Hova Bator Incubator

[Reptilian]

Do they work? I am considering trying my hand at breeding (want to cover all my bases) and ran across these:

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...le-incubators/

I want to breed only a few clutches in the coming years.

What's your suggestions on it?

[elevatethis]

I know that they aren't designed for reptile eggs and have claimed the life of more than a few eggs over the years.....They are not a reliable incubator for ball python eggs.

I do know that some people have used them successfully in the past, but if you ask what most of those people use now, you'll find that they've moved on to better setups.

Hope that helps.

[dsirkle]

They are very commonly used by small scale breeders. The one without the fan is best for reptiles.While your hatch rate wont be as good as an incubator regulated by a proportional thermostat it is very successful.There is plenty of info available on how to build your own incubator. You can make a big one from an old refrigerator or a small one from an old cooler or small aquarium.Hovabator is probably good enough if you arent breeding an expensive morph where each unhatched egg = $$$$$$.That's my unqualified opinion.

[Reptilian]

Thanks that helps a lot. My plan it to start with het albinos and het axanthics. With hopes of getting albinos and ananthics. I'll look up some more on DIY incubators. If anyone has a favorite model to go by that would be great.

[Sputnik]

I use www.NSreptiles.com incubators. I use Hovabator's for colubrid eggs, they work well for small laying species like corns, kings and bearded dragons etc. Even then I had it on a Ranco stat.

I wouldn't use one for bp eggs, the eggs are much bigger and the eggs are closer to the heating elements which imo cause problems.

You can also do the cooler variety incubator or make your own fridge version. A lot of much better options out there then hovabators.

Hope that helps

[Reptilian]

I use www.NSreptiles.com

LOL I just came from that site not 2 minutes ago. Thanks for the help. I think I may go the cooler/freezor/fridge route.

[rabernet]

Here are several DIY sites I've bookmarked

http://www.familyzoo.us/how_to_build_an_incubator.htm

http://www.herpo.com/cages/incubator.html

http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/incubator.shtml

http://www.duf.net/reptile/Docs/incu%20design.htm

http://www.eyehit.com/degei/supportf.../inc/index.htm

[Ginevive]

I had bad luck with a hovabator. I had it regulated by its included thermostat, and it fried my eggs. The power had gone out, and when it went back on, the hovabator got them over 103 degrees. Never anything I'd wish on my worst enemy.. Not to mention losing the eggs; I was afraid that it could have even started a fire!
Now, I use a homemade styro-cooler setup with Flexwatt regulated by a Helix. We had a power outage while I was incubating last year (a few hours) and the Helix is great b/c it remembers what the temp had been before being unplugged and won't go over that. This is the heating method I would recommend.. many others have shown sites where they built the incubators themselves, so I will leave that to your imagination But heating with FW and Helix.. great stuff.

[nahual]

I had bad luck with a hovabator. I had it regulated by its included thermostat, and it fried my eggs. The power had gone out, and when it went back on, the hovabator got them over 103 degrees. Never anything I'd wish on my worst enemy.. Not to mention losing the eggs; I was afraid that it could have even started a fire!
Now, I use a homemade styro-cooler setup with Flexwatt regulated by a Helix. We had a power outage while I was incubating last year (a few hours) and the Helix is great b/c it remembers what the temp had been before being unplugged and won't go over that. This is the heating method I would recommend.. many others have shown sites where they built the incubators themselves, so I will leave that to your imagination But heating with FW and Helix.. great stuff.

Unfortunately, the same happened to me. The hovabator was calibrated and after a month of incubation it suddenly went to 98 degrees killing 10 sulcata eggs ...