Official Incubator Thread-Tips & Comments

so as long as the eggs dont get wet they should be fine and im guessing that the eggs dont need too much oxygen to develop and survive.
i have seen some pictures of eggs almost fully buried in vermiculite and then i have seen others of the eggs sitting on top of lighting crates on top of vermiculite.
i know that both methods work but what are the benefits of each? im still debating on which method i should use.

i have never attempted this before so im sorry to drag this on and on but this is my first year breeding and i really want all my eggs to survive. thanks for everything so far!

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Originally Posted by bigballs

so as long as the eggs dont get wet they should be fine and im guessing that the eggs dont need too much oxygen to develop and survive.
i have seen some pictures of eggs almost fully buried in vermiculite and then i have seen others of the eggs sitting on top of lighting crates on top of vermiculite.
i know that both methods work but what are the benefits of each? im still debating on which method i should use.

i have never attempted this before so im sorry to drag this on and on but this is my first year breeding and i really want all my eggs to survive. thanks for everything so far!

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I like the idea of the eggs being half-buried in the subsrate. Eggs like consistent temps, so being buried in the thermal mass of the box, I see less opportunity for fluctuation.

However, a lot of people are having good success with the no-substrate method, so it really amounts to just doing whatever helps you sleep best at night for that long 60 day span...

ok but if the substrate is too wet or too dry will it not kill the eggs? thats what im a little unsure about as i have never mixed vermiculite before. so i read its easier to save an egg that is a little dehydrated compared to one that absorbs too much water. im just not sure how much water is too much or too little. i guess i can play around with it until my hygrometer says 90-100%but that still doesnt measure the wetness of the vermiculite so i can see how some are comfortable with the substrateless method. although, like you i would feel a little more comfortable with eggs "sitting" on something...

i modified my incubators to use 11" flexwatt as the heating element.

heres how it looks now:

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...0443_thumb.jpg

it heats up great and no outside moisture can get into the egg box.