Herpstat recommendation?

I know this has probably popped up before, but I can't find real results.

I'm going to be buying a hovabator for my first clutch, (spiderXnormal, wish me luck!) and I have two questions for you guys:
1) Do I need a substrate? I've heard that you don't necessarily need a substrate for hovabators, but I could be wrong.
2) What herpstat should I get? I'm hoping to find one that's not too crazy expensive, as in, I don't exactly feel like paying $200 for one.

ALTHOUGH, if there's an incubator that costs $200 and needs to modifications like the hovabator, I'd happily consider that option instead.
Thanks for the help!

Oh, and for anyone following my previous post about the mysterious cannibal-rat massacre, all ten babies eventually died. No idea why, but I now have ten snacks.

I've never hatched a thing in my life, minus some dastardly schemes and a few quail and chicken eggs when I was in 4-H but these threads might answer some of your questions:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ate+incubation

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ate+incubation

And if you elect to forgo the incubator altogether, there is always maternal incubation:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ate+incubation

As to the thermostat, the basic model of the Herpstats is every bit as good as the more expensive ones, just with fewer features. You don't need night-drop capabilities for your incubator, so if you get the Herpstat 1 ($15 difference and for a grounded unit, I'd spend the extra little bit) you'd be fine using that to run your incubator. That's what I plan on doing if my snakes ever get to size/age; Hovabator route with a Herpstat 1 running it...although I'd also like to try maternal incubation, just not with the first clutch I get, lol!

Thanks a bunch! These will definitely help. :)

Sure thing, glad I could help! Take care and good luck!

if your only going to have one clutch, get a cooler,a heat pad,a good thermostat,a few filled water bottles an a small fan to circulate the air. This is cheap and been proven time an time again. I wouldnt waste my time or money on a hovabator. This is the way i have been incubating eggs and personally have had no issues whats so ever. steady temps at 88 degrees an the water bottles do a great job of holding the temp when you need to open the cooler up to check on things.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BallsUnlimited

if your only going to have one clutch, get a cooler,a heat pad,a good thermostat,a few filled water bottles an a small fan to circulate the air. This is cheap and been proven time an time again. I wouldnt waste my time or money on a hovabator. This is the way i have been incubating eggs and personally have had no issues whats so ever. steady temps at 88 degrees an the water bottles do a great job of holding the temp when you need to open the cooler up to check on things.

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I would love to try this, but I'm not exactly tech savy when it comes to building things like this. How do I rig up the fan? Heck, where can I even get a fan?
EDIT: Oh, and would I still need a substrate? I'm thinking of going with vermiculite with a diffuser.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShamelessAardvark

I would love to try this, but I'm not exactly tech savy when it comes to building things like this. How do I rig up the fan? Heck, where can I even get a fan?
EDIT: Oh, and would I still need a substrate? I'm thinking of going with vermiculite with a diffuser.

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I really wouldn't waste money on a Hovabator, it's a cheap machine with cheap parts. Just make your own, you'll be glad you did. An old fridge or cooler will work just fine.

You can find computer fans anywhere. I picked mine up at radio shack for $10 and it has blue LED lights :) Hooking it up is super easy, you just cut the wiring on an old cell phone charger and wire it to the fan. If you google it pictures and instructions will pop right up.

Verm with a light diffuser is a good idea in any incubator.

If you are only doing one clutch there is no need for a fan.
The fan is to move the heat around making all levels the same temperature, if you only have one tub you only need a heat pad, water bottles and the egg tub.

My first season I put an ad on craigslist for a free broken mini fridge and instantly had one offered to me that was like new but broken.

2 feet of flexwatt wired to a plug in and plugged into a thermostat, it worked great for a starter inc.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ShamelessAardvark

I would love to try this, but I'm not exactly tech savy when it comes to building things like this. How do I rig up the fan? Heck, where can I even get a fan?
EDIT: Oh, and would I still need a substrate? I'm thinking of going with vermiculite with a diffuser.

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i have a small plug in fan in mine(the cooler i use is 150 quarts) so the cooler itself is quite large. I use 6 qt tubs with light diffusers an verm. Ill snap a picture later of it for you.

Just on a useful things note this ebay store sells AC computer fans some wired some not. Some reasonably priced some not so. They can be controlled with a rheostat or cooling controller of some sort unlike the computer phone charger method.

http://stores.ebay.ca/AC-Fan-Depot?_trksid=p4340.l2563

I use Hovabators. If you won't be moving the unit at all, and it's on a stable surface, you don't need a substrate. Otherwise, use some vermiculite or perlite to prevent water splashing.

A square of fluorescent light grid can be set down onto the ledge inside, above the water/substrate mix, and that's what you put the eggs on. (This ledge holds the wire mesh insert they include, but you don't need to use that--if you do, put it under the light grid). The plastic water reservoir will keep it from leaking.

A Herpstat 1 will work just fine to control the incubator. Don't bother putting on the included wafer thermostat at all, just tape over any holes in the top left for it, and you're good to go.

I like these, they hold temperatures VERY well, even when room temps fluctuate a lot. Plus, you can just add more of them as your collection grows. I can fit 5 clutches in one. (Mark the eggs so you know who's who).

I'm also a fan of the 'don't put all your eggs in one basket' philosophy--I can add more hovabators. If something ever goes wrong with a thermostat, or one of the units, I don't lose everything. With a single cabinet incubator...that's too much risk.

If the Hovabator wears out (they are styrofoam), I can just get a new one, and still use the same thermostat.