Hova-bator... yes or no?

[j_h_smith]

For what you're looking to use it for, I don't think it will be big enough. If they were larger, I wouldn't have an issue using one. Tthey're not perfect, but I started years ago using one and I never lost a clutch.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

[FragginDragon]

Sooooo, I'm looking at the do-it-yourself with a mini fridge, which seems to be the chosen method. Already you're losing me with the drilling of holes, and having to remove freon etc. - especially where it says "you may want to get a certified professional," which around here means I'll be spending some dough. Might as well buy something fancy & pre-made, if I have to pay a pro to help me! And seeing as I live in California, I guarantee it's illegal to remove toxins yourself. Those are great how-to links, so no offense intended... it just reinforces my original thought that making one myself isn't realistic.

How about some info on making them with styrofoam coolers? Is that an easier and less (potentially) expensive method?

What I did is went to my local appliance store and got a full size fridge for free....when people turn them in for scrap, they have to pay the store to evacuate the freon, so the work is done for you. I used the 'how-to' mentioned on Clay Davenports website, and the incubator works great!

[mqbuchanan]

I hatched some eggs with a hovabotor last year I got from LLL Reptile and it worked just fine. Cheap! Only issue was it is a bit small, I had to shop around to find a tuper wear container that would fit in it with the eggs in it. I put the tuper wear container in the Hovabotor, filled with Hatchrite, drilled a small hole in the side where I could put the the thermometer probe, and it worked out great. 6 out of 6 eggs hatched.

[Evilme5229]

I had the same debate about the hovabotor. This place also sells it, but I'm leading towards this more.

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Accu-Tem...tile-Incubator

[j_h_smith]

I had the same debate about the hovabotor. This place also sells it, but I'm leading towards this more.

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Accu-Tem...tile-Incubator

I found it cheaper, but it's sold as a refrigerator.
However there is some concern over it's reliability. Seems the power supply is the issue. Do a search about this product. A few have died within 6 months of purchase.

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/6ad2/?cpg=ab

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

[West Coast Jungle]

I have used them for beardie eggs but not for BP eggs. It has been done but IMO they are just to hard to keep accurate temps and humidity. Beardie eggs are way more flexible and forgiving. Also if your room temps flucuate alot you may have problems.

[lucas J]

its a bit small for bps,,,,,I use it fine with my beardies and leos

[Quiet Tempest]

I used a Hovabator for jungle carpet python eggs last year and didn't have any problems. If you go this route, however, I wouldn't use the model with the fan. The fan will increase temps quite a bit and I was told it's safer (for the eggs) if temps are a little too low than to be a little too high.

[hoax]

*DISCLAIMER* I have never produced a clutch or incubated one *END DISCLAIMER*

There are some really great incubators on here in the DIY. The hova-bator to me just isn't the quality you want when trying to incubate BP eggs. I have heard that they work ok. There are cost effective ways to avoid using one, to me its just not worth it.

Mike

[PigsnPythons]

I think the Hova-bator's work fine. My first year I only had one clutch and was feeling very uncomfortable at the thought of making my own incubator (also not very handy...). So, I purchased a hova-bator. I didn't run mine on a thermostat either, I just used the built in one. It did flucuate a little (like from 88 degrees to 90 degrees), but it never got wildly too cold or too hot. It recommends putting it in a room that doesn't have a draft. So, I closed the vents in a spare room and kept it there. I hatched 5 perfect babies out of 5 eggs. I think it could easily hold two average sized ball python clutches. The only problem I had, was that I had an egg that I couldn't seperate that was on top of the other eggs, and it got really dimply from too little mositure. However, that's not really a hova-bator issue...more like a egg box issue.

That said, this last year I was expecting more clutches and had a better idea of what actually went on in the incubation process. So my room-mate and I found wine coolers on CL...pretty cheap...like 30 each or something maybe less, bought the heat tape from reptile basics, and made our own. It worked great and we hatched all of our babies again this year. The only problem we had was that we installed a fan, whatever one that is recommended in the DIY thread, and it overheated and raised the temperature of the incubator to like 96 degrees!! But, after we figured out what was going on, we just took it out and dealt with the temperature gradient.