preventing mold in water based incubator

[Pythonfriend]

Vinegar is basically a bit like alcohol or sugar.

No bacteria can survive or even eat honey, whiskey, or concentrated vinegar, because the concentrations are so high that it just kills the bacteria. However, if you dilute it with plenty of water, bacteria will love diluted vinegar just as much as they would love a sugar solution or alcohol at 3%.

Vinegar kills by acidity, if the acidity is too low bacteria will start a party and eat it. the energy content is illustrated by the fact that extremely highly concentrated vinegar is flammable.

also i fear vinegar could just be too volatile and move too much, a snake in contact with vinegar will just metabolize the vinegar that gets into its system for energy, just like we metabolize vinegar in our food. i dont know if a large egg with a weak tiny embryo inside can do the same, or if it will be defenseless and turn acidic over time and suffer. If it would be about chicken eggs, the vapors from the vinegar would just destroy the eggshells. Vinegar evaporates easier than water and is attracted by non-acidic water.

Salt hurts bacteria no matter if the concentration is low or high, and it doesnt evaporate in one place and condensate somewhere else, so when you have salt in the water outside the actual egg boxes, none of it will go to the eggs. and the salt will just stay there forever, even as water evaporates and you refill it with fresh water. Vinegar evaporates quickly, allowing the bacteria to bounce back as the concentration runs low and then even feeding them, requiring more vinegar.

just dont use too much salt, if its too concentrated it may become so attractive to water that your egg boxes get dry while the amount of liquid at the bottom increases. aim for a bit more salt than sea water contains, maybe around 5%.