So we currently have 2 gravid females and were in need of an incubator. My last homemade incubator was a styrofoam cooler with a fish tank water heater and although it worked at the time there were a couple reasons we decided not to go that route this time. First, we have plans in the future to expand so we neexe more capacity. Secondly, one of our combos can produce super black pastels. Based on conversations with an individual that has had a fair amount of success producing kink free super black pastels I knew I needed a level of precision in regards to temperature that would be a challenge to attain.
I started with a wine cooler that I gutted and added heat tape with a quality thermostat. To maintain constant temperature I walled water bottles along the heat tape held in place by diffuser panels. To keep temperatures even and constant I added computer fans. By changing direction of the fans I can change the temperature for each level by up to 2 deg per level or I can keep all temps within .5 degree of each other. To further limit temperature fluctuation I used heavy duty clear plastic locking Rubbermade bins. I drilled 1 hole in the top of each bin for ventillation. The clear plastic bins combined with the led lighting allow for close visual monitoring of the eggs without exposing then to ambient air.
I have had it up and running for about 3 weeks now and it is holing temperature and humidity well. If anyone has any advise please feel free to speak up.
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