Hova-bator... yes or no?

[Lolo76]

But the fact you can just take this thing, plug it into the wall, set it, and incubate two clutches...that's pretty darned nice.

That is very appealing to me... I might have to check it out! The mini-fridge I got will hold at least 4-6 clutches, but this season I'll probably only need 2 at a time (I'm breeding 2 BPs and 2 corns).

[Vilenica]

Hovabator is great if your ambient air is about ten degrees lower than the desired cooking temp and if your ambient air only fluctuates 5 degrees or so you would only get a 1 degree variance in the hova-bator.

[Lolo76]

Hovabator is great if your ambient air is about ten degrees lower than the desired cooking temp and if your ambient air only fluctuates 5 degrees or so you would only get a 1 degree variance in the hova-bator.

Our temperature here is very mild and constant, since I live a mile from the ocean... it's rarely lower than 50 or higher than 60, regardless of the season or time of day. Love it! But that's probably too cold overall, since we have trouble keeping the house temps above 69.

[WingedWolfPsion]

My Hovabators (controlled by a Herpstat) work fine at a normal room temp of around 70, and will keep temps stable at 89F with a +/- of 1 degree or less. I've never tried one at temps under 70, so couldn't say how they perform there.

It's important to keep in mind that most incubators will have some trouble dealing with external temperatures that fluctuate a lot.

[CA cowgirl]

Curious to know what you got/did. I had a hova-bator about 6 years ago, it worked great for leopard gecko eggs and I was able to predetermine their genders by selecting specific temperature ranges. All eggs hatched.

Now that I've read other opinions about using the hova-bator for BP eggs, I'll slowly start my research on alternatives.

[Gavin Cooper]

I used a Hovabator for my first year breeding. It did the job fine.

If people are worried about cost, pick up an old fridge or freezer and gut the motor and compressor. A few feet of flexwatt and a good t-stat and you're set.

Mine cost me about $40 without the t-stat.

Fridge - free
Flexwatt - $16
Computer fan - $15
misc wire - $12
Herpstat - $200



Gavin

[Lolo76]

Curious to know what you got/did.

I ended up getting a free mini-fridge on Craigslist, and have converted it into a decent incubator... still need to add an A/C fan and I guess a few water bottles, but it seems to be working okay! Only problem is that I had the thermostat (Repti-temp 500R) cranked up all the way, and inside temps aren't getting higher than 84-ish. I think I'll switch thermostats, using my Herpstat on the incubator - since the Repti-temp should be fine on one of the racks. Here are some photos of the project:

[Lolo76]

P.S. Are you supposed to measure temperatures inside the tubs, or just ambient air in the incubator? I tried a thermometer for each, and there's about a 3-4 degree difference (warmer inside the tub, if I remember correctly). And how many water bottles do you think I'll need?

[CA cowgirl]

Totally cool that you scored a free fridge and are taking on the DIY project!

I'm no expert, but I'd think that you'd want to measure the temperature in the tub, the temperature that the eggs are immediately/regularly exposed to.

I wonder if the insulation being older (that part is assumed by the wood grain exterior and the interior color) impedes the strength of the flexwatt? Maybe you need more flexwatt inside? Trying your herpstat might be the fix, definitely worth trying that first.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I've ordered a ZooMed Reptibator, and I'll let everyone know how it performs this season.