Egg Discoloration

So, I've really been having a hard time with this clutch.

The female gave me 3 good eggs and 4 slugs (http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=93879)

And a few days into incubation we had an incubator malfunction (http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=94070)

Now this is happening. None of these spots were there originally. When I candle them veins still appear...but these spots don't seem good. Could it be too wet? When I squeeze the verm/per mixture no moisture comes out, but it stays clumped. However, the sides of the egg box usually have condensate on it...but none from the top dripping down on the eggs.

What do I do to reduce the moisture if its too wet? Is this a sign that the eggs are probably dead? The temperature has been a pretty steady 88.6 since the incident.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h...n1104/Egg3.jpg

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/h...n1104/Egg2.jpg

i'm no expert,,but i think your alright,,if your truely worried about to much moisture,add in a touch of vermeculite and remix it,,how far along are that?

15 days...it just worries me that the "windows" weren't there originally...and plus all the temperature issues that I had...I really hope you are right though

I say incubate them, if they die they die, but if you throw them out now and they would have hatched, that is dissapointing. So just leave em in there and pray for the best

It looks like the incubation medium is a very fine grade of vermiculite. Maybe the small pieces, despite the fact they they themselves hold the right amount of moisture, aren't allowing enough air to reach the eggs. Try adding some dry vermiculite to the mix like RebelYell83 said, but use larger chunks instead of the almost sand-like form to allow for some air flow to the eggs from below. That should help keep the eggs dry while allowing them to absorb enough moisture.

I was planning on continuing to incubate them...I think I'm just trying to prepare myself for the worst.

Where can I find the larger pieces (besides ordering it off the internet)? Do any hardware stores or anything carry it? I had a really hard time finding any verm. My local Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot didn't carry it.
Thanks!

if your concerned about airflow,get a sheet of plastic egg crate to put over the sub,then set the eggs on that

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PigsnPythons

I was planning on continuing to incubate them...I think I'm just trying to prepare myself for the worst.

Where can I find the larger pieces (besides ordering it off the internet)? Do any hardware stores or anything carry it? I had a really hard time finding any verm. My local Walmart, Lowes, and Home Depot didn't carry it.
Thanks!

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Try a local feed store. Oftentimes they carry it there.

or a local plant nursey,ask for pure pearlite

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Originally Posted by RebelYell83

or a local plant nursey,ask for pure pearlite

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He has perlite in his mixture already.. he needs large vermiculite.

It looks as though the egg in the first pic is getting to much moisture. Try using the light diffuser from a hardware store to elevate the eggs off the vermiculite. Then you will not have to worry about the eggs getting too wet.Second if you are getting condensation on the tub it means the air temp in the tub is different then the air temp in the incubator. You need to add more holes to the egg box, or increase your fan speed if you have a fan. If you do not have a fan it is really recommended. The egg with the dark window, I have seen this develope in eggs after about two weeks of incubation. It was not noticed when i put the eggs in at first, but i believe it is there and just gets darker as the eggs develope. It is not a problem as long as you have good veins, and the eggs are not rotting or collapsing alot then keep on incubating them they look fine to me. Just fix your water situation and the eggs will do fine.

Thanks everybody! I'm going to the store today to try the light diffuser. Do I need to keep the mixture the same if the eggs are elevated? Or do I still need to add some dry verm? Also, I'm a girl...lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PigsnPythons

Thanks everybody! I'm going to the store today to try the light diffuser. Do I need to keep the mixture the same if the eggs are elevated? Or do I still need to add some dry verm? Also, I'm a girl...lol

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If you set them on top of the light diffuser I would add more water to your mixture. Even pure water and no substrate is fine if you are using the diffuser. All the mix is doing with the light diffuser method is to keep the water from sloshing around when you are moving the egg box. Good luck. Your eggs look pretty good to me. I would not worry too much about them.