# Fogger for Arboreals?



## WadeG (Sep 3, 2013)

Hello.  I am thinking of getting a few Avics for my collection.  However maintaining anything like 70 - 80% humidity with good ventilation poses a problem. I recently found a "Fogger"  used for amphibians that could solve this issue.  Does anyone have any experience with this item?  Thanks in advance!


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## edgeofthefreak (Sep 3, 2013)

I've seen them in use, and they make a buzzing sound of sorts. In a planted vivarium, with trickling water (think of a chameleon enclosure) the sound is a lot less noticeable. Also, I've heard the "humidity vs ventilation" is an over-thought issue. Plenty of posters rear avics from slings to adult without worrying about such issues.

I built an arboreal enclosure, just to test out humidity. Found that when I tripled the holes (went from 30 to 90+) I could keep the sub moist(ish) without it fogging up the sides. I think you'll find that less is more, even when it comes to avics.

Just my opinion. Now hopefully someone with REAL experience with the Avicularia genus can chime in!


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## BobGrill (Sep 3, 2013)

That's probably giving them too much humidity. People tend to exaggerate how much humidity avics need and often end up killing them by giving them too much moisture and not enough ventilation. All you need to do is mist the sides of the container and the substrate with a spray bottle. Make sure the substrate is damp but not soaked.


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## catfishrod69 (Sep 3, 2013)

More than likely all the fogger will do is make lots of mold, and reasons for mites to come in. Avics do just fine with a water dish, and an occasional flooding/misting. Another way to get higher humidity is by lowering ventilation. But then you also are making the air stale, and another way for mold to grow easily.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Kazaam (Sep 3, 2013)

Avicularias do not give a damn about the humidity as long as they're provided with a large shallow water dish.

Avicularias are not swamp dwellers, stop assuming that they are.


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## WadeG (Sep 3, 2013)

Thanks for all the good advice.  As it turned out I met someone with a fair amount of experience with Avics here in NM( humidity in the winter drops to sigle digits,)  Her suggestions were along the same lines as less humidity for captive T's.  She occasionally does use the fogger but splits it up 4 terrariums per fogger and then only when she travels for longer than a week.  Misting the sides seems the best option.  Thanks again for all the advice!  Its hard to be a newbee.


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## BobGrill (Sep 4, 2013)

Kazaam said:


> Avicularias do not give a damn about the humidity as long as they're provided with a large shallow water dish.
> 
> Avicularias are not swamp dwellers, stop assuming that they are.


Take it easy man.

And no problem, it's not your fault that so many people feel the need to exaggerate the amount of humidity that avics need. That's why I trust what I read on these boards more than I do a lot of books and caresheets.


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## Kazaam (Sep 4, 2013)

BobGrill said:


> Take it easy man.


I'm not angry, I just seem angry all of the time.


BobGrill said:


> And no problem, it's not your fault that so many people feel the need to exaggerate the amount of humidity that avics need. That's why I trust what I read on these boards more than I do a lot of books and caresheets.


The people on these boards seem to suffer from a terrible form of OCD when it comes to keeping adaptive animals that have survived for half a billion years throughout pretty much everything you can possibly throw at them.

Reactions: Like 1


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## BobGrill (Sep 4, 2013)

Kazaam said:


> I'm not angry, I just seem angry all of the time.
> 
> The people on these boards seem to suffer from a terrible form of OCD when it comes to keeping adaptive animals that have survived for half a billion years throughout pretty much everything you can possibly throw at them.


That's sort of generalizing. I think that's mainly just the noobs (which all of us were at one point). I see the same thing in a lot of books by many "experts".


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## vespers (Sep 4, 2013)

Kazaam said:


> Avicularias are not swamp dwellers, stop assuming that they are.


Well, technically they _do_ live in the same locations as some "swamp dwellers" (Ephebopus, Theraphosa) though. But what some people don't think about is that the trees of the rainforest canopy have different habitat conditions than the forest floor...greater air flow and generally less dampness.


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## Kazaam (Sep 4, 2013)

BobGrill said:


> That's sort of generalizing. I think that's mainly just the noobs (which all of us were at one point). I see the same thing in a lot of books by many "experts".


It seems to be the vast overwhelming majority of this hobby, atleast, to me.


vespers said:


> But what some people don't think about is that the trees of the rainforest canopy have different habitat conditions than the forest floor...greater air flow and generally less dampness.


Exactly, the conditions of microhabitats vary from those of the surrounding area in general.

They also don't seem to get that the conditions they have in the wild aren't necessarily the best conditions for them to have.


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## Zcreator (Sep 16, 2013)

Hi, I also live in Albuquerque and totally understand your concern.  People in lower altitudes and who have clouds in the sky don't realize how careful we have to be out here.  I've got an sub adult versicolor and this winter new slings to worry about, so I'll tell you what I learned last winter--mist the sides, not so much the substrate.  Last winter here (7% humidity outdoors an 25-30% in the house) I kept my substrate almost dry but  I was misting only the sides every other day to every day.  Once a week I misted the substrate and this way maintained a perfect 70-80%.  

This year with 8 slings, I'm going to make a humidity tank to keep them in.  I'm going to use a fifteen gallon spare tank I have, although I'm sure a sterilite/Rubbermaid of similar size would work too.  I fill it with a couple inches of water and then set in a coated metal cooling rack from baking, or you could use those metal stands made for giving more room in your kitchen cupboards.  Put the T containers on these shelves safely above the water and refill tank as necessary.


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## Peter_Parker (Sep 17, 2013)

From the standpoint of making an awesome display enclosure (less a practical breeding or rearing setup...), a fogger would make a pretty cool accent, as long as it's not one of the ones with the exposed heating element that can burn stuff in the terrarium... I've been cautioned against those, at least as far as reptiles go.


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## BobGrill (Sep 17, 2013)

I'd assume the vibrations caused by the fogger could possibly cause stress the spider out.


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