Adjusting the Heat of the incubator

[sammer021486]

I am incubating 4 leopard gecko eggs at 78-80F right now, but I want to bump it up to 84F, can I safely do this without hurting the developing embryos? The first clutch was placed in the incubator 2 weeks ago and the second clutch was placed in the incubator this past Wednesday.

My female's second clutch was smaller in size, she still laid 2 eggs, but they are smaller than the first. Do I have anything to worry about? I keep my female in with my male all the time since starting the breeding in mid January. She has pure calcium in her tank and is feed calcium dusted crickets almost everynight and her crickets are dusted with vitamins and Ca/D3 once every week.

 

[acpart]

Egg size is variable and doesn't necessarily have a correlation with hatchling size or health. Changing incubator temp has been found to be risky to the health of the hatchlings by some people, but I haven't had any experience either way so I don't know for sure.

Aliza

 

[sammer021486]

Changing incubator temp has been found to be risky to the health of the hatchlings by some people, but I haven't had any experience either way so I don't know for sure.

Aliza

Would that effect the embryos if they have been in the incubator for only 2 weeks so far. I have stabilized the fluctuations of 78-80F to 81.6F and it is staying at 81.6F constantly now.

 

[snowgyre]

Your female's second clutch is probably smaller because she has fewer nutritional reserves than she did during her first clutch. This is fairly normal, although I've been able to reduce this effect by feeding mealworms. I think part of the problem with feeding crickets is that the females can't feed until sated because you're giving them a set amount so you don't have crickets running around everywhere and stressing the gecko. Mealworms, on the other hand, you can put a whole lot into a feeding dish, more than the gecko would eat in a sitting, and they cause no harm. I know many people have no problems using crickets, but I'm a firm believer that mealies are the better option (roaches are good too).

As for changing incubation temps, gradual changes are always better that rapid ones. A four degree change isn't that much, especially since your incubator is probably oscillating a few degrees +/- 80 already. The substrate your eggs are in also act as a 'buffer', since it loses and gains heat more slowly than the air surrounding it. I think it's safer to incubate at 84 degrees than 80 anyway, since incubation tends to be very long with the cooler temps, and I've personally experienced less hatching success at 80 degrees. I now incubate my eggs from 84-86, since I want mostly females but don't mind a male or two.

I'm sure others will have some good tips as well, so hopefully more people will respond to this thread.

 

[sammer021486]

I would love it if my female would eat meal worms but she wont even touch them, I have tried. I have been thinking of bringing in an order of silkworms, but I fear that I may lose a lot of money due to my female not eating them. I know that my male and especially my other female will eat the silkworms though.

I thought that a slow increase to 84 would be better after reading some of the posts on this site that 80 was generally too low and too long, but was afraid that I may cause defects if I increased the temperature to 84 from 80.

So if I do it over a week, a half a degree or so every two-three days I should be alright?

 

[snowgyre]

I've had geckos that refused mealworms as well. In the past, I've actually put those geckos into a 2 week fast provided they were in good physical condition (55-60+ grams). Once they're truly hungry, they'll pretty much take anything, and as long as you don't feed them crickets ever again they tend to stay on whatever diet you started them on after the fast. I like doing this in the dormant season since even with a 2 week fast they tend not to lose much weight at all (maybe 2-5 grams).

If your incubator really is that precise, then I would go ahead and adjust the temperature a degree every day or every other day. Depending on the type of incubator you have, incubator temperature varies +/- 1 or 2 degrees anyway. I use a Hovabator, which is a little less precise with temps but I've had great success with it.

 

[sammer021486]

I too have a hovabator and every time that I have checked the temps it has been right on 81.6F so it may just be the times that I am looking at the digital thermometer. But I do know that it fluctuates by a degree or two.

Thanks for the advice.

 

[GeckoGathering]

I Need Egg Food.

My female's second clutch was smaller in size, she still laid 2 eggs, but they are smaller than the first. Do I have anything to worry about? I keep my female in with my male all the time since starting

If possible, it may help you if she has
only eating and laying eggs to worry about.....
Not passing him the remote and his slippers. LOL
IMO ... Find him other living quarters. Or:
Stand over her, sight verify each meal, and weigh her each day.
And then find him other living quarters. LOL
No offense intended.
Take care. HJ

 

[sammer021486]

If possible, it may help you if she has
only eating and laying eggs to worry about.....
Not passing him the remote and his slippers. LOL
IMO ... Find him other living quarters. Or:
Stand over her, sight verify each meal, and weigh her each day.
And then find him other living quarters. LOL
No offense intended.
Take care. HJ

No offense taken, I was thinking of removing her from the tank when she lays her next clutch. I have to build her new tank, it is all ready to be built just needs to be put together. I know that she is the only one eating the crickets though, my male only eats mealworms.

I have bumped the temps to 84-85F now

 

[Sidviciouser]

I heard Ron Trempor on a radio show once and he said he incubates females at 82 for the first 20 days and then 89 - 90 after that. I doubt he takes the time to move the temps up a bit at a time with the volume he is running.

I just had my thermostat probe fall into the wrong place and a power outage before that. Both these events caused BIG fluctuations in heat. I'll let you know how it turns out. It's my first clutch due about march 30th.

 

[stewy84]

I do the same thing ron dose and dont seam to have any problems. I have had way more males then planed tho, and i also use a hovabators the 35 dollar ones at farm and fleet.