What's up with that?

[LGL]

Hey! The eggs that were laid on 3/6 started molding a few days ago, so I wiped it of with the anti-bacterial athlete's foot powder and weighed out the subtrate and water in a new container. There was a little too much water in the first containers. The second containers had so little water I thought the eggs would dry out for sure (by weighing it out 60% Vermiculite 40% Water by weight). Mold problem solved, right? NOT! The next day there is more mold! A whole bunch of it! So I wiped them down extremely well this time and switched the containers again, adding barely any water. I just checked on them and there is still some mold! Not very much, but it's there! Meanwhile, they are both drying out and denting from the "lack of moisture", but if there's any more moisture they mold like crazy! They are both fertile and were fine when I found them in the cage, so I don't get why this is happening. It's happend in the past too! Temps are perfect! So, the big question is this: How do I get rid of the mold once and for all without killing the eggs?!?!?!? Thank you SOOOOOOOOOO much for ANY advice!! All advice is appreciated!!

[mlededee]

even if the eggs looked good when they were first laid they might not have been fertile. it takes about 2 weeks before you can candle leo eggs and see veining. at this point, if they look yellowish instead of pinkish when you candle them and you don't see veins you know they are infertile.

i have never used vermiculite to incubate leo eggs so i'm not quite sure about the moisture levels with that. i use perlite and mix a ratio of 1 parts perlite to just more than 1 part water by weight--probably close to your 60% to 40% ratio. it does not seem that wet though--you want it to be just barely moist (again, this is perlite that i'm referring to). you might consider trying a 50:50 vermiculite/perlite mix.

if your eggs are molding they are either too wet, infertile or have gone bad. in my experience, once they start to mold they don't stop and go completely bad. this is regardless of what steps taken to try to save them. i have only succeeding in saving eggs that were too dry, but never ones that were too wet. don't toss them until you are absolutely sure though--once they stink and turn cheesy you'll know it's time.

i've never heard anything about using antibacterials or any other substance on eggs and wouldn't recommend it. i don't know what affect that might have on a developing baby inside and wouldn't want to risk any ill effects. some people will only mark their eggs with a pencil as opposed to a sharpie or other marker to avoid any negative effects of from the ink soaking into the shell.

i'd recommend that you just start over. remix your medium and put some perlite in with the vermiculite. perhaps the vermiculite alone is too wet.

what are you incubating in and at what temperature? you should be getting some condensation on the inside of the container and should wipe this out every few days. there shouldn't be so much that it is pooling up, dripping from the top onto the eggs or requires wiping every day. if this is the case your mix is too wet and should be remixed with less water.

[LGL]

Wow! Thanks for the response!!!

even if the eggs looked good when they were first laid they might not have been fertile. it takes about 2 weeks before you can candle leo eggs and see veining. at this point, if they look yellowish instead of pinkish when you candle them and you don't see veins you know they are infertile.

I candled them and they are definitely fertile! Totally reddish/pinkish!

i have never used vermiculite to incubate leo eggs so i'm not quite sure about the moisture levels with that. i use perlite and mix a ratio of 1 parts perlite to just more than 1 part water by weight--probably close to your 60% to 40% ratio. it does not seem that wet though--you want it to be just barely moist (again, this is perlite that i'm referring to). you might consider trying a 50:50 vermiculite/perlite mix.

I'll try the 50:50 Vermiculite/Perlite mix! Thanks!

if your eggs are molding they are either too wet, infertile or have gone bad. in my experience, once they start to mold they don't stop and go completely bad. this is regardless of what steps taken to try to save them. i have only succeeding in saving eggs that were too dry, but never ones that were too wet. don't toss them until you are absolutely sure though--once they stink and turn cheesy you'll know it's time.

Ok. I'm hoping to save them, but am starting to think that it's not going to happen.

i've never heard anything about using antibacterials or any other substance on eggs and wouldn't recommend it. i don't know what affect that might have on a developing baby inside and wouldn't want to risk any ill effects. some people will only mark their eggs with a pencil as opposed to a sharpie or other marker to avoid any negative effects of from the ink soaking into the shell.

Really? What have you used to wipe the mold off? I've always heard to just spray some of the stuff on a towel and then wipe the mold off of the egg...

i'd recommend that you just start over. remix your medium and put some perlite in with the vermiculite. perhaps the vermiculite alone is too wet.

I'll do that. I'm just getting worried because this will be the 4th time totally starting over with new medium this week! I'll try that mix though!

what are you incubating in and at what temperature? you should be getting some condensation on the inside of the container and should wipe this out every few days. there shouldn't be so much that it is pooling up, dripping from the top onto the eggs or requires wiping every day. if this is the case your mix is too wet and should be remixed with less water.

I'm incubating them in small deli-cups (without holes) inside a Nature's Spirit Incubator. Temps are being controlled by an Herpstat ND which is set at 88.5 degrees.

Thanks so much!!

[mlededee]

you might want to try a larger container for incubating the eggs in. i know some people are successful incubating in deli cups and small containers but i find it is easier in something like a shoebox size rubbermaid. there is more room for error in your mix when you use a larger container--it is quite easy for a small container with a small amount of mix to be either too wet or too dry, just because of the small amount of water it takes to make it too wet/dry. i also have one very small hole in each side of my shoebox for a little airflow. this may not even be necessary given that i usually open the container to candle, check eggs, add eggs etc, every few days, but that's what i do.

if the eggs sweat or get water on them i just dab them with a paper towel. if they need to be wiped off i just use a moist paper towel and make sure they are dry when i'm done. you want to handle them as little as possible though and make sure not to turn them--they need to remain face up, in the position they were laid so the embryo doesn't drown in the fluid inside the egg.

it is possible that your eggs looked pinkish and fertile but that the embryo never began to develop. sometimes they just go bad. since this is the female's first pair of eggs i really wouldn't worry about it too much. often their first pair of eggs isn't fertile at all.

[LGL]

Ok, thanks!!! I'll let you know how they do.

[mlededee]

good luck!