Our reptilian friends are composed of two-thirds water. This essential element MUST be maintained at proper levels to give your reptile the best quality of life. One of the easiest ways to do this? By providing them with one of these best reptile misting systems!
You see, while hydration is maintained partly through providing fresh, clean drinking water… it is often largely (if not exclusively) provided by a humid environment.
Keeping a reptile’s habitat at the right humidity can be an ongoing job that involves frequent misting and using plants to naturally provide humidity.
Some people use a spray bottle to mist the terrarium frequently. However, most experienced reptile owners will use an automated misting system and a hygrometer to make sure conditions are ideal for their pet.
The hygrometer measures the humidity while the misting system provides a consistent water source throughout the day. This ensures levels do not rise and fall like they do with manual misting.
It is critical that each misting system is set up for the specific needs of each reptile.
Think of it like this, reptiles that come from a desert environment will have different requirements than those that come from a more tropical environment.
Misting systems may not be necessary if a reptile needs a low humidity environment. However, for reptiles that rely on humidity to thrive, a misting system can be the difference between life and death.
Interested in learning more about the best reptile misting systems and misting systems in general? If so, just keep reading!
Curious or in a hurry?
✅ Buyer’s Tip: These specific reptile misting systems are MOST popular with our readers. Need a fogger too? No worries! Our readers swear by these two foggers.
In This Article
Reptile Fogger Vs. Reptile Mister – What’s the Difference?
A reptile mister’s job is to mimic rain, so it disperses actual droplets of water into the environment. It is more commonly used when housing reptiles.
This increases the humidity level but, depending on the creature being housed, may also provide a water source for some reptiles who prefer to eat water droplets than drink from a dish.
On the flip side, a reptile fogger mimics fog in nature. It does not replace a mister.
The water is very fine and unless the humidity is incredibly high (this is generally undesirable) there will not be visible droplets accumulating on foliage or glass.
The fogger shouldn’t be used to replace a mister but can be used in conjunction with one.
Additionally, some reptile owners may choose to use a mister during the day and a fogger at night to mimic natural water cycles as fog tends to accumulate overnight.
We’ve gathered the 12 best reptile foggers to check out if you want to do the same!
Best Reptile Misting System #1: Exo Terra Monsoon Solo II
The Exo-Terra Monsoon Solo II High-Pressure Misting System is a programmable machine that allows you to set both the frequency and duration of misting. The frequency cycle setting is for how often it turns on and the duration is for how long it sprays.
Options are plentiful as you can program the mister’s frequency for every 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 hours.
Meanwhile, the duration is listed in seconds and it can be set to spray for 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, 30, or even 120 seconds!
The container holds 0.4 gallons of water and works well with smaller enclosures. The nozzle can be easily pointed in any direction and is held in place with a suction cup.
It comes with a lot of extra tubing that can be trimmed to size as well as extra suction cups. Two nozzles can be used with this mister.
The Monsoon misting system uses a fine mist but you still need to monitor the humidity with a hygrometer.
Humidity levels can vary significantly depending on the season and location so a hygrometer is necessary to find the ideal balance.
It’s recommended to use distilled water or water that has been treated using reverse osmosis.
This keeps the misting system pumps from gathering build-up, specifically from minerals like calcium. This also prevents build-up on the glass in the terrarium and is better for the reptile’s health.
Reviewers of this system like it because it is quiet and doesn’t scare reptiles when it is on.
Best Reptile Misting System #2: Mistking Misting System
The Mistking misting system is a popular, well-established system. Even the starter version could be considered an upgrade when compared with other misting systems.
The points made here about this system are for the basic set-up, but Mistking also sells an advanced package that can manage over 70+ nozzles and is more likely to be used by someone involved in reptile sales or breeding.
It’s important to note that the Mistking’s mist is finer than the Monsoon. This might not matter for some, but for others it is worth noting.
The basic Mistking system that the average reptile owner should consider can have a maximum of 10 to 20 nozzles and is totally customizable.
This means that instead of having a limited water reservoir like other systems, you can pick the water reservoir you want to use.
You can set it up with a five-gallon bucket or any larger container. This makes automated hydration very simplified as you do not need to add water every day or twice a day. This is perfect if you are going on vacation.
The timer is also more customizable than any other model and has up to 10 different timer settings. These can vary significantly so it doesn’t have to spray at the same time every day.
For example, it could mist at 10 a.m. on a Sunday for 10 seconds, but at 9 a.m. on Monday for one minute. This allows you to really take care of humidity levels and works well if the air naturally has more or less moisture throughout the day.
For example, if it is hotter and drier in the afternoon you may want to mist longer and more frequently than at night.
Buyers say this is an ideal misting system because of its flexibility and quality. They are impressed with how quiet it is, especially when considering how powerful the pump is.
However, it should be said that while this system does come with all the necessary parts for a basic set-up, there is often a need to buy more parts like longer tubes or extra nozzles.
Best Reptile Misting System #3: Reptizoo Misting System
This misting system is a simple set-up for beginner reptile owners. It’s not as complex as the Mistking, but it is also not as versatile.
The mister has manual buttons, but they also offer a fogger, which has digital controls.
