Sta- Green Vermiculite

Sunrise Reptile

SunriseReptile.com
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3,520
Location
New Haven, IN
If you don't have an immediate need, I'd suggest ordering a bigger bag from The Bean Farm. Their service is really fantastic. :main_yes:

To me, there doesn't seem to be any difference between that and the MiracleGro brand. Meaning this one probably also contains some sort of fertilizer.
 

Enigmatic_Reptiles

Quality is Everything
Messages
6,779
Location
Corona, CA
+1. If you don't want to order online then check with your local nurseries and they often times will have vermiculite without any additives.
 

RampantReptiles

New Member
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2,488
Location
Canandaigua, NY
:( It shouldnt be this hard to find perlite/vermiculite that works... I guess its off season but grr :main_angry:

Well I have a female that is due to lay eggs any day now.

I have tons of coco fiber but your not supposed to use that in the incubator right? I use it for egg laying/lay boxes.

I have some hatchrite that is all dried out so essentially perlite.. that I semi-lightly used last year so its kinda dirty.... Can I like clean it/bleach it and use that? Im thinking not...

So what should I do?
 

Sunrise Reptile

SunriseReptile.com
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3,520
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New Haven, IN
RampantReptiles said:
I have tons of coco fiber but your not supposed to use that in the incubator right? I use it for egg laying/lay boxes.

Really? I'm interested. Why shouldn't you incubate in coco fiber? I've seen several of our European friends using coco fiber with great success. Can you elaborate for me, please?
 

sammer021486

New Member
Messages
544
Location
Northern Ontario Canada
coco fiber is fine to use as an incubation medium, many people on the one UK forum I use to frequent, before the owner shut i down, would use the coco fiber for the lay box then transfer the lay box right into the incubator. I actually had some crested gecko eggs develop about 2 weeks in the fiber and not rot or mold, before I moved them over to superhatch.

Coconut fiber is suppose to be naturally resistant to mold and fungus caused by moisture.
 

robin

New Member
Messages
12,276
Location
Texas
so why do people use perlite/vermiculite? Im pretty sure cocofiber is a lot cheaper...

i think because of personal preference. i like how easy vermiculite is. it holds moisture well without being soggy and does not dry out very easily.
 

Gregg M

Registered Member
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3,055
Location
The Rotten Apple NYC
so why do people use perlite/vermiculite? Im pretty sure cocofiber is a lot cheaper...

Coco fiber work in very much the same way that vermiculite works... It is a moisture retaining substrate where as perlite is not the same... Perlite works more like drainage stones... When used properly, any of these substrates will work well... It is a matter of choice and what works best for you...

Most people use perlite or vermiculite because it has worked for numerous people, it is cheap, and relativily easy to obtain... However they are not the only substrates that are acceptable for egg incubation...
 

SFgeckos

New Member
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842
Location
CA
I've personally had great success with the following incubation substrates (used for mostly geckos, but also monitors/lizards, many species of snakes, chameleons, tortoises, etc):

Vermiculite
Perlite
Clay granules
sand (for low humidity species)
peat moss
sphagnum moss

I mainly use vermiculite for economic purposes since I use so much (4 cubic ft bags are about $30) and even though most people recommend throwing it away and replacing each year- I've gone some years without changing the vermiculite for 2-3 years without any issues. The trend overseas is the usage of perlite and clay granules, which I think will slowly become more popular in the states. I also use vermiculite, sphagnum moss or cocofiber for lay boxes.

Jon
 
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Ehatcher

New Member
Messages
898
Location
Maryville, TN
Im using the STA GREEN from Lowes. It doesnt have any fertilizer. Cant smell it, cant see it. Its listed as 100% vermiculite. Im sure if it had fertilizer they would say so to sell more of it, and it would be more expensive IMO.
 

Landen

LSReptiles
Messages
829
Location
DFW
I use vermiculite because I've got a nursery a mile from my house that sells me 20lbs bags of all organic large grain premium vermiculite for 20 a bag!! Vermiculite is very light so you can image how big a 20 lbs bag is. I sell gallon zip lock's stuffed full of it (1.5lbs) at the local shows for 3$ each. I was so happy when I found this nursery cause I had the same problem trying to find it as everyone else. I hatch 95+ % of my eggs each year with vermiculite so I don't really see the need for more expensive options like hatchrite.

Use what works for you, if you don't have vermiculite available there are plenty of other options that work good.
 

goReptiles

New Member
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2,639
Location
Georgia
so why do people use perlite/vermiculite? Im pretty sure cocofiber is a lot cheaper...

I have tried both, but I don't care for either vermiculite or perlite, as for me, it's hard to get the humidity and water exact. I had many deli eggs mold with these.

I've found it harder to keep cocofiber moist.

I have settled on super hatch. It's very easy. I have used it one year, and I didn't lose any eggs.
 

Double D

New Member
Messages
133
Location
Kentucky, USA
I'm using the Sta-Green brand also. It has no fertilizer in it. Anything with plant food (fertilizer) has a N.P.K. number on the package somewhere. Here is a link for example: http://www.scotts.com/smg/products/...plants/pdf/Miracle-Gro Sphagnum Peat Moss.pdf Notice the numbers in the bottom left corner (0.05-0.02-0.04) those are your N.P.K. numbers. This is must when fertilizer is present. These are the fertilizer's analysis. Hope this helps. I used to grow alot of things so I'm pretty good with soil mixtures.
 

roger

New Member
Messages
2,438
Location
Toronto ,Canada
I also use vermiculite.it holds water well .I only have to mist once every 4-5 days.It's also easy to sift through when your looking for eggs.i also use it in my incubator.
 

roger

New Member
Messages
2,438
Location
Toronto ,Canada
I have tried both, but I don't care for either vermiculite or perlite, as for me, it's hard to get the humidity and water exact. I had many deli eggs mold with these.

I've found it harder to keep cocofiber moist.

I have settled on super hatch. It's very easy. I have used it one year, and I didn't lose any eggs.

Can I make asuggestion.When I get my vermiculite ready for the incubator I soak my vermiculite in water and get handfuls of vermiculite and squeeze every last drop of water out.There is no way to screw up.it should crumbel to the touch.It is just damp.Craig from the urban gecko instructed me on that unscientific method lol,but its easy to do.
 

serialzombie

Ἴκαρος
Messages
118
Location
IL
As a gardener, I always had vermiculite mold on me like a fiend, so I'm really wary of using it as an incubation medium, but with so much success, I guess I should give it a try.

I've been unable to locate perlite without fertilizers, but I never have trouble finding unfertilized vermiculite.

That being said, currently all I have is coco fiber, does anyone know the medium to water ratio?
 

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