Which thermometer/hygrometer to use?

Hey everyone I have a quick question. Which thermometer/hygrometer do you guys use to measure the temps and humidity in your egg tubs? I want to order one today but there are so many different ones out there I want to be sure I get one that's accurate and will last a long long time :)

I just use the Acurite ones you get from Walmart. Seems fairly accurate when I compare its readings to my temp gun and seem durable enough as Dot seems to love to come out at night as tip it over and drag it around the cage.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sauzo

I just use the Acurite ones you get from Walmart. Seems fairly accurate when I compare its readings to my temp gun and seem durable enough as Dot seems to love to come out at night as tip it over and drag it around the cage.

---

Thanks for the reply :) I have two of those one in a bp cage and one in the rack, but I haven't heard of anyone using them in egg tubs though but I don't see why they wouldn't work just as good. Hopefully some more people chime in.

I use the Acurite Hydrometers as well in snake tubs. I can tell you that they will stand up to the humidity my snakes have dunked them into the water dish and they still work after drying them. I am not sure if they are right for egg tubs though. That is a good question. I will have to keep an eye on this to get other peoples thoughts as well since I expect eggs here soon.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Drake Moonslayer

I use the Acurite Hydrometers as well in snake tubs. I can tell you that they will stand up to the humidity my snakes have dunked them into the water dish and they still work after drying them. I am not sure if they are right for egg tubs though. That is a good question. I will have to keep an eye on this to get other peoples thoughts as well since I expect eggs here soon.

---

Thanks for the reply :) and yeah I have one in my egg tub now just to see if it would match my Herpstat probes reading which is also in the tub and it's not. The probe is locked in at 89.0 but the accurite is only reading 87 which isn't too bad of a difference only two degrees but I'm just wondering if there is a better one that breeders use in their egg tubs. Hopefully we will both find out :)

Hey you should try putting one of yours in the egg tub just to see if the temps match up. If so maybe mine is just getting old lol.

Maybe I should've titled this Hey breeders quick question lol. Bumpity bump bump :)

I will be trying when I get eggs unless we get a different answer here first.

Your Herpstat and tub temps will likely always vary a degree or two. My HerpStat probe is just dangling in the middle shelf of my new incubator. Set to 89.5F my tubs are ~87.0F- 88.0F top to bottom with no eggs (just wet vermiculite in the tubs). When you start placing eggs in the tubs I nearly guarantee your tub temps will rise 1.0F.

Are you testing your egg tubs with media in them like they would be with a clutch in there? The best way I have found to test temps is with a few tubs set up like you had eggs in them..... wet media and all.

As far as humidity.... I don't even worry about it. I go by seeing condensation in the tubs. I have tested it last season and found the humidity to be 98- 99% when there is condensation in the tub (I do not use press-n-seal).

Here is a link to a post on my incubator build and some testing I did....

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...64#post2311264

Yayyy perfect! Hey Corey :) thanks for chiming in and sharing that link I will definitely have to check it out. I'm just testing temps without any medium in the tub but I will have to try that to see if things are more stable then. I tried the dangling method and it works but I have to set the Herpstat to 94.5 just to get the inside of the tub to read 89.0 so I wanted to try to put the probe in the tub. I dangled in the middle shelf as well close to the egg tub. My incubator is just as old wine cooler by the way haha.

Oh btw I followed your new incubator build thread and it's amazing! You did such a good job with it. :) I must have missed the update you did on the incubator this new updated tapatalk is so awful.

I have used a wine chiller and a fridge in the past just dangling the probe in the middle of the open air space.

Do not try to get temps to 89.0F without media. You'll find your temps rise ~ 2F when you put wet media in the tubs. My HerpStat generally starts at 89.5F and by the time I start filling it with eggs I need to drop it to 88.0F and the tub temps are usually 1F higher.

I'm guessing 89.5F- 90.0F on your HerpStat dangling will be where you start once you put some prepped media in a few tubs. Just test with a few tubs- the media is basically wasted for testing as I put fresh media in when I get eggs. Much over the 70 day mark your media has a good chance of starting to mold a little if your humidity is good.