No incubator?

if i had a 100 watt light bulb and right temperatures in the tank would a female be able to hatch the eggs without an incubator in its tank it is in right now? Thanks.

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

if i had a 100 watt light bulb and right temperatures in the tank would a female be able to hatch the eggs without an incubator in its tank it is in right now? Thanks.

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I very much doubt it.I say this because that light bulb would dry out the air and keep your humidity very low.In order for eggs to hatch they need humidity and heat.When you use a incubator its not inside the tank with the female.

What if i mist the air very often? If you know another way to keep humidity please tell me.

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

What if i mist the air very often? If you know another way to keep humidity please tell me.

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use other ways to heat the enclosure. either heat the room, use a UTH etc...there are other ways

What is a UTH?

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

What is a UTH?

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UTH= Under tank heater

I have an UTH so if i have one and mist the air would it be able to hatch the eggs?

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

What if i mist the air very often? If you know another way to keep humidity please tell me.

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Personaly i use hovabator incubators for both my ball python eggs and corn snake eggs.I have only heard of 1 person letting the female ball incubate the eggs,everyone else uses incubators.If you mist the tank you take a chance of getting the humidity to high and that can kill the eggs.Or you might not mist it enough and the low humidity will also cause the eggs to die off.In my opinion its less headaches using the incubators to hatch the eggs in.

Im new to this stuff. How do the incubators work? do i just let the eggs lay in the incubator and turn the incubator on and let it do the rest? or do i have to set the right temperatures and everything?

you have to set the incubator but yeah pretty much put them in, turn it on, and your good, but you need like to put them in a certain substrate that i forgot the name of... someone help me... vermicilitisocitimotitis... or something about like that :D

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Originally Posted by Chase13

you have to set the incubator but yeah pretty much put them in, turn it on, and your good, but you need like to put them in a certain substrate that i forgot the name of... someone help me... vermicilitisocitimotitis... or something about like that :D

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Do the incubators come with manuals? how much does an average incubator cost?

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

Im new to this stuff. How do the incubators work? do i just let the eggs lay in the incubator and turn the incubator on and let it do the rest? or do i have to set the right temperatures and everything?

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I will be right back with a few pics.

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Originally Posted by joepythons

I will be right back with a few pics.

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Ill Be waiting. :D

Ok this is what a hovabator incubator looks like.The first pic is how it looks like on the outside.I plug them in about a month ahead of my expecting any eggs and i make sure the temps are still correct.You have to add a little water in a bottom tray for the humidity and i add just a little water in the containers containing the eggs.I use vermiculite for the eggs to set inside of the containers. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_1389.jpg

This pic shows the heating elements inside the hovabator.Once i have the temps set it will stay at that temp just like your home furnace does. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a1...s/IMG_1391.jpg

Where can i buy vermiculite and what does it look like? Also how much does one of those incubators cost and where can i buy one? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

Do the incubators come with manuals? how much does an average incubator cost?

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Well the hovabators i use are actually sold as incubators for chicken eggs lol.You can buy these same ones sold as reptile incubators just a little higher price.I spent $40 on each one i have(3) and this will be my 3rd year using them.

you can pick up vermiculite at any garden center :)

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

Where can i buy vermiculite and what does it look like? Also how much does one of those incubators cost and where can i buy one? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

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Well with you being in Canada i have no idea.Vermiculite looks like a sandy rock like substance.Let me check on something i will be right back.

Ok. Ill be waiting again lol.

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

Ok. Ill be waiting again lol.

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Ok contact Aric(member here) and see if he ships vermiculite to Canada.Here is a link to his ad .http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=37121.

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

you can pick up vermiculite at any garden center :)

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really... honestly... you can buy it at garden centers :P after all... i live in canada :P

and here's a thread you may find interesting:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=33496

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

Where can i buy vermiculite and what does it look like? Also how much does one of those incubators cost and where can i buy one? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP!!!!

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Your welcome :) .This is my whole reason of being here.

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

really... honestly... you can buy it at garden centers :P after all... i live in canada :P

and here's a thread you may find interesting:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=33496

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I forgot you live in Canada lol.

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Originally Posted by joepythons

This is my whole reason of being here.

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grabs a shovel and a clothespin...

:rofl:

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Originally Posted by joepythons

I forgot you live in Canada lol.

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i don't know how you could forget... you tease me about it all the time! :P

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

grabs a shovel and a clothespin...

:rofl:

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ISHY you talked to me :carrot: :carrot: :carrot:,who lubbs ya baby :cool: .

