BEST incubation medium for eggs?

We are expecting our first BP clutch (Spider x Lesser) in about 15 days. Wondering what everyone recommends to incubate eggs on? I use vermiculite with my Gecko eggs without a problem, but have read this could rot out the bottom of ball eggs? Has anyone tried super hatch? What is the #1 recommended medium?


Thanks for your help! :D

Use vermiculite if you have experience with it...it's super easy...if you want to widen your margin of error with your moisture grab some of the grating they use for fluorescent lights

You'll get a lot of different opinions...I use vermiculite, it works fine.

Substrateless method like this with egg crate light diffuser.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03695.jpg
Then it doesn't really matter what substrate you use. You put your substrate in, add as much water as possible then set the egg crate on top and your set.

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Originally Posted by C&H Exotic Morphs

Substrateless method like this with egg crate light diffuser.
Then it doesn't really matter what substrate you use. You put your substrate in, add as much water as possible then set the egg crate on top and your set.

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What really makes this better than vermiculite though? If you mix your vermiculite properly, you will have zero problems with moisture levels

For me this

http://stewartreptiles.com/wordpress...breeding02.jpg

Don't have to worry about mixing, never too wet, never too dry, easy and stress free.

Ultimately whatever works for you and you feel comfortable with.

There are many way to successfully incubate eggs you just need to find yours.

Mine look like those pictures except I only put water in the bottem (not enough to touch eggs)!! Works perfect! No mold or anything

Hatch-rite ...dump it in and add eggs and wait 60 days...don't have to add water..did I get to much water....not enough water....or something they can get their heads stuck in...
Travis
Lair of Dragons

Many people I've talked to as well as myself have had trouble with hatch rite..I had to add water every 20 days.

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Originally Posted by dreese88

What really makes this better than vermiculite though? If you mix your vermiculite properly, you will have zero problems with moisture levels

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I didn't say it was "better". It's just the method we have choosen to use. I do feel it is the easiest and most stress/worry free method.
You don't have to worry about weighing, measuring and mixing your incubation medium. No worries about it being too wet or too dry.

I won't claim one method better than the next...In my experience, which isn't a whole lot of clutches, I've only used vermiculite. I don't weigh or measure anything...really just eyeball it. I prefer to go a little more on the wet side than dry side, and the eggs can handle a little bit of excess moisture just fine. If I get too much condensation on the inside of my box, I'll add a little more vermiculite. If the box ever starts feeling lighter, I'll add a little more water.

I use Calcined Clay ( Superhatch). Love it!
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=167333

I hatched out 17 clutches last year using hatch-rite only ever added water to 2 egg bins..plan on hatching 27 this year.....if you are having to add water then maybe its the size of air holes or the amount of air holes...heat added to water and to air causes it to evaporate...I use a standard plastic shoe box with a single 1/8'" hole drilled in one end....Go to NERDS website and watch the video of how he does it....the guy hatches 100s if not 1000's of BP's every year with Hatch-rite
Travis
Lair of Dragons

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Originally Posted by C&H Exotic Morphs

I didn't say it was "better". It's just the method we have choosen to use. I do feel it is the easiest and most stress/worry free method.
You don't have to worry about weighing, measuring and mixing your incubation medium. No worries about it being too wet or too dry.

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Fair enough...The only thing about that the gets me. and I know I recommended the use of it to the OP, but that lighting grate just seems like your eggs could roll so easily,which effectively ruins the clutch, you know? Have you ever had a problem with that? I think I'd have to put a pencil or pair of chopsticks on each sideof individual eggs like that

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Originally Posted by Lair of Dragons

I hatched out 17 clutches last year using hatch-rite only ever added water to 2 egg bins..plan on hatching 27 this year.....if you are having to add water then maybe its the size of air holes or the amount of air holes...heat added to water and to air causes it to evaporate...I use a standard plastic shoe box with a single 1/8'" hole drilled in one end....Go to NERDS website and watch the video of how he does it....the guy hatches 100s if not 1000's of BP's every year with Hatch-rite
Travis
Lair of Dragons

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There are no air holes in my egg boxes...and probably 85% of kevins hatch rite is recycled, if not more.

