humidity question for egg laying/incubating

[mechnut450]

ok I converted my coke machine into the incubator. I got it set (bythe digital temp gauge ( and temp gun shots at spots ) about 89 degrees. Higher area is like 90.6and the lower shelf is 87.4 but i don't plan on using the very top or bottom sheves unlessI find eggs in the wild or something.

My question is roughly this. I set a water bowl in the incubator and can get the humidity up to 80% inside. and the (snake ) tubs I got I about ( taped up a lot ) 70% how long would the eggs be ok in the lower humidity levels IF I am not home to place them in the tubs and seal them right away ( 09 I was lucky and came home and caught the snake laying the eggs middle of the day so I was able to transfer them into something right away( even if i had to make atemp incubator) This year I a have it all on hand I also have a hobuvator if I need to use it. I want to preset the tubs up to hold the eggs would it be possible to just have it all ready and a little wetter ( with a light disfuser on hand and in side and be safe incase i have to have someone else transfer the eggs( Ipreferto ge them in a proper tub event asap. I the tubs I have are not seal since they were hatchling tubs at first I can tape up al lthe holes if need to be. but i figreing ( hopig between the humidity I got inthere already and in the tubs would be high enough to keep them safe as I would be checking the eggs every morning and evening ( I check my snakes 3 times a day with breedign them) this ids mainly slide the tub out and see if I get a reaction to the movement other times i will pull them out and hande them.


This is all in worry about the possible of being not home cause I will start to cut grass and such in the next few weeks and my luck will be they eggs will be dropped either late at night and i missed them in the morning chck or that I get home after dark and the eggs have to sit upwards of 8+ hours in less than 99% humidity.

[Turbo Serpent]

Snakes have been incubating eggs for millions of years. I think they will be fine for a few hours before you get to them. No need to worry.

[Freakie_frog]

No worries... We've had member's let their female incubate their egg's the whole time.. 8 hours isn't that big a deal..8 Day's im not comfortable with.. LOL

[mechnut450]

I understand a female can incubate the eggs my problem is I am afraid they would dry out cause ia have not been able to keep a proper humidity level i nthe tubs duesto haveing electirc heat in the trailer ,I seen the temp gauges say LO more than a reading cause it get s so dry in the trailer. that the proble mis if the eggs dry out. I want ot get them in a humid enviroment asap ...

[RichsBallPythons]

substrateless will fix all your problems. Theres no guessing on water to vermiculite mixture. I add 3" of vermiculite and 32oz of water 3 weeks and its still soaked in the bator. No need to keep humidity up in the bator, only the tubs need it.

[snakesRkewl]

The incubator doesn't hold any humidity, it's all in the tubs.


And to get your temps even top to bottom so you can use all shelves, go to hardware store and get a bathroom ceiling fan, wire it to a dimmer switch and plug that in and place it on the bottom of the incubator.
My coke incubator is holding temps within 1 degree now and the temperatures shelf to shelf are almost exactly the same.
Also water bottles, lots of em, works magic for holding the temperatures stable...

[Turbo Serpent]

He is more referring to when the female lays in her tub....

No need to worry if she feels the air is to humid she will create humidity, bjut for a few hours there is absolutely nothing to worry about.

[snakesRkewl]

well this throws me off, lol...

"I set a water bowl in the incubator and can get the humidity up to 80% inside."

The snake can maintain the eggs fine for the day, especially if the tub she's in is 70% humidity.
Last year my eggs didn't get found for around 6 hours, my tubs hold 65% to 70% humidity and the eggs were perfectly fine.

[mechnut450]

well this throws me off, lol...

"I set a water bowl in the incubator and can get the humidity up to 80% inside."

The snake can maintain the eggs fine for the day, especially if the tub she's in is 70% humidity.
Last year my eggs didn't get found for around 6 hours, my tubs hold 65% to 70% humidity and the eggs were perfectly fine.

I was donig that t osee if it set up a more stable( even heat difference) plus to check for a draft since any moisture escaping would more less steam out/wet spots onthe outsdi and he water bowl would have empty out fast. .I was also wonder if i left the humidity in ther elike that I coule use the tubs I got that have vent holes..( this would prevent me from having to open the machine too often and wasting all the heat ( not that it takes long to rebuild)


snakesRkewl as psecial question for you does/did your coke machine havea odd smell in it every tiem you open it ( not a mold or stale smell ) just an odd oder?

[snakesRkewl]

snakesRkewl as psecial question for you does/did your coke machine havea odd smell in it every tiem you open it ( not a mold or stale smell ) just an odd oder?

It did have an almost metallic smell to it, but being the inside is metal that didn't surprise me much.
A lot of the smell went away after cleaning it well.
We sterilized the inside really well, disconnected the main fan so it wouldn't work, and added the bathroom fan to the floor of the inc to push air about.

I doubt you could get the humidity up high enough in the inc to use open tubs, but I didn't really test that out.

With water bottles on the floor of the inc you can open and close it without a noticeable drop in temps.