Should I Use a Sprayer or a Fogger?
by Luke Tansley on in Products
Humidity is a vital part of an enclosures climate for many exotic pets and the best ways to introduce it would be with foggers or misters/sprayers. As with many things in this hobby the best option will vary depending on your enclosure, where the enclosure is placed and which species you plan to keep in it. To some extent, it is also dependant on which weather effect you would prefer in your enclosure. For the most part, when considering these items we are planning to use them in a mesh or glass enclosure and for species that enjoy periods or require constant high humidity. Some examples include dart frogs, panther chameleons, crested geckos, tree frogs etc.
What is a sprayer?
Sprayers come in a variety of shapes and sizes but generally, you will be picking between hand sprayers or automatic misting systems. Hand sprayers or manual pressure sprayers are great when you want the most control. You are able to spray for as long as you like and aim the nozzle in any direction. We use a pressure sprayer in-store to mist all of our enclosures as it allows us much better control over the amount of water entering the enclosure, the direction it enters from and we are able to inspect the enclosure as we spray it. On the downside, it does require manual intervention so you will need to remember every day. The amount of water and time between sprays is also less consistent. Misting systems, on the other hand, are much more reliable as they will spray for a set period at a set time every day. The only intervention required is to refill the reservoir regularly and to check every now and again that the unit is still working. There is less control over the direction of the nozzle and with more mechanical parts there is a higher risk of malfunction. For the most part, these units are reliable but they still need to be checked periodically just in case something has gone wrong.
What is a fogger?
Foggers are any device that turns a standing pool of water or a reservoir into a fine mist or fog and allows it to build up within the enclosure. They can either be small devices kept within a decoration or water bowl within the enclosure or an external device with a pipe or hose to feed the mist into the enclosure. Both are great but for the most part, we like to keep hardware outside the enclosure wherever possible. Foggers are a great way to add humidity to an enclosure whilst creating a natural fog/mist effect. On the downside, they don’t produce as much condensation within the enclosure so the humidity tends to drop faster than when an enclosure is sprayed. One key feature for any fogger is for it to cut off if the reservoir runs dry as they can break.
So which is better?
When we are deciding between these items the first thing we consider is how the animal is likely to get their hydration. There are many species of gecko, lizard and invertebrate that will drink the condensation or collected water droplets on their ornaments and plants. There are others that require an open body of water or standing water dish in their enclosure all of the time. If the species needs water droplets on their decorations we would recommend a hand sprayer or automatic misting system. If the enclosure already has a water bowl or body of water that the animal is drinking from they you could choose either device. To maximise the effect of sprayers and foggers we would advise including absorbent material like bark, these should soak in water while the mister or fogger is running and allow it to evaporate throughout the day.
If you have any questions on which would be best for your species or need any help choosing a device for your enclosure please contact us at sales@reptilecentre.com or by phone at 01604753823
