Unhealthy Clutch?

[QuidsBalls]

Hey guys,
Just wondering what you think of this clutch

My friend has very little experience in keeping a Ball Python, she bought this female about 6-8 weeks ago off of someone who told her that they tried to breed her, but they never witnessed a lock, and the female was not showing any signs of being gravid. Looks like she locked! lol

My friend has been doing pretty much everything I have told her to do, she sends me pictures every once in a while as well as temp/humid readings to make sure everything is fine.

Imo it doesn't look like its doing all that great.
I haven't had the chance to shine a light on the eggs to see if there are veins, but I will be able to provide pictures of them tonight hopefully, If I can get over there.
She is using a Reptibator, the Sensor for both the Humidity and Temperature are on top of the Reptibator which provides an inaccurate reading since the heating element is right up there with it.
However the Humidity reading on the reptibator is at 65%, which I think is sufficient.
Also, the Temp. reading for the reptibator is 90 Degree's, I added another thermostat with a prode and I put the probe right by the egg's and that only reads a steady 87.6
I figure that should also be sufficient.

Here is a picture before I removed the bad egg on top, the egg was bad when it was first discovered.



Here is a picture after I removed the bad egg



Like I said, Hopefully I can provide some pictures of the eggs with a light to them.

Also I should mention that the clutch is only about 2-3 weeks old

[masonhall]

Looks like a good clutch. I am buying the reptibator soon and would like to know some pros and cons. What should I know?


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[coldbloodaddict]

They are dehydrated...65% humidity is not sufficient...You need 100%.

[QuidsBalls]

How can I increase the humidity?
My friend is spraying the vermiculite for approx. 30 seconds, 2 times a day, as well as the sides of the tub that the eggs lay in, and one spray directly on the eggs..

Also keep in mind that the humidity is not 100% accurate, as the sensor is on top of the incubator, pretty close to the heating elements that the incubator uses to heat up the eggs...
I am not sure how much more humid the incubator actually is...

What should you know about a reptibator?
I wouldn't buy one from a pet store, or reptile store, at least not in Canada
I bought mine off Kijiji for $120, I was lucky since they are much more expensive over here

Anyways, If I was you I would invent in a thermostat with a probe to drop into where the eggs are, and ignore the temperature that reads from the incubator itself. This is because the sensor is positioned close to the heating elements, so the temperature by the eggs will actually be 3-4 Degree's cooler than the incubator reads.

[Annarose15]

How can I increase the humidity?
My friend is spraying the vermiculite for approx. 30 seconds, 2 times a day, as well as the sides of the tub that the eggs lay in, and one spray directly on the eggs..

Also keep in mind that the humidity is not 100% accurate, as the sensor is on top of the incubator, pretty close to the heating elements that the incubator uses to heat up the eggs...
I am not sure how much more humid the incubator actually is...

It doesn't matter what the hygrometer is reading for humidity. You can tell the humidity is too low because the eggs are collapsing inward. In addition, you should be measuring the humidity INSIDE the egg tub, not just in the incubator in general. You should not have to spray the inside of the tubs daily, or even weekly. The way I see it, you have two options: 1) Add saran wrap or press 'n seal to the top of the tub to hold humidity in better (under the lid). This still may not be sufficient if the substrate isn't wet enough. 2) Get some light diffuser (plastic grate sold at Home Depot, etc.) and set it on top of the substrate. Add lots of water to the substrate, but do not add so much that it can touch the underside of the eggs. Then, place the eggs on top of the diffuser. Add press 'n seal to the top if your humidity does not skyrocket after doing this.

[Meltdown Morphs]

You could remix the vermiculite. 1:1 ratio with water,so that when you squeeze it ,it clumps together but no water actually drips out of it.
Or you could add some dampened sphangum moss around the eggs. These are just suggestions if you don't have the materials to just do substrateless.
also you don't really want to spray water directly on the eggs, getting them directly wet can kill them.

[Cameron Lamb Exotics]

There is a water resevoir in the bottom of the reptibator. Fill that up with water, or moisted the sponge material you set the eggs on. Either one will increase the humidity.

Pros of the reptibator-lightweight, easy to find ready to use.

cons- sometimes the temps and humidty gauge is a little off not a huge deal to me though, can only fit 2 or so bp clutches in it but several geckos or whaterver.

[QuidsBalls]

If I put the lid on top of the container, will that do the trick? insted of putting saran wrap on it?

Do the eggs not need air?
I'm assuming not

[Annarose15]

If I put the lid on top of the container, will that do the trick? insted of putting saran wrap on it?

Do the eggs not need air?
I'm assuming not

You should always have the lid on the egg tub. This provides a more stable environment, and helps hold in the humidity. The conditions you are shooting for should be inside the tub, not the incubator as a whole. Even with saran wrap, the tub wouldn't be air tight.

[Cameron Lamb Exotics]

Only open the tub to let air in once a week or so. lol this all make so much more sense to why they are so dehydrated. Lay back on the misting now that the lid will be on.