Collapsed egg. HELP!!

[stinky]

My incubator consist of a plastic box holding the eggs, which floats in a pail of water. The water temperature is controlled using heater or chiller.

For the first 2 weeks, everything was OK. 3rd week, I was out of town. When I came back, water somehow sip into the egg box, and the media holding the eggs were soaking wet!! However, the eggs were fine, and the embro seems healthy.

I moved the container into the "hot" cycle, and replaced the media. Next day, the eggs collapsed about 10%. I immediately sprayed water generously onto the eggs and media. Today, it collapsed 50%!!! OMG!!! I just sprayed till the media and eggs were really damp.

1. Since the eggs were soaking wet for 1 week, did the egg collapse due to the sudden dryness?? I believe that it is more wet than it should be.

2. Now that the eggs have collapsed about 50%, would it recover, or is it the end for it? (Sob Sob)

3. Most important, WHAT SHOULD I DO NOW???


Please help urgently!!! Thanks for any input!!

 

[Dreamgeckos.com]

Hello,

if the eggs themselfes have been Verry wet the embryo's might not live annymore since embryos can drown also ( they need enough air coming trough the egg shell, the only way to tell is to candle the eggs and see if the embryo still moves ( they do move although you will need patience cause they will not move all the time , the same as a baby )

however if your egs are collapsing i am almost sure that taking your story in considderation that it can NOT be that they are to dry .. especialy with you watering them like you did , also spraying on a egg is not good couse you block the air flow again ( making the embryo sufficate ) also after that the eggs where super wet you put them into the HOT BOX , wich is another temp shift on a already 'stressed 'egg in other word there where so manny changes for the egg / embryo to procces that it miht have killed em ( if they where not dead already )

my advice would be take the eggs out make new Vermiculite with the correct ratio of water to vermiculite ( or whatever substrate ) and do NOT put them to warm , ( low female breeding temp is JUST fine for now it slows the defelopment of the embryo down wich gives em more time to adapt DO NOT SPRAY EM ! leave them alone burry them fully in the substrate ( DO NOT make the substrate to sollid let it be a bid airy ) and give them a week then chek again.

if i would have to give you heads up , i think theyr chance of survival is realy low 80 % dead 20 % suvival chance.

but it never hurts to try.

also for your next eggs my advice is this, use a closed container ( tupperwair box ) put in 2 - 3 CM of substrate with the correct water to substrate ratio , put your eggs in half in the substrate half out and just close the lid of the container put em somewhere where the temp is quite constant ( for female / male ) and just leave em there, open the box 1nce every week for a few seconds for some new air. this way you will never have to add water since the water that evaporates will just condensate and go back in the substrate, i have bred hundrets of eggs that way and never had a problem with hatching/losses also before you put in the eggs Candle the eggs ( use a small LED light / flashlight with 1 led and a small opening like keyhole lights or so ) put it under the egg and look for the bloodfesle ( should be a circle wich can NOT be missed ) if there is no circle toss the egg if its quite yellow shining trough toss the egg , a good egg will always have the circle and a whiter shinetrough also bad eggs are mostly not real sollid but realy soft.

the reason why you should do this is because a bad egg will atrackt fungus / mold wich can infect your good eggs.

i hope this helps you in the future and i hope your eggs will be fine.

Greetz
Richard van Vondel
Dreamgeckos.com in cooperation with JMGreptile.com

 

[stinky]

Thanks for the advice.

I hate to admit it, but I do see some mold forming on the egg ... which I assume is a bad sign.

I'll try what you suggest, and hope for the best. Thanks.