? about a 68 day egg. Feels like a water balloon.

[OceanLyons]

I have a 68 day egg that feels like a water balloon. It has been incubating at a constant 85 degrees. Its clutch mate was dead in the egg a couple of weeks ago (egg collapsed, slit it after a couple of days, fully formed with large yolk sac).

Is my water balloon egg doomed?

Not sure of what to do at this point. Any insight or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Kristi23]

Mine are hatching 42-45 days at 85 degrees. Usually if an egg feels like that, it's infertile. Have you candled it? Has it always felt like that?

 

[OceanLyons]

I did candle it at near the beginning, and it appeared fertile. The recent candle shows a mass inside.

It hasn't always felt like that, just the past several days.

 

[fallen_angel]

68 days seems a bit long for 85 degrees, I am very sorry, good luck!

 

[GeckoGathering]

I have a 68 day egg that feels like a water balloon. It has been incubating at a constant 85 degrees. Its clutch mate was dead in the egg a couple of weeks ago (egg collapsed, slit it after a couple of days, fully formed with large yolk sac).

Is my water balloon egg doomed?

Not sure of what to do at this point. Any insight or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

What is it sitting in? (perhaps vermiculite?)
If it stayed at 85 pretty constant, it should probably want out. It is now most likely drawing in moisture and expanding. If that clutch mate was fully developed two weeks ago this one no doubt wants out if it is still alive. Don't think you can do any more harm by playing surgeon.....Open it and expect a lot of clear liquid. And hopefully a forceful ejection of a LIVE gecko.
May the force be with you..... take care. HJ

 

[puppiesandkitties]

What is it sitting in? (perhaps vermiculite?)
If it stayed at 85 pretty constant, it should probably want out. It is now most likely drawing in moisture and expanding. If that clutch mate was fully developed two weeks ago this one no doubt wants out if it is still alive. Don't think you can do any more harm by playing surgeon.....Open it and expect a lot of clear liquid. And hopefully a forceful ejection of a LIVE gecko.
May the force be with you..... take care. HJ

You are quite the surgeon.

But he is right though. You need to pip it.

In my opinion, it seems like bad news. Good luck.

 

[OceanLyons]

Ok, I'm going to pip it. So sad, and I don't have a good feeling about this.

 

[OceanLyons]

No viable baby inside. Not even half way developed.

I have the eggs in perlite.

 

[Kristi23]

I'm sorry.

 

[GeckoGathering]

bad news

No viable baby inside. Not even half way developed.

I have the eggs in perlite.

really sorry.......for my information can you tell me :
was the development only in the eye areas and a lot of clear fluid? What does your room temperatures stay at where the incubator sets? Using a thermostat?
again sorry......take care ....HJ

 

[OceanLyons]

I'm using a DIY incubator. Basically a water bath. The water is heated by a good aquarium heater. I'm using a cheap aquarium thermometer. Though the temperature was always constant, the thermometer may be plus/minus 2 degrees. The room is around 83 degrees.

The egg that I pipped this morning had mostly creamy colored liquid, and some clear. Though I quickly rinsed it down the sink, I saw a dark object that looked like an eyeball. There was no formed body parts such as a head or torso.

I'm wondering if the embryo developed and then the body decomposed? Or, if it stopped developing early on.

It's clutch mate's story...
At 45 days, I saw that the egg had collapsed. At that time I was using spaghnum moss. I was unsure of what to do. Didn't have an activated gecko forum account at that time. A day later I pipped the egg. The head was fully formed. The body appeared fully formed as well, but there was a large mass of creamy stuff near the ventral side of the abdomen. I'm presuming that was the yolk sac. I did not get a good look at the tail area.

 

[OceanLyons]

A breeder at a local non-chain pet store that specializes in reptiles said that I should keep the eggs on vermiculite or place light diffuser (plastic eggcrate) on the top of the perlite. Then place the eggs on the diffuser. He said that the perlite could draw out moisture from the eggs if in direct contact.

I'm going to try this. There are around 14 eggs in the incubator right now.

 

[GeckoGathering]

termination

I'm using a DIY incubator. Basically a water bath. The water is heated by a good aquarium heater. I'm using a cheap aquarium thermometer. Though the temperature was always constant, the thermometer may be plus/minus 2 degrees. The room is around 83 degrees.

