Do you keep tubs in incubator after eggs are removed?

[JohnNJ]

My wine fridge incubator holds 6 tubs. There are two with eggs still in there. Do I leave the egg-less tubs that still have vermiculite and water in there to stabilize the temps or do I just leave the two in alone?

Thanks.

[WingedWolfPsion]

I would remove them because after 60 days in a warm, moist environment, they're going to be growing something, and I wouldn't want extra mold spores in there.

[loonunit]

If you want more heat capacity, you can put back the clean tubs 1/3-full of water, or just throw a couple water bottles on that shelf.

(I'm now a convert to the 1/3-full tub of water in the incubator---I think it saved me from what would have been a very bad heat spike when my temperature probe came loose. Because in addition to more heat capacity, the water in the tub evaporates, which has a cooling effect. And the evaporating tub was between the fan/heat tape and the egg tubs. So even though the water bottles at the bottom got up to 98-99F, the temps only got up to 94-95F in the tubs before I noticed what was happening.)

[JohnNJ]

I would remove them because after 60 days in a warm, moist environment, they're going to be growing something, and I wouldn't want extra mold spores in there.

That brings up another question. Do you throw away the vermiculite or is there some way to clean it and reuse it next season? The eggs were sitting on a light diffuser but I know some fluids leaked out of the eggs and into the wet vermiculite.

[loonunit]

That brings up another question. Do you throw away the vermiculite or is there some way to clean it and reuse it next season? The eggs were sitting on a light diffuser but I know some fluids leaked out of the eggs and into the wet vermiculite.

Bleah! Throw it away. The particles are porous, and festering egg juices are bacteria parties. New vermiculite is cheap.

[JohnNJ]

...festering egg juices are bacteria parties.

Quite a picture you painted. Out it goes.

Thanks.

[PghBall]

I clean them out right away. I have water bottles in my incubator to keep the temps.

[loonunit]

Quite a picture you painted. Out it goes.

I do what I can to keep everyone around me ever so slightly nauseous...