Reptile & Amphibian Forums

hi,
i am planning on building a misting system soon. however, i am very much so at a loss for how to do this. i have a basic understanding. the vivarium in question will just be a 10 gallon vivarium. here goes:
1) the basic things i will need are a pump, the hosing, and the nozzle-- is this correct?
2) for such a small application, i am looking at the pumps on homedepot.com: is the "beckett small submersible pond pump" rated at 210 gph big enough? is it too big? could i get something smaller, like the "beckett small submersible fountain pump" rated at 60 gph?
3) under the description of, say, the small submersible pond pump, it says, "connects with 1/2 in. ID tube." help with that?
4) any recommendations for the high pressure tubing/ nozzle size (a very fine mist, preferably).

thankyou very much,
shawn

Hello,

For a 10 gallon aquarium, you're probably better off purchasing one of the single nozzel misting systems. Check out www.herpsupplies.com or www.bigappleherp.com. I've built my own system to mist up to six cages however I have about $80 wrapped up in my system. The problem with using the pond pumps like you mentioned is while they have a high gallon per hour rate they put out little in the way of pressure. The pumps that drive most of the commercial systems are able to pump the water at up to 55 psi. One economical way to make a misting system is to use a garden sprayer hooked up to a sprinkler timer. Check out www.barrs.com for misting supplies and how to hook up the sprayer/mister. Feel free to email me if you have other questions.
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Matt Campbell
Animal Keeper, Small Mammal/Reptile House
Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago, Illinois

Assistant Curator
Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, Illinois