Egg box substrates

I was wondering:

- what most people use as their egg box substrate
- where you get it
- what brands to look for
- what to look for on the bag

I found a perlite at one store, has anyone used something like this before? http://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/mi...-0594422p.html

I can't seem to find vermiculite anywhere

Thanks for any help!

I use perlite that I get from a local feed and seed store. I'm not at home, but I'll try to take a picture of it when I get home tonight. You want to get 100% perlite. You want to make sure that it does not have any fertilizer added to it. I use the substrate-less method now and really like it. Be careful about Miracle Grow products as they often have fertilizer added to them.

I've been using Hatchrite for the past 7 years or so and never had a problem. I usually get it at Beanfarm.com but I think it's available at any reptile store.

We use water. Its free. No brand name. Has worked for us since 2006. Never seen it in a bag :P

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Originally Posted by Wapadi

We use water. Its free. No brand name. Has worked for us since 2006. Never seen it in a bag :P

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I've seen a few suggestions about this lately. Could you explain your set up for me?

Vermiculite or Perlite http://www.homedepot.com/p/THERMOROC...9701/202187623 - http://www.homedepot.com/p/THERMOROC...9702/202187625

Home depot

Make sure there is no additive

Here are the pictures. The first year I bred Ball Pythons, I used the vermiculite and mixed it at a 1:1 ratio by weight with water and had a real good season. The second year, last year, I used the perlite and the substrateless method (http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...Egg-Tub-Set-Up) and had a real good season. I plan on using the substrateless method from now on. When using the substrateless method, either perlite or vermiculite can be used since the point of it is only to keep the water from splashing.

Vermiculite
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...ermiculite.jpg

Perlite
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file.../7/perlite.jpg

I use play sand, substrate-less method. The sand is just there to keep the water from splashing.

We started using sponges this year, with egg crate over them - works perfect and it's much cleaner then vermiculite, and you can reuse them for at least few seasons :). It's also pretty cheap!

Here is how we do it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHulqxlc3i0

I have used vermiculite for the past 14 years with no problems.
Recently I switched to Hatchrite and it is working great too.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

http://i1115.photobucket.com/albums/...s/DSC_0723.jpg

Light Diffuser from home depot $12 ish but makes a ton! Cut to fit your tubs
Add water but not over the plastic light diffuser
Add eggs (make sure they are not touching the sides)
Apply Press and Seal ($4 at Target) and Lid
Put in incubator!

All done!!!

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Originally Posted by GPreptiles

We started using sponges this year, with egg crate over them

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Kinda leaning towards sponge or just water! have you ever had any problems with mold?

RO/DI water!
http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/files/2/6/6/3/9/005.jpg

I use perlite, you can get a huge bag of it ordered through Home Depot pretty cheap, if you look it up at HD online it comes in a generic looking green bag...the one I ordered turned out to be about the size of a 30gal kitchen trash can. Had I known that when ordering, I wouldn't have ordered two...lol. I put about two inches of perlite in my egg boxes, fill water about half way up the perlite, one layer of light grate on top of the perlite.

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Originally Posted by brettfong

Kinda leaning towards sponge or just water! have you ever had any problems with mold?

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Never :).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brettfong

Kinda leaning towards sponge or just water! have you ever had any problems with mold?

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I tried substrateless, water only, with no mold problems for nine eggs. I attached plastic canvas (available at craft stores or WalMart) using the smallest plastic wire ties I could find tightly on top of the light diffuser, as the holes in the light diffuser looked to me like they were big enough for a hatchling to slide through. With a tight-fitting lid on the egg tub very little water was needed to keep 99% humidity, so no worries about splashing either.

I did read somewhere that using sand or aquarium gravel is a good idea not only to prevent the water from splashing, but also to add more thermal mass to the egg tub. In case of a power outage, the sand or gravel would help maintain the temperature for a while so there would be less risk of losing the eggs.

Underside of the light diffuser:
http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...psd39585a2.jpg

Diffuser in egg box:
http://i477.photobucket.com/albums/r...ps54b22d8f.jpg