Also, this isn't my first rodeo...I know what causes water to evaporate:gj:

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Originally Posted by Lair of Dragons

Hatch-rite ...dump it in and add eggs and wait 60 days...don't have to add water..did I get to much water....not enough water....or something they can get their heads stuck in...
Travis
Lair of Dragons

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x2

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Originally Posted by dreese88

What really makes this better than vermiculite though? If you mix your vermiculite properly, you will have zero problems with moisture levels

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You answered your own question sir. It's just an extra level of safety for those of us that don't trust ourselves to mix eggs and flour together much less dirt and water. :)

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Originally Posted by MasonC2K

You answered your own question sir. It's just an extra level of safety for those of us that don't trust ourselves to mix eggs and flour together much less dirt and water. :)

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Lol..I guess my cooking background helped me out there. It's just the more I think about it, I would be so paranoid that I would some how make them roll if they weren't clumped

I second the substrateless method wholeheartedly! It's almost fool proof, about the only thing that can go wrong is getting treated perlite/verm or temp issues. No worries with humidity or messing around with how wet or dry the parl/verm is.

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Originally Posted by C&H Exotic Morphs

Substrateless method like this with egg crate light diffuser.
http://i1129.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC03695.jpg

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This is our setup as well, with 3-4" of perlite, that same grate on top. Usually do two clutches per box.

I think having a substrate in there is better than plain water, as it prevents it from sloshing around when you are moving the box. Not really substrate-less, but they are separated.

I think if your vermiculite is too dry, it pulls moisture from the eggs, as it acts like a sponge, so we don't use it for snake stuff anymore.

Is to much humidity an issue? This next year will be our first and we are looking to use the substrate less method, with a water base and the egg crate, but just want to know if i have 100% humidity would it be an issue

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Originally Posted by danrjc

Is to much humidity an issue? This next year will be our first and we are looking to use the substrate less method, with a water base and the egg crate, but just want to know if i have 100% humidity would it be an issue

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No, ideally you want the humidity as close to 100% WITHOUT condensation dripping on the eggs. But thats ideal. You dont need the humidity that high. Im sure as long as its over like 90% your eggs will hatch fine.
I havent bred yet, i hope to next season, but i will probably go with the substrateless method with just water too. Seems the easiest. After i get breeding down i may venture out an try some other methods just to gain experience with them.

I've tried hatch-rite and hated it, I don't like sealed tubs and figured out quickly hatchrite works in sealed tubs and not so well in tubs that breath since it dries out so easily.
I Used vermiculite under egg crate and it worked fine but was messy.
Switched to perilite under egg crate and love it, clean and holds the water content perfectly.

There is a lot of ways to incubate, all one can do is try different methods until you find one that suits your needs.

I know two people here locally who have extensively bred ball pythons for many years. They are more "old school" and I guess back in the beginning a lot of them learned just from how others were doing things before them locally. They have had good success, and they don't use any substrate at all! They simply put water on the bottom, and hold the eggs above them with a crate similar to those shown in the pics here, but is a little thicker I guess. There is nothing mixed in the water no vermiculite nothing. I never thought this was right as I watch videos and substrate is always used, but they have good success. Anyone do it this way here?

EDIT: I reread the above posts and apparently one person above also does it this way.

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Originally Posted by AGoldReptiles

I use Calcined Clay ( Superhatch). Love it!
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=167333

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I bought some of this and am trying it out. My first attempt was too wet and i had to take some out and add dry. It really only needs a few ounces of water poured in the corner and your good.

Thank you for the answers everyone. This is our first and only clutch this year so we wanna make sure were doing everything right. I think we're gonna try the vermiculite. I'll be measuring mine just in case.

I picked up a 50 lb bag of acrylite. Im good for a long time

I like hatchrite.

I use a 50/50 mix of vermiculite/perlite.

Jason