It is my first year too and I am using hatchrite. I kept noticing one dimple here and there so I added a tiny bit more water. I ended up losing three eggs, I'm guessing because it was some how too wet. There really can't be any other reason. It's really frustrating and I'm really sad
If you want to do it the easy way, go substrateless. You don't have to worry about how dry or how wet the substrate is. Leave it and go. I switched to substrateless after I lost the 3rd egg on day 27ish. I'm on day 45 now and the eggs I have left are all perfect. I would have lost at least 1 or 2 more by now at the rate I was going. I didn't lose my first egg till day 18. IMO substrateless is the way to go. Hatchrite is supposed to be for first timers and infallible, but I didn't have luck with it.
Oh yeah, and no holes in the hatchbox. You will lose moisture. That' why you use glad wrap/plastic wrap under the lid, to help hold in the moisture. All you have to do is open the lid every now and again for air exchange.
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