Questions about my incubator

[Jay_Bunny]

I just realized something. Maybe I've set my incubator up wrong! A few people commented that they do not experience as much of a temp difference in their incubators as I do. For example, the temp in my egg box (using an Accurite thermometer with the probe in the egg box) is sitting at 88.3. But I have to set my thermostat (Helix DBS1000) at about 98 to achieve such a temperature. I'm using about 3 foot of 11 inch flexwatt. The Helix's probe is on the flexwatt.

Does this sound right, or is there something I set up wrong? I'm using vermiculite as substrate, no press-n-seal as humidity levels are perfect, and I am not using a fan. (I had no way to run one and I have incubated eggs (corn snake) in this incubator before with no problems)

Now, so far this is day 17 and I am have no issues what so ever (knock on wood). All five eggs are fertile and are developing normally (good strong veins and movement in at least two eggs) There is a little condensation developing on the tub lid, which I wipe off every other day to every 2 days. The room temperature is around 71-75 at all times. The temp in the egg box does have a swing. Temps get as low as 87.5 (at night) and as high as 89.2. So far, so good.

Any thoughts?

[achilles_crutch]

i dont think the helix probe should be on the flexwatt for incubation. the helix probe should be inside the egg box as close to the accurite probe as possible and set at your desired temp.

you would put the probe on the flex it were set-up for a snake to control the hot-spot. incubation is more about ambient air temp, if the air is 89 degrees everything inside the bator should be 89 as well.

i dont know if i'd worry about changing anything at this stage of the game if everything seems to be staying within the right parameters

[jsmorphs2]

We also put the probe in an egg tub, usually a tub in the middle of the incubator. That way you just set the thermostat to the correct incubation temp.

Having it taped to the flexwatt and setting the thermostat to 98 to get the right temp in the egg box could lead to your incubator overheating and possibly loosing the clutch. Basically there is nothing stopping the flexwatt from heating the whole incubator to 98. What I would do is just set the Helix to 88 and put the probe in the egg tub at the same time. That way the Helix will now be sensing the temp in the egg box and since it will be programed to 88 it shouldn't cause a temp swing.

[Annarose15]

I'm in my first season, so certainly no expert, but I'd say that you should leave things as they are if your temps have stayed right for over two weeks. Experiment with probe placement and tstat settings after you hatch and the incubator doesn't have eggs in it. Personally, I decided to leave my tstat probe outside the egg tub, on the shelf near it. I am using a Herpstat set at 89deg, and the inside temps of the egg tubs are 89.5deg. Part of the trick is to minimize how often you open the incubator so you don't cause unnecessary fluctuations. I check on my eggs about every three to four days, and haven't had any problems (Day 28).

[snakesRkewl]

I put the probe under the flexwatt and my helix sits at 95 to get 88.7 in the tubs.
I would NEVER place a probe in the egg tub but that's just me.

The only temperature that matters is the egg tub temp, it doesn't matter what the thermostat reads.
As long as your temps aren't swinging up and down your fine with what you have IMO

[jsmorphs2]

I would NEVER place a probe in the egg tub but that's just me.

Just curious, why are you against putting the probe in an egg tub? Have you had problems doing it that way. Please share.

[snakesRkewl]

I just see no reason to place a probe in a tub with eggs.
What if I want to pull that tub to check the eggs, that's not going to happen with a probe in it unless you want to throw the temps off in the inc.

It may be just an opinion but placing the probe inside the tub makes no sense to me.

[mainbutter]

If a t-stat probe is not directly monitoring flexwatt temps, and the flexwatt is allowed to run wide open and too hot for long and extended periods of time, there is potential for shortages or fires. It's probably a very small likelihood, but the potential is there.

[jsmorphs2]

I have no issues with temp swings. When I take out the tub I just put the probe on the shelf. Opening the incubator is what causes the swings. I've also attached the probe to a shelf and that worked well too. I just like knowing what temps my eggs will be kept at and I don't trust $10 thermometers. Like everything with BPs, there are many ways to accomplish the same goal and this way works great for me.

[Twisted Reptiles]

We put the primary probe for the t-stat zip tied to the middle shelf about 1/3 of the way from the back of the incubator. I have found this to be the most steady reliable location for the primary probe in our setup. Your mileage may vary due to differences in your setup.

In theory, so long as you are not constantly opening and closing the incubator your temps in and around the egg tub should be virtually identical to the temps inside the egg tub. Remember it is the ambient air temperature that regulates the egg tub temp, the t-stat regulates flexwatt which regulates the ambient air temp.

Because of this, I do not like putting the primary probe in an egg tub. Every time you open the incubator the ambient air temp will drop, but the egg tub temp is much more constant and will not fluctuate as much. As soon as the incubator is closed, the flexwatt should be concerned with getting the ambient air temps back to normal. Using this method, the ambient air temps should never be warmer than the desired temps inside the egg tub. So long as the ambient air temps are normal the egg tub temps will be fine as well.

Using the probe inside the egg tub method, if something were to happen, such as opening the lid, of the control egg tub, the t-stat would have to significantly over compensate to get the egg tub temps back to normal once it is closed. As a result, the ambient air temps are going to be higher than normal which may cause other tubs which were not opened to become warmer than you may desire.

All this being said, we have 5 temp probes total in the incubator to monitor temps throughout it at all times, including one in a dummy egg tub, but this probe is not the primary probe attached to the t-stat.