Exoterra Monsoon broke and now...

[DedElf]

I was using an Exoterra Monsoon on a timer to mist my chameleon while I was at work. She's in a naturalistic terrarium with live plants, soil, those pebbles for filtration, etc and things were fine... until the Monsoon broke.

And by broke I mean the timer part stopped working and it sprayed the entire tank of water into her cage all at once while my wife and I were at work. When I got home from work the drainage under the soil was filled completely with water, the soil is completely saturated and there was a half inch of water pooled on top of the soil.

Now I'm trying to get the water out because I can't even mist my girl at all without the water pooling on top of the soil. I've siphoned water from the top with a hose (muddy water in the mouth... YUM!) and I've tried digging holes in the soil to get to the drainage layer to siphon but that's only working on the area immediately surrounding the hose.

In short I can't get rid of the excess water. Does anyone have any ideas how to get the water out without re-doing the entire enclosure?

Hindsight being 20/20 I should have known not to use the timer on the Monsoon because this happened with another one I had hooked up in my ball python's enclosure a few years ago. The difference is that enclosure didn't have soil in it so all I had to do was dry it out with a towel.

 

[Andee]

I would just redo the entire enclosure. What kind of chameleon do you have? The only kind of chameleons that should have any sort of substrate are pygmy chameleons. Other kinds of chameleons will ingest substrate when eating and sometimes just eat it, it can easily cause impaction.

I would also buy a new mister, get a Mist King instead. More expensive but they last A LOT longer than any other mister I've ever had and are a lot better when it comes to water particles and are just generally made better.

 

[DedElf]

I'm dreading the idea of re-doing the whole thing. But I have to do something about the water so that's probably the most logical choice.

I have a veiled and I'd read something about the impaction risks before and seen differing opinions on the topic.

 

[TheGuvnor]

Try something like a large Turkey baster, maybe?

But, redoing is probably the best bet

 

[MelissaB]

Can you take the soil out of a corner and peel up whatever fabric/screen you used to separate the substrate from the hydroton layer? That's what I did to add manual drainage to one of my tanks. I moved enough soil in a corner to peel up the screen I used for the separation layer, cut the bottom off of a prescription pill bottle, shoved it behind the screen , and wiggled it down into the hydroton. Then I filled it back in with the soil, around the pill bottle. Now I can pop the top off the pill bottle to siphon out the water whenever I want. I use a turkey baster, and wiggle it into a void in the drainage layer to get at the water.

 

[DedElf]

Can you take the soil out of a corner and peel up whatever fabric/screen you used to separate the substrate from the hydroton layer? That's what I did to add manual drainage to one of my tanks. I moved enough soil in a corner to peel up the screen I used for the separation layer, cut the bottom off of a prescription pill bottle, shoved it behind the screen , and wiggled it down into the hydroton. Then I filled it back in with the soil, around the pill bottle. Now I can pop the top off the pill bottle to siphon out the water whenever I want. I use a turkey baster, and wiggle it into a void in the drainage layer to get at the water.

This is a great suggestion. We just got a turkey baster and I've been using that but the hydrotons are making it difficult. This is definitely something I'm going to do when this situation is resolved.

 

[radstusky]

I would say you need a wet vac to suck that water out. I think that's what I would try.

 

[Venutus1]

Monsoon in YOUR HOUSE and Mine!

Sadly this is VERY COMMON with these--

and I had TWO do the exact same thing.

They are aptly named because they are like a mini- UNCONTROLLABLE Monsoon when they go awry. LOL

( I don't say "if" they go... it is just a matter of "when", I am sorry to say. )

Mine overflowed a frog viv onto nice oak hardwood floor in my den...
sending water creeping everywhere. And I was gone naturally when it happened.
I was not happy, but cleaned it all up and I was still "starry eyed" over the product.
Hey-
And I just could believe exo / hagen would make such a Gi-normous Lemon.

And I though -
hey, maybe it was a "fluke" or something on my end.
Since I had it for about 7 months and it had been working great up until then.

So I returned it to Hagen paying the money to send it back-- and about a month later- they did end a new one that lasted only 9 months!

Did the exact same thing.

So I decided to investigate it thoroughly and took it all a part and studied how they work.

This is a case of s design flaw in them --
pure and simple.

It is due to moisture getting into the electronics.

And all that is needed is a TINY TINY TEEEENY bit of condensation to get into the little computer brain to cause this.

Exo Terra / Hagen could fix this I believe by making the electronics inside better sealed against moisture.

Because all it is is moisture inside the unit that "fowls" up the electronics timing chip...
and causes it over-ride all programming and to stay on ...
and on...
and on...


It is too bad because they seem like they would be a wonderful product.

I guess we all learn that for misting,
Mist King or Aqua Zamp is probably the better way to go.


Oh...
now commenting on your issue..
Yep- I also think the shop vac is the way to go.

With the animal way out of the way so the process will not scare them.

Cheers!
Todd

I was using an Exoterra Monsoon on a timer to mist my chameleon while I was at work. She's in a naturalistic terrarium with live plants, soil, those pebbles for filtration, etc and things were fine... until the Monsoon broke.

And by broke I mean the timer part stopped working and it sprayed the entire tank of water into her cage all at once while my wife and I were at work. When I got home from work the drainage under the soil was filled completely with water, the soil is completely saturated and there was a half inch of water pooled on top of the soil.

Now I'm trying to get the water out because I can't even mist my girl at all without the water pooling on top of the soil. I've siphoned water from the top with a hose (muddy water in the mouth... YUM!) and I've tried digging holes in the soil to get to the drainage layer to siphon but that's only working on the area immediately surrounding the hose.

In short I can't get rid of the excess water. Does anyone have any ideas how to get the water out without re-doing the entire enclosure?

Hindsight being 20/20 I should have known not to use the timer on the Monsoon because this happened with another one I had hooked up in my ball python's enclosure a few years ago. The difference is that enclosure didn't have soil in it so all I had to do was dry it out with a towel.