A sauna as an incubator?

I'm considering buying a four person sauna to use as a walk in incubator, has anyone ever tried it? Seems like I could bypass the IR heaters and run my own heat and humidity for ball python egg hatching. I can get a used 4 person sauna for about $250, it's the portable kind made out of cedar, I could fit it in a corner of my snake room.

Dude! You're such a trailblazer! :)

I am thinking that cedar might not the best material.

Cedar is toxic to reptiles.

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Originally Posted by AbsoluteApril

Cedar is toxic to reptiles.

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For sure, on contact. But do we know that breathing the aroma is toxic? Not debating, just curious.

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Originally Posted by Reinz

For sure, on contact. But do we know that breathing the aroma is toxic? Not debating, just curious.

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I'd imagine the wood is sealed too since it's designed to be used in a highly humid environment.


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I could always add a clear top coat to seal it.

I used google, apparently the 'vapors' are toxic. It causes lung damage in rats I wouldn't risk it with beeps. Maybe with a good sealant that is silicone based.

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Originally Posted by Ogre

I used google, apparently the 'vapors' are toxic. It causes lung damage in rats I wouldn't risk it with beeps. Maybe with a good sealant that is silicone based.

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Thanks for looking that up! :)

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Originally Posted by Ogre

I used google, apparently the 'vapors' are toxic. It causes lung damage in rats I wouldn't risk it with beeps. Maybe with a good sealant that is silicone based.

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Not worth it in my opinion. The risks outweigh the benefits. When I need to work with cedar, I do it in a very well ventilated area and I wear a mask. If I don't want to breathe it, it is not the right thing for my animals.

The compounds that create the scent are the same as those that cause lung irritation/damage, as it is the aromatic phenols.

PPE for one of the phenols present includes respirators. Of course, that is for the compound itself which is going to be much stronger.

http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/catalog/...g=en&region=US

I wouldn't think the problematic molecules would be small enough to cross the egg barrier, but would it be a problem when they pipped and were crawling out? I don't know.

I guess it depends on if the whole thing is cedar construction, I doubt it due to the expense . You could strip the cedar out and replace it with something else like some sort of acrylic sheeting. It would probably double your cost though.

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I'm actually thinking of spraying a clear coat sealer on the inside, then lining the inside with thick insulation, like the Styrofoam type, then maybe putting a top layer of plastic sheeting on top of that. I'm sure I can totally seal up the cedar in there. I really like how it would have a professional look to it and could hold a whole bunch of eggs, it even comes wired with lights and a stereo system LOL. The seller seems very motivated to sell it. Here's what it looks like:

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om%2Fsauna.jpg