YOU DO YOU DO YOU DO

LOL
:rofl:

i got the message joe. you've posted this about 7 times tonight hahahahaha i don't know what you've been up to... but when my kids act like this it usually means they broke something, did something wrong, or about to do something wrong.

so... which is it? :P

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Originally Posted by recycling goddess

YOU DO YOU DO YOU DO

LOL
:rofl:

i got the message joe. you've posted this about 7 times tonight hahahahaha i don't know what you've been up to... but when my kids act like this it usually means they broke something, did something wrong, or about to do something wrong.

so... which is it? :P

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Not telling :halohorn: :neener:

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Originally Posted by joepythons

Not telling :halohorn: :neener:

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he broke the intranet

Ball pythons posess the capability to brood their own eggs, but you will still have to supply them with the right temperatures and humidity levels. Also, your brooding female will remain off feed for an additional couple of months, leaving her less time to gain weight before the next breeding season.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Ball pythons posess the capability to brood their own eggs, but you will still have to supply them with the right temperatures and humidity levels. Also, your brooding female will remain off feed for an additional couple of months, leaving her less time to gain weight before the next breeding season.

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So the right temperatures and humidity = hatch? Got ya. But i might go with the incubator still, i dont want to risk the chance of the eggs dieing

Totally understandable, artificial incubation is the most popular and perhaps successful choice for ball python eggs.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Totally understandable, artificial incubation is the most popular and perhaps successful choice for ball python eggs.

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Thanks alot for your help too everyone.

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Originally Posted by Rapture

Ball pythons posess the capability to brood their own eggs, but you will still have to supply them with the right temperatures and humidity levels. Also, your brooding female will remain off feed for an additional couple of months, leaving her less time to gain weight before the next breeding season.

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Yea thats what made me choose to use the incubators instead of letting the female hatch them.It would really bother me if i caused some babies the chance to live by not using a incubator.I know they do it in the wild but its really hard to copy those exact climates in captivaty settings.

If you really want to let your female incubat the egg's, this is how you need to go about it.

1.) make a nest box. Rubbermaid has some good choises, you will need somthing with a bottom and a lid.You will also want somthing that the snake can feel secure in, ( when she is coiled she can touch the sides of the box). A taller box works better then a avredge hide box.

2.) Place about 3" of DAMP suphagum moss, for humidity. Also be sure you have a humidity guage in there. You want the humidity about 80-85 %. The female can regulate the amount of humidity by how tightly she coiles around the eggs.

3.) Heat. If you dont use a rack system a basking spot would not be a bad idea. I assume you have a thermometer so keep the temp around 80 degrees. As before she can controll the temp as well.

The reasoning for keep the temp and humidity below incubator avrg is if your thermostat fails the eggs wont cook. As long as you keep an eye on the temp and humidity there should be nno problem. Remeber these snakes have been incubating eggs in the wild for years, with alot less controlled conditions. I hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by Tussin

If you really want to let your female incubat the egg's, this is how you need to go about it.

1.) make a nest box. Rubbermaid has some good choises, you will need somthing with a bottom and a lid.You will also want somthing that the snake can feel secure in, ( when she is coiled she can touch the sides of the box). A taller box works better then a avredge hide box.

2.) Place about 3" of DAMP suphagum moss, for humidity. Also be sure you have a humidity guage in there. You want the humidity about 80-85 %. The female can regulate the amount of humidity by how tightly she coiles around the eggs.

3.) Heat. If you dont use a rack system a basking spot would not be a bad idea. I assume you have a thermometer so keep the temp around 80 degrees. As before she can controll the temp as well.

The reasoning for keep the temp and humidity below incubator avrg is if your thermostat fails the eggs wont cook. As long as you keep an eye on the temp and humidity there should be nno problem. Remeber these snakes have been incubating eggs in the wild for years, with alot less controlled conditions. I hope this helps.

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Where do i buy sphagnum moss?

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Originally Posted by PythonFan8

Where do i buy sphagnum moss?

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You'd probably want something called long fibred sphagnum moss. It can be found in most garden stores as it is often used in soil mixes for carnivorous plants, orchids, and as a decoration for other plants as the stuff looks cool.If you go to Lowe's or home depot it's usually stored where the cactus/orchid supplies are.

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Originally Posted by Danny Beane

You'd probably want something called long fibred sphagnum moss. It can be found in most garden stores as it is often used in soil mixes for carnivorous plants, orchids, and as a decoration for other plants as the stuff looks cool.If you go to Lowe's or home depot it's usually stored where the cactus/orchid supplies are.

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Thank you very much.