Reptile Fogger Vs Mister

Difference Between Foggers And Misters

As a general rule, reptiles kept in artificial environments, need humidity. A moist reptile habitat is not only required for hydration but also for incubation of eggs, shedding, and other reptile behaviors.

On top of it, a comfortable environment makes reptiles feel safe and therefore, less stressed.

There are two ways of designing a humid habitat for your reptile pet: by adding a fogger or by adding a mister. The practical difference between the two is that the misters form a rainy environment and produce little droplets, while the foggers are used to introduce fog in the habitat.

As the name suggests, reptile foggers shot molecules of water in the air and thus creating an effect like fog. Reptile foggers do not use powerful pumps rather they use ultrasonic sound to vaporize the liquid water.

On the other hand, misting systems spray a very fine mist of water into the enclosure which swirls around creating a cloud and eventually settles. There are usually two varieties of misting systems; low pressure and high pressure. High-pressure misters are more preferred over low-pressure misters’ systems because of their efficiency.

Both devices are often set up to be activated by a timer so that a certain moisture level is maintained more or less constantly throughout the day.

Reptile Fogger Vs Mister, Which One Is Objectively Better?

Mister pros:

• Misting systems can control the humidity far more precisely than foggers

• With just one mister you can mist multiple enclosures of any size and in any position, even in different rooms.  You can have different humidity levels in different enclosures by using a different number of nozzles and you can point nozzles to certain areas of the habitat that require more misting thus creating the required gradient.

• Misters add substantially more moisture than do foggers

• With a mister, plants get watered, while a fogger is not meant to wet the plants 

• The texture of moisture produced by a mister is noticeably more granular than the moisture produced by a fogger and thus,  a misting system will help dispose of any reptile waste by washing it down to the substrate where it will be naturally recycled as nutrients for the plants.

Fogger pros:

• Foggers create a cooler environment

• In most tropical areas, the humidity rises during the night; if activated by night the fogger would mimic this

• Foggers are much more silent: many mister models are quite noisy, they certainly make more noise than a fogger.

Checklist of things besides foggers & misters you will want to consider when creating a humid environment for your reptile pet:

• TEMPERATURE: Keep an eye on temperature; if the bulbs are too hot for the tank, the tank can dry out too quickly, but if the temperature is too low, then the moisture from the soil does not have a chance to evaporate. You can get a thermometer and hydrometer to keep on top of both humidity and temperature. Zoo Med Offers a Digital Hygrometer that will work well.

• ENCLOSURE: Glass enclosures help to keep the humidity in the terrarium higher. Most mesh enclosures provide great ventilation but at the cost of lower humidity.

• TANK or TERRARIUM LOCATION: Ensure that your tank is not directly by a window or under a heat/air conditioning vent. The increase in air circulation can dry out the tank very quickly.

• SOIL: keeping deep soil in the cage (at least 3”) prevents it from drying out quickly, even in a tropical setting. In what has to do with substrate choice, it is important to get the right one, as it makes a big difference in keeping humidity higher. Avoid non-porous substrates such as sand or crushed walnut.  For example Exo Terra Exo Terra Forest Bark Terrarium Substrate is a great option.

• LIVE PLANTS: Adding live plants into your pet terrarium will help increase the natural humidity in the tank. Do your research to ensure you find a non-toxic plant for your pet.

• WATER DISH: If you notice your reptile’s water drying out overnight, increase the bowl size. Many reptiles and amphibians, enjoy having an oversize bathing area. Be careful that the animal can still exit the bowl; drowning is always a risk – especially in young reptiles.

Conclusion

Which one to choose depends on your particular requirements and taste.

Also on  how much humidity you need to add to your enclosure, as per your pet particular requirements and  as per the natural climate, you are already living in (meaning by this, that your requirements in terms of humidity will not be the same if you are living in Miami than if you live in Las Vegas)

As far as ambiance goes, I’d rather incline myself for a fogger, even if the sight of mist inside the enclosure also helps recreate a realistic environment that is enjoyable to view. However, fog looks much cooler to me!

However, if you want to automate,you better get a misting system, as foggers normally require additional hand misting.

Also, a misting system can control humidity far more precisely.

The convenience of choosing a mister or a fogger does also depends on the number of enclosures you have. Some foggers come with two pipes and therefore can attend two enclosures at a time.

But if you have more than two enclosures, a mister might look more convenient cause it would allow you to attend all your enclosures, even if placed in different rooms.

If you can, do both. I would use the misting system early in the morning, and afternoon, and the fogger at night.

You can check out our best reptile fogger review which also features a mister on there as well.