eggs! incubator questions...

[ForTozs]

Well my female laid two eggs the night before last. Unfortunately, I had to work a double yesterday, so I'm just geting to the point to where I can deal with them. I think I'm running out of time to get them situated. I might make could my own. Is this recommended? I do have some tanks I could use, and I might have some flex-watt around. The only thing available locally is the "Little Giant" but it is still air, and they don't have the air circulation kit available at the moment. What would be better? I would gladly pay the $50 for the Little Giant but I'm not sure if still air is OK. Thoughts?

 

[Brett B]

I setup a 10g tank with a 100w fish heater and water. I have 2 thermometers, 1 in the tank and 1 in the bin floating on the water. It was very easy to setup and I already had everything so it was free.
Needs:
10g tank
100w Heater
Lid- Your choice, helps keep humidity in.
Water
Thermometer x2
Plastic Container

 

[Tony C]

The still air incubators are the way to go if you want a styrofoam incubator, the fan kit actually makes a hova or little giant run too hot.

 

[ForTozs]

Great. I'm on my way to get a still air incubator right now. Should I put the eggs in containers of moistened vermiculite in the incubator? How do you guys manage humidity in one of these? What should the humidity be at?

 

[Tony C]

I use vermiculite in sandwich size gladware containers. I don't measure the humidity, just moisten the vermiculite using the squeeze method and use the containers as-is, no ventilation holes added.

 

[Brett B]

Why do you need to incubate with vermiculite?

 

[Tommy13b]

Why do you need to incubate with vermiculite?

To hold the eggs and to provide the humidity that the eggs need.

 

[Brett B]

Ok thanks. I have the incubator setup posted above so I could use sand or something like that because humidity isnt a problem.

 

[ForTozs]

What is the squeeze method? Correct me if I'm wrong, but does that mean moistening the vermiculite and wringing it out as best you can? And should eggs be half buried?

 

[ForTozs]

OK. One of the better care sheets described incubation procedures here...

http://www.progeckos.com/caresheets/leo_incubation.htm

It calls for a 1/0.8 ratio of vermiculite to water by weight. I have done this and put the eggs in a gladware sandwich container (4 cup). The incubator seems to hold steady at 84 F. My only concern is the vermiculite does not seem very moist to me. Is this normal? I also am not sure if the eggs are fertile being they are not very hard, but I don't have the experience to know what the eggs should feel like.

 

[cassadaga]

What is the squeeze method? Correct me if I'm wrong, but does that mean moistening the vermiculite and wringing it out as best you can? And should eggs be half buried?

Yes to both questions. I have prepared my vermiculite this way for 10 years and it works perfectly.

 

[ForTozs]

Thanks. I will try that next time. I don't want to excessively move the eggs so I think I will just stick to the 1/.8 ratio this time around.