Instructions for Time Mist

If you have reptiles in a terrarium, you probably have thought about ways to set up an automated misting system that will keep the animals or reptiles hydrated, without requiring you to manually do it. There are pre-made kits you can purchase that will do the job, but if you don't want to spend the money or you just want to have the experience of building your own system, it's not difficult to build a time-based mist system. All it requires are some basic parts, some time and a bit of ingenuity.

  1. Materials and Construction

    • To set up your misting system, you will need a water source (either a faucet in your home or a pressure sprayer), a variety of nozzles and valves, a sprinkler timer, tubing and one or more misting heads. The sprinkler timer is going to be the most expensive part of this setup, but it is also the most crucial. It will control the flow of water and you can set when you want water to flow through the system and when you want it to be stopped. Attach your pressure sprayer to the sprinkler timer, then attach that to the misting head(s), using tubing and valves as needed to attach everything together firmly and securely. Fill your pressure sprayer up or turn on the water to your system, set your timer and you will be ready to go.

    Considerations

    • When you put your misting system together, be sure to protect against leaks. A leaking misting system will not only cause damage to your home, but if it leaks into your terrarium, it can harm your pets. If you are using a pressure sprayer to drive the water for the misters, this problem can be mostly alleviated, since only a small amount of water will actually leak out. The downside of this, of course, is that you need to regularly pump up the system to keep it functioning properly. If the pressure drops too much, water will only trickle out of the misting heads. Consider your terrarium and home environment carefully, as well as how often your reptiles will need to be misted when choosing what type of water source to use.