Perlite vs. Hatchrite

[dr del]

Hi,

The perlite is just there to stop the water sloshing about as much when your moving the egg box - though it might also prevent possible accidents when the hatchlings arrive I suppose.

Though I have never heard anyone report hatchlings dropping through the grate and getting stuck or drowned.

There is a nice clear picture in the first post in this thread.


dr del

[Corvid]

Hi,

The perlite is just there to stop the water sloshing about as much when your moving the egg box - though it might also prevent possible accidents when the hatchlings arrive I suppose.

Though I have never heard anyone report hatchlings dropping through the grate and getting stuck or drowned.

There is a nice clear picture in the first post in this thread.


dr del

Thank you for the link. Just 1 more question on this.
Because if the softness of the shells, so the grates leave imprints on the eggs? If so is it, or could it be harmful?
Thanks!

[dr del]

Hi,

Well I've never read anyone complain their snake came out looking like a waffle so I'm gonna stick my neck out and guess it would be perfectly ok unless your using a very wide grating with sharp edges.

But feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.


dr del

[MarkS]

In the wild they lay their eggs in the dirt. Use whatever maintains a high humidity and feels the most comfortable to you.

[m0esgirl]

jeez this is great info, and the reason i love this freaking site. i wrote all that down in my little snake book. yes i have a snake info book. with a snake sticker on the front. i think this year i will try the egg crate/perlite so i dont really have a chance to mess up the water ratio, then after i get a few more clutches i can try my hand at mixing, or just stick with the egg crate way. thank you guys soooo much for all the wonderful messages. awesome.

[m0esgirl]

That's how I set up my tubs, with one difference, I use hatchrite, add water and a light diffuser. Helix set at 89. cover with press and seal snap on the lid. Open it once a week to vent.

that is another thing i was wondering about, i have it written down that i should open it to get fresh air, but i was wondering if there is anything else special i need to do? i have a hovabator, and i've got the thermostat all ready, im just waiting for that prelay shed to hook it all up. actually, im waiting for an ovy to be honest, she's still locking up. im a first timer though, so when i palpated i was still kinda worried about the end with teeth. she's a grump.
how long should i open the egg tub for? just a quick open/shut thing, or a certain time limit? i wanna do as much right as i can. im nervous.

[Bruce Whitehead]

Last year I used hatchrite... put the bag in the incubator and it was ready to go the day I had my first clutch.

I was really pleased with it. Using the egg crating this year (only because I could not find anyone selling it again this year).

If I could have found Hatchrite again I would have used it. It was just too easy, and I did not want to take any chances. For 12.0$ it seemed like a pretty small investment.

Bruce

[m00kfu]

that is another thing i was wondering about, i have it written down that i should open it to get fresh air, but i was wondering if there is anything else special i need to do? i have a hovabator, and i've got the thermostat all ready, im just waiting for that prelay shed to hook it all up. actually, im waiting for an ovy to be honest, she's still locking up. im a first timer though, so when i palpated i was still kinda worried about the end with teeth. she's a grump.
how long should i open the egg tub for? just a quick open/shut thing, or a certain time limit? i wanna do as much right as i can. im nervous.

I wouldn't even worry about it. There's more than a few people out there that don't even open the egg boxes once until it's close to the hatch date. If this is your first clutch, chances are you'll probably be opening it once a week anyway to candle the eggs so you can experience it first hand. The main thing is keeping an eye on the temps -- near the end the eggs will start to generate some heat on their own so you want to make sure your incubator isn't too hot.

[sum182]

so with hatchrite you dont even have to add water? i found some at my local exotic pet shop and when i'm ready to breed next season i'll just go for that if its that simple