DIY Incubator Ideas...

[BHReptiles]

I am working on trying to plan out an incubator for when I decide to breed my girls in probably a couple of years or so. Both are still very much babies (the biggest is only about 100g) but I'm already doing research and reading every thread that pops up on this forum. I know that some of the pre-made incubators are basically craptastic and shouldn't be used (likes like the Reptibator and the hova-bator). So my question is this: is it better to buy something like a Accu-Temp 6000 Model, Exo TerraThermoelectric Reptile Egg Incubator, or the large incubator from Nature's Spirit? Or is it better to make your own? If it's better to make your own, how would YOU make it? I've consider buying an old mini-fridge and placing a piece of flexwatt on the door and regulating it with a herpstat. Is that too risky or would it work fine? I also know people who have done something similar with a piece of flexwatt on a foam coolers that you get at walmart. How would you make your incubators? I'd love to have some ideas to pull from when I'm ready to take that step.

Note: When I'm ready for my incubator, I will hopefully have anywhere from 1-6 clutches to incubate. I will be making 2 incubators: one for my 1-3 BP clutches and one for my 1-3 Corn snake clutches.

[Andrew21]

I have a closet that sits consistently at 82 degrees. I'm gonna put my corn eggs in a small tub, and stick it on the shelf. That's it. Check every couple of days of course. So you might not need a incubator for the corn eggs.

[BHReptiles]

I have a closet that sits consistently at 82 degrees. I'm gonna put my corn eggs in a small tub, and stick it on the shelf. That's it. Check every couple of days of course. So you might not need a incubator for the corn eggs.

I like my house to be on the cool side, so the thermostat stays anywhere from 75*-78*. I've never actually tested the temps in a closet. I might have to do that. If it's around 82...I might try the closet trick! If it's more on the cool side, that's probably where I'll brumate.

[jsmorphs2]

There are TONS of homemade incubator threads in the DIY forum. The first incubator we made was from an RV fridge (small, held 8, 6qt tubs) with 11" x 3' strip of flexwatt, a wired computer fan, and a Herpstat T-stat. The next one we made (and are using now) is a Pepsi cooler.

Here are some pics. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-New-Incubator

[el8ch]

There are TONS of homemade incubator threads in the DIY forum. The first incubator we made was from an RV fridge (small, held 8, 6qt tubs) with 11" x 3' strip of flexwatt, a wired computer fan, and a Herpstat T-stat. The next one we made (and are using now) is a Pepsi cooler.

Here are some pics. http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...-New-Incubator

Yup, lots of info on here about DIY Incubators.

Our incubator is an 81 bottle LG wine fridge.

The Setup was simple:
1. Removed the compressor
2. Drilled an entry hole for all of the wiring
3. Installed 50w heat rope through out the fridge
4. Hook up the Herpstat
5. Installed a 12v DC variable computer fan to cycle (not cool) air
6. Test and Regulate temperatures
7. Add Eggs!

[Lolo76]

I know that some of the pre-made incubators are basically craptastic and shouldn't be used (likes like the Reptibator and the hova-bator).

I don't know about that, considering I hatched five beautiful babies from a Little Giant (pretty much the same as a Hovabator) last year... even the "boobie" egg hatched fine, with a perfect little 39g baby who's fat & healthy today. I'm having some trouble with my clutch this season, but it's more due to human error than the incubator.

That being said, I did build my own incubator one year, and it wasn't perfect but got the job done. Basically I just got a free (yes, FREE) non-working mini fridge on Craigslist, added two strips of flexwatt along the back & side, and that was pretty much it. My biggest problem was with temperature stability, since I couldn't figure out how to add a fan. Also had some issues with the door not being see-through, as it was my very first clutch - so I checked on them waaaay too much, and caused some low humidity from opening/closing the door so often.

Some pictures of my successful-but-challenging attempt:

[King's Royal Pythons]

In all honesty, if it will be a couple of years before you need it, why not save up enough to buy an actual incubator instead of jerry-rigging a cooler? Yes I know people have some luck with homemade incubators, but I also know people have problems like temperature stabilization that causes things like missing eyes, kinks, stubby tails, etc. I never could understand why people spend so much on nice racks, new morphs, and then put the eggs in something that Bubba built.

[Lolo76]

^^^^ Good points, and I've often wondered the same thing myself! I only went DIY because money was tight (unexpectedly laid off that summer/fall), and I also thought it would be a good project. These last two years I used the Little Giant because a friend gave it to me, and it works fine for my one clutch per season. But I think next year I'll go fancier, since a few of my younger girls are officially ready to breed.

Pretty sure some people swear by DIY, though, and claim it's better than store-bought. Could be true, especially if you're the particularly handy type. Which I am clearly not, LOL.

[el8ch]

Pretty sure some people swear by DIY, though, and claim it's better than store-bought. Could be true, especially if you're the particularly handy type. Which I am clearly not, LOL.

I believe that DIY can be just as good as store bought or better as long as you know what you are doing and start off your build with quality products. "Anything" DIY can be a bad idea if you do not have the skillsets to be able to produce a good product.

[rlditmars]

Since you have the time, I believe you can build you own incubator and it can be every bit as good as a quality purchased incubator. I am not extremely mechanical and yet I was able to use the information from this forum to build my own and just hatched our first clutch this week. It will hold probably 6 to 8 clutches. The fluctuation in temperature was less than 1 degree during the entire 57 days that it took for them to all leave the eggs. I used a high end "Uline" wine cooler that someone was selling on CL for $50. I bought it for $30. It has a great seal and holds temps and humidity extremely well and even has an interior light that comes on when the door is opened. I used an AC fan with a reostat for speed control, that I purchased from Amazon. It is the type used for cooling electronic componants such as home theater systems, refridgerators, and etc.. It has a life expectancy of about 60,000 hours of continuous use. I purchased 11" flexwatt, a plug cord, and a roll of aluminum foil tape from Reptile Basics. The entire incubator cost less than $100, not including a thermostat and is made from quality componants. The enclosure and thermostat are the two most important items for maintaining stable temps and humidity. Take your time and find something good for the enclosure and buy a quality thermostat.

Here is a picture of the finished item. I dont think it looks too much like Bubba built it. However, I know that if you are building an item for marketing, charging a premium price, and expect to move a reasonable number of units, it has to not only work well but look good.