Reptibator Incubation Question -- First Clutch

[niclh]

Hi All -- I have a quick question I am hoping I can get some feedback on. I finally had my first clutch over the past weekend and am wondering if it is 100% necessary to cover the tub with cling wrap or put a lid on it?

The eggs look absolutely perfect and we put them in a vermiculite mix, but have not covered the tub since we have just monitored the humidity and temp very closely. The tub the eggs is pretty big so it gets pretty close to the heating element.

I put a separate thermometer/humidity gauge in the tub next to the eggs to monitor the temp/humidity at the egg level opposed to relying on the reptibator's since that one is right next to the heat source.

We've kept the temp at 90 degrees and the humidity in the box has been at 90%. From what I've been reading I need to increase the humidity to 95-100% and I guess the best way to do this would be to cover the tub.

Should we just put cling wrap on the tub without any holes in the wrap or tubs? I'm guessing as long as we open it every few days to give airflow we would be okay.

At day 5 we noticed a very slight dimple in one of the eggs, but the egg is perfectly white. Do the eggs just dimple slightly throughout their cycle?

Thanks for all the help in advance! I just want to make sure we get this right!

[Annarose15]

Put the lid on the tub. This helps keep the eggs' environment as stable as possible, even when you are opening and closing the incubator. Plastic wrap isn't necessary unless you notice extreme dimpling/collapsing early on.

[niclh]

Okay -- so lid on tub and no holes necessary in the lid or the tub itself?

Just open once a day or two for a minute to ensure everything is okay?

[Cameron Lamb Exotics]

I open mine like once a week.

[dreese88]

Okay -- so lid on tub and no holes necessary in the lid or the tub itself?

Just open once a day or two for a minute to ensure everything is okay?

Lid on, no holes. You dont even need to open it that often, maybe once or twice a week..they don't need too much air

[Rickys_Reptiles]

Because you're using the reptibator I am assuming the tub is not that large, so you may need to burp it every once in a while, maybe once every 2 weeks for a few seconds.

I use larger tubs, and I don't burp them until day 40, then on day 45 and 50. On day 50 I move the eggs into a new tub with coco husk. This is where they will pip and hatch, and that tub has holes so I don't need to burp.

I would recommend adding a very small CPU fan into that reptibator. The thermostat is on the top, so the temp on the bottom will be a degree or more lower and so the fan will help keep the temps uniform.

Goodluck with your clutch!!

[niclh]

Thanks guys! With the lid on the tub I'm getting very stable 99% humidity and 88 degrees.

What do you mean by burp? Just letting it air out for 1 minute or so with the lid off?

It really isn't very big, will only fit 2 clutches and will be packed...

Working good so far though... I think mostly because my house is fairly warm and humid in the south..