Incubating temp question

With my first clutch coming at the end of the month (Hopefully miss Tabitha won't keep me waiting too long), I've been fine tuning my incubator. So far it holds temps beautifully and is hooked up to a herpstat 2 set at 91*. I have the probe on the heat tape which is on the bottom of the incubator and there is a fan in the center of the incubator. View the setup here: http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/6541/cdri.jpg I have 3 tubs in there (a test tub, and a tub for each clutch I'm expecting this season) and each have a different thermometer in the tubs. I recently put thermometer's in each tub and the incubator itself has at least 3 thermometers in it (I'm a bit OCD about the temps in there).

Here's my problem: all three thermometers show different temps (89.4*, 90.4*, and 91.6*) Here are the thermometers and their corresponding temps:

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/combometer.php this model is showing the 89.4* temp
http://zoomed.com/db/products/EntryD...D=2&SearchID=5 is showing the 90.4* temp
http://www.radioshack.com/product/in...uctId=11361231 is showing the 91.6*temp

Which thermometer should I go by? Or is there a better one out there that I should purchase? I ask because the 91.6* is a little concerning to me and I want to make sure I'm not overcooking my babies when the eggs finally arrive.

I have an identical setup. My probe is sitting on the light grate right in the middle of the cooler. Thermostat is set to 89 degrees. I use the exoterra thermometers. Make sure you can adjust the fan speed if it is running at full speed it can generate enough heat to over cook your eggs. Hope this helps.

For an incubator that small, I'd get rid of the fan and just run the thermostat probe directly into one of the tubs. Set it to 89 and you should be good. Just use a good IR temp gun to check both egg boxes to make sure the temps are good. Make sure you check the temps of the substrate as the eggs themselves will be 3-4 degrees warmer than the surrounding air and substate.

Fans are usually used in larger incubators to help keep a constant temp throughout the entire incubator. I don't think yours is big enough to matter.

I run a very similiar setup and seems to work great.

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...0/IMG_1357.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a3...20/eggbox1.jpg

http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a386/sho220/inc1.jpg

I know what you mean with the different thermometers. My first clutch should be coming soon as well so I've been testing temps with a zoo med, and an accurite. I set the herpstat to 89.7, placed the thermometers in the tub side by side. Zoo med reads 89.1-89.4, accurite reading 90-91.

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Originally Posted by joebad976

I have an identical setup. My probe is sitting on the light grate right in the middle of the cooler. Thermostat is set to 89 degrees. I use the exoterra thermometers. Make sure you can adjust the fan speed if it is running at full speed it can generate enough heat to over cook your eggs. Hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by sho220

For an incubator that small, I'd get rid of the fan and just run the thermostat probe directly into one of the tubs. Set it to 89 and you should be good. Just use a good IR temp gun to check both egg boxes to make sure the temps are good. Make sure you check the temps of the substrate as the eggs themselves will be 3-4 degrees warmer than the surrounding air and substate.

Fans are usually used in larger incubators to help keep a constant temp throughout the entire incubator. I don't think yours is big enough to matter.

I run a very similiar setup and seems to work great.

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I have tried to wire the fan onto a dimmer as well as a power source that changes from 6V to 12V...neither of which work. The fan is either on or it's off. I was told to put a fan in this size of incubator because it's pretty large. I just worry about a temp gradient if I turn the fan off. However, all the egg boxes are on the same level, so I'll shut off the fan and see if I can stabilize temps. I'll also play around with the thermostat probe and see if I can't get temps to be the same across the board. I have a $50 temp gun so hopefully that works well enough! So far it's been pretty accurate when I test tub temps.

My biggest worry is that I'll cook my eggs! I just want healthy babies at the end of this! In the next year I'm going to be buying a Nature's Spirit or a Hot Box incubator. I'm not very good with DIY builds and this one is already stressing me out!

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Originally Posted by hops523

I know what you mean with the different thermometers. My first clutch should be coming soon as well so I've been testing temps with a zoo med, and an accurite. I set the herpstat to 89.7, placed the thermometers in the tub side by side. Zoo med reads 89.1-89.4, accurite reading 90-91.

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Ugh. So frustrating! My first clutch is due on the 29th and the next hopefully the 2nd week of August. Both virgin girls. Hopefully I'll get this temp thing straightened out so I can incubate my little eggs without too much stress!

I use this fan, and it's adjustable. Just make sure you buy the AC adapter to go with it. I would also move your stat probe off of the heat tape and suspend it a few inches away, since the ambient temp is what's most important. I don't like putting the probe in an egg box because of how much the incubator would have to heat up to warm the inside of the tub, and conversely how cool the inc would swing before the tub was the right temp. Make sure you have as many water bottles as you can crammed in there, too, to help stabilize the temps against swings from opening the incubator.

I check actual EGG temps with an IR gun. See what you get there.

If the thermometers are able to read high enough temps without breaking you could always test all 3 by seeing what they read on boiling water - 212F? That's how we test probes for food at work anyway!

I'd also suggest having the stat prob inside a tub - with mine I melted a hole *just* big enough for it to fit thru, then taped up either side to stop it falling out / messing with humidity.

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Originally Posted by Annarose15

I use this fan, and it's adjustable. Just make sure you buy the AC adapter to go with it. I would also move your stat probe off of the heat tape and suspend it a few inches away, since the ambient temp is what's most important. I don't like putting the probe in an egg box because of how much the incubator would have to heat up to warm the inside of the tub, and conversely how cool the inc would swing before the tub was the right temp. Make sure you have as many water bottles as you can crammed in there, too, to help stabilize the temps against swings from opening the incubator.

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I have an entire case of 24 water bottles plus a couple of gallon jugs of water in there! I can always add more if needed. I'll definitely buy that fan and replace the one I have in my incubator. Do you buy the adapter with the rheostat?

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Originally Posted by coreydelong

I check actual EGG temps with an IR gun. See what you get there.

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HOLY BANANAS. I pulled out my temp gun and the temp in ALL THREE boxes is right around 94*! YIKES! As soon as I get off work tonight I plan on turning off the fan and rearranging the temp probe to see if I can't get these egg boxes at the right temp!

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Originally Posted by Ben.L

If the thermometers are able to read high enough temps without breaking you could always test all 3 by seeing what they read on boiling water - 212F? That's how we test probes for food at work anyway!

I'd also suggest having the stat prob inside a tub - with mine I melted a hole *just* big enough for it to fit thru, then taped up either side to stop it falling out / messing with humidity.

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I don't think these thermometers are quality enough to withstand boiling water. That's how I would test them too...but I'm pretty sure the plastic probe will just melt right off.