The egg that I pipped this morning had mostly creamy colored liquid, and some clear. Though I quickly rinsed it down the sink, I saw a dark object that looked like an eyeball. There was no formed body parts such as a head or torso.

I'm wondering if the embryo developed and then the body decomposed? Or, if it stopped developing early on.

It's clutch mate's story...
At 45 days, I saw that the egg had collapsed. At that time I was using spaghnum moss. I was unsure of what to do. Didn't have an activated gecko forum account at that time. A day later I pipped the egg. The head was fully formed. The body appeared fully formed as well, but there was a large mass of creamy stuff near the ventral side of the abdomen. I'm presuming that was the yolk sac. I did not get a good look at the tail area.

Not familiar with a DIY incubator. Are the eggs sitting in water? .....You say : The room is around 83 degrees. If you want to try for females, why not scrap the incubator idea? I did all my females with out the incubator this year. Less problems that way, except if you want males.

I'm wondering if the embryo developed and then the body decomposed? Or, if it stopped developing early on.

My first opinion would have been terminated early on, but since you said the clutch mate at 45 days was fully formed it makes me wonder...??....... take care. HJ

 

[OceanLyons]

It's like this http://www.pelomedusa.com/Incubator.html

The eggs sit in perlite.

I will monitor the temp. of the room to see if I can incubate them that way.

I'm unsure of how great of a temp. swing occurs. What would the max. difference in temp. that could occur without harming the embryos?

Hope you're having a good one,
Darlene

 

[GeckoGathering]

water incubation

It's like this http://www.pelomedusa.com/Incubator.html

The eggs sit in perlite.

I will monitor the temp. of the room to see if I can incubate them that way.

I'm unsure of how great of a temp. swing occurs. What would the max. difference in temp. that could occur without harming the embryos?

Hope you're having a good one,
Darlene

Hi Darlene. Interesting link.
First let me ask about the breeding. Did you observe it? How many times? Did you observe her turn him down, after the breedings?...
So your method used the perlite by itself instead of the play sand/moss mix to set the eggs on as in the link info?....If this is correct how much water was used to wet the perlite? The same method as the sand/peat?
If this is what you are doing.......you need to think of the perlite as you think of the sand. It is a drainage material not a water retention product.

Room area hatching temp for me stays 79 to 84 degrees....My area is in a shower room near a gas water heater running all the time, so the flux is still in range to the hatching temp. for females......Most regular incubators say affective operation is temps. 65 to 72 degrees.......So IMO this is where some of the egg hatching problems occur......your hatching method included. Aquarium heaters would have the same problems trying to cope with changes too......answer the water in the perlite thing plus the breeding and I'll give you an opinion of your egg problems.....take care. HJ

 

[OceanLyons]

The ratio of water to perlite was a little more than 8:1.

I haven't observed the breeding.

Over the past two days, I have had 5 healthy and very active babies hatch. Yeah! They look great.

I had three eggs that swelled up quite a bit (around 50 days old). When I candled them, they were yellow with no visible masses. I am assuming those are not fertile.

 

[GeckoGathering]

Tardy.....

The ratio of water to perlite was a little more than 8:1.

I haven't observed the breeding.

Over the past two days, I have had 5 healthy and very active babies hatch. Yeah! They look great.

I had three eggs that swelled up quite a bit (around 50 days old). When I candled them, they were yellow with no visible masses. I am assuming those are not fertile.

Been a bit tardy seeing your post...Sorry..Great on the 5 newbies and don't give up on the candled ones as I have been surprised a couple times with the balloon effects......on the breedings I had problems when I assumed the deed was done. Now I observe once, twice, etc. until she turns him down. Then I feel it was complete. No unfertile eggs on the ones I used this method on. Another female I didn't use it on (due to time)had only 3 of 9 hatch.. ..........take care. HJ

 

[OceanLyons]

I'm wondering if one of my females isn't laying fertile eggs, which is fine. I have two more water balloon type eggs that were laid a few days ago. I haven't candled them yet.

Thanks for all of the info.

 

[GeckoGathering]

candled

I'm wondering if one of my females isn't laying fertile eggs, which is fine. I have two more water balloon type eggs that were laid a few days ago. I haven't candled them yet.

Thanks for all of the info.

I never candle my eggs anymore. Only negative opinion/action on any here, now comes from collapsed/leaking/smelling....
.......since I've had a couple unsuspecting, surprise nice hatchings.
.......take care HJ