Substrateless Method of Incubation

should i use RO water or should i use distilled water? or does normal water work just fine

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Originally Posted by Tidus10

should i use RO water or should i use distilled water? or does normal water work just fine

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I use regular tap water.

Substrateless is certainly easy as pie! I don't know why anyone new to it wouldn't use it. No filddling around with trying to get the moisture content of vermiculite/perlite mix to be right. No guessing if it needs more water later on. Just a great, fool-proof method.

When doing substrate less method do NOT use Press n Seal. This will cause extreme condensation on the lid and sides after only a weeks time. Which is turn causes the eggs to sweat and die.


Also when soaking vermiculite, be sure to have a way to support the light diffuser orther swise it will sink it over time, and bottom of eggs will get wet. In turn causing mold to grow and possible killing the egg. I just double up on the light diffuser so if one sinks other wont.

Works like a charm and i dont add water ever during incubation.

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Originally Posted by WingedWolfPsion

I use substrateless incubation.
I put the water catch tray in the bottom of my Hovabator, then put in the enclosed screen. Over that, I place a piece of fluorescent light grid, cut to fit. Water goes in the tray, and eggs sit on top of the grid. I can add more water if necessary during incubation.

Hatch rates are great, and the hatchlings don't come out with vermiculite adhered to them.

I don't worry about water sloshing, because I don't move the incubator once it's set up.

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This would work if using that type of small incubator where you won't move it but when using a larger one with egg boxes to accommodate more clutches the eggs would get wet when moving boxes..

I also noticed hatchrite stuck to babies BUT my method of using the cross stitch plastic canvas under the light diffuser also fixed this problem as well. The hatchlings don't come in contact with any of it because it can't fit through the small mesh. They come out completely clean no matter how long you leave them in there :)

I imagine the same would hold true if using vermiculite/perilite (SP?) as well.

Last year I used a new type of Perlite(it has no chemicals) its really alot bigger chunks of Perlite so the light diffuser will not sink at all. I had a 13 egg clutch and it didn't even begin to sink not once, worked like a charm. My buddy told me about it as he sells plants(bromeliads) at all the plant shows. I forgot the name of it but I'll call him later and get it..

Just do a Google search for "Goodbye Vermiculite" and you will find a post about my substrate less method. I posted it on BLBC a couple years ago.

Good luck this season season :-)

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