# Fog



## SasquatchTortoise (Sep 20, 2021)

(Haha starting controversy)
Anyways, I want to start a "cloud forest" feel in my greenhouse. My tortoise will stay in here during winters and colder days. What is the best tool to raise humidity/fog while still being safe (not making bacteria airborne, etc.). I would prefer something that works cooler, so temperature can be lowered with evaporative cooling. I am putting this in debatable, since there seems to be so much information on topics like these.


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## Jan A (Sep 20, 2021)

SasquatchTortoise said:


> (Haha starting controversy)
> Anyways, I want to start a "cloud forest" feel in my greenhouse. My tortoise will stay in here during winters and colder days. What is the best tool to raise humidity/fog while still being safe (not making bacteria airborne, etc.). I would prefer something that works cooler, so temperature can be lowered with evaporative cooling. I am putting this in debatable, since there seems to be so much information on topics like these.


I will agree conceptually that humidifiers sound like a good idea for torts. I used to use portable evaporative coolers at my condo but noticed my allergies became brutal. Living in Colorado, my husband insisted on using a humidifier in the house during the winter & it just turned my warm weather allergies to year-round allergies. I think from my readings here that humidifiers contribute to RIs in torts--cold vapor droplets sound nice but do I want to chance Houdini getting an RI? NO WAY, Jose!!


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## jeff kushner (Sep 23, 2021)

I work in the trades and do a lot of design and not knowing the room size yet... the cloud forest kinda sounds storybook-like and very cool....but be careful what you wish for. Humidity can do lot of damage if the space is not clearly prepared for it. If you are prepared and since you don't want a standard steam generator w/UV which is super easy, a fan driven wet system, closely related in operation to those "wet-fans" you see on late night TV commercials. Maybe configured different, but same "pour water over a fan" (to be very, very basic) method.

We typically install a RO makeup systems for *any type* of system. For the little bit of water you will be using, a $150 fleabay special will work forever for you, especially if it comes with a set of spare filters!

Professionally, doing this 40+ years and hundreds of large commercial buildings, I don't recommend and would not use them, as Jan notes correctly, we see a lot of mold issues that seem connected to low temp mists.

A simple low KW steam generator(I only glanced at this- https://www.ebay.com/itm/274405144328?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28 )

so you won't have to run a dedicated circuit is relatively inexpensive, safe and simple to install yourself if you had the talent to build the room! 

The steam is, well, STEAM.... created at sea level @ 212F and all that stuff...just be super-sure to use a _cleanable_ set of nozzles and always spray steam down, not up. Remember, you installed the RO for the makeup, right? Ok, this is all set.

Notes;
Understand, the room will NOT be steam-laden at all times, unless your ambient temps support it...higher temps/more residual steam but then it's a tipping point where you have reached heat lat...forget all that, lets keep it simple- you'll need to bring in cooler air to keep the temps below 120F or shut it down. 80-90F is very maintainable though with enchanting periods of steam influx....

Otherwise, you will finance the new generator at the local favorite Electric Co. as the cost of running a 22KW (for avg rm) continually will be a bit expensive for 24/7/365

Good luck and reach out if you have questions. & we'll hook you up!

Very cool idea

jeff


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## Tom (Sep 23, 2021)

jeff kushner said:


> I work in the trades and do a lot of design and not knowing the room size yet... the cloud forest kinda sounds storybook-like and very cool....but be careful what you wish for. Humidity can do lot of damage if the space is not clearly prepared for it. If you are prepared and since you don't want a standard steam generator w/UV which is super easy, a fan driven wet system, closely related in operation to those "wet-fans" you see on late night TV commercials. Maybe configured different, but same "pour water over a fan" (to be very, very basic) method.
> 
> We typically install a RO makeup systems for *any type* of system. For the little bit of water you will be using, a $150 fleabay special will work forever for you, especially if it comes with a set of spare filters!
> 
> ...


HA! All I heard here, was: No Sasquatch. Your idea isn't going to work. Not practical.


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## Maro2Bear (Sep 23, 2021)

SasquatchTortoise said:


> (Haha starting controversy)
> Anyways, I want to start a "cloud forest" feel in my greenhouse. My tortoise will stay in here during winters and colder days. What is the best tool to raise humidity/fog while still being safe (not making bacteria airborne, etc.). I would prefer something that works cooler, so temperature can be lowered with evaporative cooling. I am putting this in debatable, since there seems to be so much information on topics like these.


How large is your green house & what temperature do you pretty much keep it at.

I recently made a visit to DC’s National Arboretum and one of the sections is a “rain forest”. This section is quite warm, lots of tropical plants, Spanish moss & Staghorn ferns & all kinds of orchids & bromeliads, etc. Every 10 minutes or so, a very fine mist sprays from overhead misters. The “fog/mist” floats down. The trick here is the nice warm tropical temperature at least for this section of the arboretum & the plants they have on display. 

Good luck.


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## jeff kushner (Sep 23, 2021)

Sure they work Tom, you've been to the Rainforest cafe', right? Just that most homes aren't fitted out for it but if he's got it covered, then it would be cool as heck to me!

lol


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## dd33 (Sep 23, 2021)

I put a misting system in an orchid greenhouse I had about 15 years ago. It was a super high pressure system that ran at about 1000psi. It created a fog that lingered in the air if the exhaust fans were not on and it didn't soak everything. It was basically a pressure washer pump with an electric motor. 
I don't remember why I stopped using it. I think I had challenges with the nozzles plugging even with RO water.


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## Tom (Sep 23, 2021)

jeff kushner said:


> Sure they work Tom, you've been to the Rainforest cafe', right? Just that most homes aren't fitted out for it but if he's got it covered, then it would be cool as heck to me!
> 
> lol


I have no doubt YOU can make it work, but about half way through your post, your voice in my head as I was reading your words turned into a Charlie Brown adult voice: Wah wah wah wah, wah.

This is not an insult to you. Quite the contrary. Its clear you know your stuff. My joke was intended to demonstrate how much I don't understand your stuff. A little self-depreciation.


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## jeff kushner (Sep 24, 2021)

LMAO......Charlie B...and the "teacher voice"! We're good brother....I can appreciate what you were saying. 

I grew up with teachers, had crushes on teachers, fell in love with teachers, dated teachers (legally), gonna marry a teacher......maybe it all goes back to those Charlie Brown Specials in the '60's.....


jeff


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## Maggie3fan (Sep 24, 2021)

In my tort shed I have a vaporizer I use almost daily and what I always hear in my head is warm vapor great... cool vapor not safe...


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## Tom (Sep 24, 2021)

maggie3fan said:


> ...and what I always hear in my head is warm vapor great... cool vapor not safe...


What? You hear ALL kinds of stuff in YOUR head!


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## Maggie3fan (Sep 24, 2021)

Tom said:


> What? You hear ALL kinds of stuff in YOUR head!


Well...that's sure true enuf!


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## SasquatchTortoise (Sep 25, 2021)

So here's what I'm thinking...
During the summer, In the greenhouse, I will use some sort of fog/ steam generator. My tortoise won't need to be in the greenhouse during the summer anyway. During the winter when she needs a warm place to stay, I will switch out the fogger for a plain old humidifier and turn on the ventilation fans more frequently. How does this sound? I know the fog can be harmful, But of course I will clean it and I will be the only one going into the greenhouse when I am using it. How does this sound? I don't know if I could afford a RO water system right now.


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