The best features of the Reptizoo Misting System are that…
- It can support up to 20 nozzles at a time
- Has a 10 liter (2.6 gallon) holding tank
- Water can be refilled into the tank without having to move it
To refill the reservoir tank, simply pour water from a container straight into the top. There is no need to move or detach the reservoir tank.
The spray duration and frequency are the same as the Monsoon system, but the Reptizoo has the benefit of controlling the water pressure so it can come out more like a heavy rain or like a gentle misting.
Noise levels may vary on the Reptizoo system. The system is meant to be quiet, but some reviewers say they were surprised by how loud it was.
Other reviewers were happy with the function of the system, particularly the pressure options, but found some parts broke easily and needed replacement.
Best Reptile Misting System #4: Zoo Med Repti Rain
The Zoo Med Repti Rain mister can provide misting rain to two terrariums at a time.
Additionally, the Repti Rain system has the added benefit of having suction cups on its base so it can attach to the glass wall of an aquarium, lifting it off the table and giving more options for where it will sit.
The duration and intervals are not as adaptable as other systems, but they are varied enough to provide sufficient options. You can set the Repti Rain system to go off every 1, 3, 6, or 12 hours. It can spray for 15, 30, 45, or 60 seconds.
The reservoir holds 28 ounces (0.22 gallon) of water and can be used with a battery or plugged into the wall, further adding to its adaptability and making it portable.
If using the cord, Zoo Med recommends you use a drip loop in the curve of the electrical cord to make sure water does not enter the electrical socket. This means that the loop in the cord is lower than the electrical socket and spaced away from it.
While this might limit the placement of the Repti Rain, it is good advice for all electronics that use water.
Reviews for the Repti Rain are mixed. Some people love that its function is simple and easy to use and say that it does exactly what it is designed to do.
Meanwhile, other people found it had faulty parts, often leaked, and did not last long.
Just like the Zoo Med fogger, the warranty is for 90 days so products can be returned.
BONUS! Best Reptile Foggers
By now, you’re most likely well aware of the role reptile foggers play and how they differ from the misting systems above. Check out the top picks below if your reptile has a hankering for some fog in their enclosure!
Best Reptile Fogger #1: Evergreen Reptile Fogger
This fogger is a humidifier, not a mister. It blows fog into a habitat to raise the humidity levels.
It has a basic tank and its only function is creating fog. It does this at a maximum rate of 300 mL per hour.
The Evergreen fogger runs constantly until the reservoir gets low on water and then it shuts itself off.
When this happens, the green light turns red so you know it’s running low on water. It does not have a timer to run at certain times during the day, but it does have a valve that allows fog levels to go from low to maximum.
Reviewers say that if you are running the fogger at maximum output in a more arid climate, during winter, or when you have a drier home due to using a woodstove, you will need to refill it daily.
It can atomize the water in the reservoir in seven hours, so this is the shortest refill time.
Reviewers also consistently say that the fogger is very hard to refill with water and does not come with sufficient instructions on how to do so.
The reservoir tank holds two liters (0.52 gallons) of water, which has a no spill design. It comes with a hose kit and suction cups, although it is tricky to install in a non-glass habitat.
Overall, it’s a decent, affordable, durable fogger if not completely flawless.
Best Reptile Fogger #2: Zoo Med Repti Fogger
This fogger is another common one, easily found on the market. Like the Evergreen, it has a pretty simple system.
The main differences are that this one has a smaller reservoir of one liter (0.26 gallon) but is designed to work with up to three terrariums.
The reservoir is easier to refill than the Evergreen.
It functions similarly to a dog or cat’s automatic waterer where you fill a container with water and tip it upside down into the reservoir. The water bottle has a safety shut-off float that will turn it off if water runs low.
The only adjustment setting on the fogger is for whether the output is minimum or maximum.
However, may reviewers have complained that the control is faulty and will either exclusively output at maximum, using up the reservoir in only a few hours, or it won’t work at all.
Another customer noticed his machine would slowly move from the minimum setting to the maximum over several weeks and he would have to check it daily to make sure it hadn’t altered itself.
This fogger has a 90-day warranty and Zoo Med encouraged customers to return any faulty machines. They also have a troubleshooting section on their website for common problems.
Wrapping Up the Best Reptile Misting Systems
All misters and foggers function best if water is distilled or treated by reverse osmosis to reduce mineral build-up and extend the machine’s lifetime.
Determining which mister or fogger to buy will vary significantly depending on your budget, specific needs, and the needs of your reptiles.
Key factors to consider are:
- Reservoir size
- How many terrariums can be attached (useful information if you start adding to your reptile collection)
- How you can set up the controls to suit your environment
You will likely find that your home environment’s humidity will change throughout the year and you will need your mister or fogger to adapt with those changes.
A flexible machine will help make sure you can get just the right settings to keep your reptile in ideal conditions year-round.
Remember that you do not want moisture to build up in the terrarium so you will need the right humidity levels plus a drainage system in the substrate.
Too much moisture can make your reptile sick and will cause mold and fungus to grow in your terrarium. This is easier to manage if your terrarium has at least some mesh siding.
Lastly, please note that an aquarium is not usually recommended with a mister or fogger.