So this past season was my first season of breeding. I built my own incubator and used vermiculite as my substrate. I had 9 clutches laid and the only 2 eggs that failed to hatch were because of a twisted umbilical chord and a bad egg (I cut it open after it started to turn colors and it was all egg white, without veins and a yolk, I should've candled it first). I had 2 clutches near the end that almost had too much water, had to squeeze out water at one point because the eggs were getting translucent. This year I am thinking about going with the substrateless method. Here is the set up that I am thinking about.

6 quart Sterilite Tub



Add in 3 lengths of 3/4 inch diameter PVC pipe



Add in perlite to the top of the PVC pipe



Add in the light diffuser



Add in water to just below the top of the perlie



I would then use just the lid (no plastic cling wrap or glass, that's what I did last year) and possibly use plastic clothes pins to keep the eggs from moving around. Any thoughts or comments would be welcomed.