Eggs with a sticky layer

[Sandra]

Today I came back from holidays and when I checked the eggs, I saw two of them covered in a disgusting sticky layer and their color had changed a bit... Here are the pics.

The first one is almost covered in it while the second one only has a little on one side. The color has turned redder too specially in the first one. The second isn't as red as the first one but it's starting to look like that. It's as if the shell is losing opacity day by day...

I would like to know what it is and what causes it. I don't have any previous experience with eggs so sorry if it is something very obvious.

I think the gecko-nannies went a little overboard with the spraying, that could be the cause. They also said that they saw something like a drop of water on top of one and I thought that the egg was starting to "sweat", but after seeing how humid the vermiculite is I think it was just a drop from condensation. That was on August 26th.

To be frank I don't take care of the eggs as much as I should... They are in a hovabator, with a non-proportional thermostat set to 28ºC (82ºF) that fluctuates around 1ºC up and down. I don't measure the humidity, just spray a little the vermiculite when I feel it's dry...

Let's see which other info I can think of... The two eggs are from the same clutch and the two are kept in same tub (I keep my eggs in pairs). All the other eggs look fine. Both looked fertile. These were layed on June 30th.

 

[gage]

its probably mold from being to humid

 

[RepBex]

could u remove it some how ?

 

[Sandra]

its probably mold from being to humid

I don't know, I always imagined that the mold in eggs would look similar to the mold you usually see in food but this feels more like pus or something like that...

could u remove it some how ?

I don't think I can remove it without damaging the egg. Also, in the areas where there is that liquid the sell is softer...

 

[ElapidSVT]

i've had good results using a cotton swab with hydrogen peroxide to kill mold on fertile leopard gecko eggs.

 

[fallen_angel]

I agree, that doesn't look like mold at all. We have dealt with mold on a few of our eggs, and the mold does look just like any other mold (not like that!). I am not sure what that is, I am so terribly sorry. Perhaps it's mildew?

I wouldn't recommend using Vermiculite as a substrate at all, because it is meant to retain moisture; whereas Perlite (recommended) is a drainage material. When you use Vermiculite (with or without misting), all of the water is staying on the top, causing the egg to get too moist. Perlite, on the other hand, allows the moisture to sink to the bottom of the container, allowing humidity to rise to the egg's surface.

Also, vermiculite and perlite both appear to be pretty dry, even when they are still perfectly moist. Do you have airholes in your containers? If you do not have airholes, you don't need to add any moisture during the incubation process. Albey's method is used by many and has been shown to be the best method for the most successful hatch rate. On top of that, it's very simple, you literally set it up and don't have to do much of anything else except open the containers weekly for air exchange.

 

[Sandra]

Thanks, I think next season I will try perlite for a change and see what I like more. I knew of Albey's method but didn't try it out of lazyness... Serves me right.

On the other hand I knew that too much humidity was worse than too little, but I couldn't help it when I felt that the vermiculite was dry. I'm such a noob!

There are still three fertile eggs in the incubator, and they all look good right now. I won't mist them again for the rest of the incubation period unless they start to dent. I can still get three babies this season, let's hope.

 

[fallen_angel]

Best of luck to you!!!

 

[Sandra]

One of those eggs has gone bad like that too... I don't get it, they seem to go bad around the date they are due to hatch, but that doesn't make any sense.

I haven't misted the eggs all this time. I'm starting to think that either the vermiculite, the containers or the water are contaminated.

I've thought of the possibility of the mealworms being contaminated too like they were overseas, but I pretty much doubt that my provider takes all the trouble to bring them from the USA. And I've heard of them being the cause of high infertile eggs ratio or deformed hatchlings, but not of fertile eggs going bad like this... Anyway, I'm going to have a talk with him next time and I'm probably changing to dubia roaches.

Only two eggs left and they look perfect at the moment. We'll see...

 

[nats]

OK, I dont know squat about gecko eggs but, is it possible that there is a weak spot on the shell, and the stuff inside is leaking out? :main_huh:

 

[nats]

Something it reminded me of.......
I hope a little alien face hugger doesnt come flying out of it!!

Sorry, I couldnt resist!

 

[paulnj]

too much moisture is my call, as the eggs seem far to damp and could actually be decaying. I use sealed containers and mist every month or so at most in my large group containers. Those containers hold 20 eggs and are opened daily to remove hatchlings some weeks.

I use vermiculite, perlite and even a mix of both and have hardly any issues with mold or dampness.

 

[Sandra]

OK, I dont know squat about gecko eggs but, is it possible that there is a weak spot on the shell, and the stuff inside is leaking out? :main_huh:

That's probably the case, thanks for the idea

I hope a little alien face hugger doesnt come flying out of it!!

Ugh... Not little aliens but I opened them and there was like an amorphous piece of flesh... Quite gross. I expected to see a gecko embryo more or less formed, but this didn't look like it at all. Maybe I waited too much before opening it and it had started to rot, but didn't smell that bad. I don't think it just died in an early stage, because I've seen gecko embryos in an early stage of development and this didn't look like it.

too much moisture is my call, as the eggs seem far to damp and could actually be decaying. I use sealed containers and mist every month or so at most in my large group containers. Those containers hold 20 eggs and are opened daily to remove hatchlings some weeks.

I use vermiculite, perlite and even a mix of both and have hardly any issues with mold or dampness.

Thanks Paul for you opinion. I will be more careful next time. I'm not moistening the eggs that are left unless I see some sign of dryness in them.

 

[hoppslover]

I have used Hatchrite. I really like that stuff. It holds whatever moisture it starts with pretty good. All I have ever really had to do is put it in my container right out of the bag. No adding of water or anything. When I first started I sprayed the corners of the container after about a month cause I was worried. I dont do that anymore. When I hold my clear container up so that the light shines on the side I can always see moisture on the sides of the container down in the Hatchrite.

 

[Baoh]

That description of the insides reads similar to what happens for me when eggs are either infertile or stop developing very early on.

 

[nats]

I have used Hatchrite. I really like that stuff. It holds whatever moisture it starts with pretty good. All I have ever really had to do is put it in my container right out of the bag. No adding of water or anything. When I first started I sprayed the corners of the container after about a month cause I was worried. I dont do that anymore. When I hold my clear container up so that the light shines on the side I can always see moisture on the sides of the container down in the Hatchrite.

Whatever works, but I have heard that Hatch Rite is nothing more than pre-wetted perlite with the price jacked up! :main_huh: