me whenever I mist the tank, so this is one more reason why I find hand-misting enjoyable



Rusty_Shackleford said:


> For example here in SWFL we usually get a nice rainstorm in the mid to late afternoon at this time of year. I can hand mist my frogs as the storm front rolls through. This in combination with the change in barometric pressure stimulates the frogs to call like crazy, perhaps more courting/egg laying is occurring during these events.
> I'm all for trying to create seasonal variation for my frogs, including the photoperiod, in an attempt to replicate their natural environment as close as possible.


Oh I also like to do this! I feel bad if I don't mist when it rains because the frogs can actually sense when it's SUPPOSED to rain, so if I don't mist when it does rain I feel like I'm messing with their internal rain-o-meters


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## IEatBugs (May 15, 2012)

hypostatic said:


> I've left my tank without misting for a week before without any repercussions. If your tank is unvented it'll hold the humidity for a good amount of time even if it looks dry. The humidity in NJ is only at 36% right now, and I regularly go 1-3 days without misting. In Ft. Myers, FL right now the humidity is a whopping 83%! I wouldn't worry about misting again until the ambient humidity dropped below 50%.


I too have left my tanks for extended periods and not had an auto mister. Personally, I like to have some ventilation and I have no sealed tanks. Keep in mind there is not only one way to do things, there are many variables and many ways to achieve success. 

Humidity here is high and it usually is during the summer months. Just because the humidity outside is 80%+ doesn't mean it is inside, that would be brutal. My home usually runs between 30-50% depending on how hot it is outside. The more the AC runs the lower it stays, and this time of year because my unit is old, it runs all day. Just my .02


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## JohnVI (May 1, 2013)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> I hand mist 23 vivariums and I have a Monsoon hooked up on one. I totally agree with what others have said previously. You get much more close up and personal with your frogs when you hand mist. You get to see their behavior more, interactions with tankmates, general health of the frog by spending the time to mist by hand vs and automated misting system. While I do admit sometimes it would be nice to hit a button and mist all the tanks with no effort, I think by and large it's our human laziness that drives us to the automated misting systems. We can't hold these frogs, so other than feeding time, how many times do you really have a chance to open up the viv and observe them closely? Hand misting is an opportunity to do exactly that.
> I would encourage everyone to mist by hand. It allows for more seasonal variation, as there are usually distinct wet and dry seasons in the neotropics, and it also allows for daily variations. For example here in SWFL we usually get a nice rainstorm in the mid to late afternoon at this time of year. I can hand mist my frogs as the storm front rolls through. This in combination with the change in barometric pressure stimulates the frogs to call like crazy, perhaps more courting/egg laying is occurring during these events.
> I'm all for trying to create seasonal variation for my frogs, including the photoperiod, in an attempt to replicate their natural environment as close as possible.


Very well said and informational. 

Sent from my SPH-L900 using Tapatalk 2


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## Joeman (Oct 10, 2011)

One thought is something I have been working on. I have a filter pump under hydroballs in the bottom of the tank. I took my broken monsoon system cords and retrofitted them to attach to the pump. It cycles the water and filters it. I call it my rain tank and it is hooked to a timer. I love it, but you need water heavy or fake pants for your tank to make it look nice.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

Joeman said:


> One thought is something I have been working on. I have a filter pump under hydroballs in the bottom of the tank. I took my broken monsoon system cords and retrofitted them to attach to the pump. It cycles the water and filters it. I call it my rain tank and it is hooked to a timer. I love it, but you need water heavy or fake pants for your tank to make it look nice.


How is your water filtered? I think the problem with your system is that whatever bacteria filters down from your substrate through to your waste water is then being sprayed back into the tank. It's like misting with feces water..ewwwwww.


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## Joeman (Oct 10, 2011)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> How is your water filtered? I think the problem with your system is that whatever bacteria filters down from your substrate through to your waste water is then being sprayed back into the tank. It's like misting with feces water..ewwwwww.


I have actually set up a literal water filter in the substrate. It is a repticlear F350 that I have under a false bottom hatch. I can change the filter easily when it gets overused but it does make for a good rain tank to breed my Tincs. Also to mention is that the 350 is not a small filter either.


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## Rusty_Shackleford (Sep 2, 2010)

So that filters out parasites like coccidia and hookworms and other nasty stuff?
I don't want to burst your bubble or say you can't make it happen, but this idea has been brought up before and I believe the general thought was it's a bad idea. I tried to search for the exact thread but I was unable to find it. Perhaps you could look into it further.


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## Joeman (Oct 10, 2011)

Rusty_Shackleford said:


> So that filters out parasites like coccidia and hookworms and other nasty stuff?
> I don't want to burst your bubble or say you can't make it happen, but this idea has been brought up before and I believe the general thought was it's a bad idea. I tried to search for the exact thread but I was unable to find it. Perhaps you could look into it further.


Ill search around. It isnt hard to filter the water and use water conditioners for it on top of what I am doing, so I am not hugely concerned. But I definitely will investigate further.


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## scoy (Jan 22, 2013)

Useing nasty water in an automater mist system is something you'll wanna stay away from. I havent made the leap to mist king yet. But all my tanks are drilled for nozles with bulkhead drains because I do plan on it. I'll be buying an ro water system to use with it aswell. I've heard alot of stories about peoples hoses and nozles getting backed up/cloged with gunk.


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