Fogger or Mister ?????

[Philsuma]

The best way, BY FAR, to deliver adequate as well as 'realistic' humidity for dart frogs is by using a misting system or even better, larger droplets from a plant mister / hand pump or battery operated - like an insecticide sprayer. BIG droplets. This allows for a more natural humidity gradient, not a fine mist or an even finer enveloping 'fog'. The problem is with new people. They see the big companies like Zoo med and ex Terra marketing foggers and then travel 2 miles to PETCO and buy them thinking they are the best delivery system. They are not. The finer the mist, the quicker the evaporation, and new people usually take a long time with the humidity learning curve - ending up with too dry. Then the opposite comes into play. Too long of a fog and you get respiration / evaporative cooling issues and bacteria. Use the best tool for the job - Hand mist for 1 - a few tanks, and mistking auto misters for large collections. Wait until you're in the hobby for a while and get the hang of providing adequate humidity before getting a fogger. Less mistakes and deaths that way.

[Philsuma]

From Allison Lockwood - Foggers create aerosolized droplets that aren’t natural. This causes two main issues: #1 the dense fog coats their skin and knowing that frog’s respiration is mostly cutaneous, you can see how the skin being coated with these droplets will make it hard to breathe. People using foggers will wonder why their frogs are climbing more and have their mouths open often and it’s because they can’t breathe. climbing trying to escape and gasping for oxygen. I’ve actually heard people say. "Wow, this fogger is great! My frogs are so much more active now, they are actually out and climbing like crazy🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

#2 the aerosolized droplets on a frog’s very permeable skin are just the right size and are great at delivering all the bacteria, chemicals, minerals and mold the fogging system has straight into the poor amphibian’s system.

[Philsuma]

The problem, at least in the USA, is that big companies and thus, big box stores are Pushing the sale of foggers. Misting systems are not stocked in big box stores and thus, the newbies are quickly accessing the foggers and thinking they are good / all they need.

Use the right tool for the job. Disease and respiration are one thing, but the fogger does such a poor job of maintaining essential humidity due to the small size droplets. The last thing a new hobbyist needs is a tool that works only half as well as you need it to work.