hummm... *dent* what to do

[eric]

were you able to get it down to 80 degrees and still keep the humidity?

Never went that low.

 

[robin]

no i am not changing the hovavator even if you house has a five degrees temp different from day to night the temps inside (unless you are constantly opening the incubator) should only change couple of degrees at most which would not effect the eggs.

 

[eric]

I agree, tell you what, I've already taped the air holes on the top of the Hovabator a while ago, I'll tape the holes on the bottom and let you know what I get. :main_thumbsup:

See we can work things out, we're all friends here!

 

[acpart]

The main reason I moved on from the hobovator (with which I also had good success) was that I would have to move it to the basement during the summer because I don't have (and don't want) AC and my house gets into the high 80's sometimes. I got a unit that will cool as well as heat and it will be interesting to see how the ambient temps affect it and whether or not it will have to use the cooling function this summer.

Aliza

 

[KelliH]

Yeah you wouldn't want to use a Hovabator in a room that has a large fluctuation in temps or you could have some problems. My gecko rooms are always kept right around 75 during the day and perhaps a tad cooler at night.

 

[Imperial Geckos]

Look, I'm not trying to ruffle anyone's feathers, trust me that is the last thing I want to do! But I have to speak up from years of experience using a Hovabator successfully. I just can't sit here and let it be stated as fact that they are crappy and don't work well when I have living proof that they do.

I think the point trying to brought across is that the Hovabator are "out dated", not a crappy product..We have better ways of incubating now..I am currently using hovabators (its my first year breeding geckos) and they work great..but i do agree that they ARE "out dated"

 

[Gregg M]

Ok, this is my last post to Robin in this thread...

My point with the albino carpet pythons hatching had nothing to do with the ease of their hatching... I has to do with the fact that the SIM was used to incubate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of snake eggs and it was 100% successful... Reptile eggs are not hard to hatch in general especially when using the proper incubation equipment...

The SIM has worked 100% since its release and way before then with NUMEROUS species when used in the proper incubator and when used at room temp... The biggest and best breeders around the world are using it with great success and it has been implimented in breeding programs in zoos around the world... If the container was flawed we would not be able to say that... We tested it long before we put it out there... However we did not test it in the outdated Hovabator... Maybe we should have but we did not have the Hovabator in mind when we designed it and we are not changing the SIM to fit a bird incubator...

Also the function of the SIM or how it works does not change between being used in a proper incubator or at room temperature... The function is exactly the same... When used in a Hovabator, the top heating element is heating up much hotter than the air temp causing it to dry the air in the egg chamber faster than the humidity can build up... How can you say that there is a problem with the design of the SIM when the problem clearly lies in the combo of the Hova and the SIM... When you use a bottom heated incubator, the heating element does not have to be much hotter than the air temp because heat rises naturally and it is not being forced to do so in any way... It creates and ambient air temperature, not a radiant heat...
That is why bottom heated incubators are much better and create a more natual, even heat than the Hovabator...

I am not Sure how you can even have anything to say about the container being that you have never even seen one in person... You are not even using Hovabators... You have not had an issue using our container... What leg do you have to stand on here Robin??? What studies have you done with the SIM container??? What is the design problem???
All you have is your opinion and in this case its not even valid because you know nothing about the product of how it works...

Like I said Robin, there is no lack of study or info available to back up what I am saying...
Sure, many people have used the hova with success... That is not in question... At the same time many people have had plenty of issues using them even without the SIM container...

What is in question here is if incubators designed to hatch bird eggs is the absolute best we can do for our reptiles... Yes it is an option, but is it the best option... I am sure you and everyone reading this will say it is not even close to the best option...

This is why we are taking one of our tried and true (with or without the SIM) incubator designs and offering it up to the public... I also made the offer to sell anyone an incubator for a very reduced price if they are using a hovabator and bought a SIM from us prior to this thread... It still stands...

Again, I understand some people will not use the SIM and hatch reptiles very successfuly but there are many who will and will do so very successfuly as well...

If anyone wants to talk to me directly, here is my number...
1-347-898-8728

 

[MXWreptile]

Ok, this is my last post to Robin in this thread...

My point with the albino carpet pythons hatching had nothing to do with the ease of their hatching... I has to do with the fact that the SIM was used to incubate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of snake eggs and it was 100% successful... Reptile eggs are not hard to hatch in general especially when using the proper incubation equipment...

The SIM has worked 100% since its release and way before then with NUMEROUS species when used in the proper incubator and when used at room temp... The biggest and best breeders around the world are using it with great success and it has been implimented in breeding programs in zoos around the world... If the container was flawed we would not be able to say that... We tested it long before we put it out there... However we did not test it in the outdated Hovabator... Maybe we should have but we did not have the Hovabator in mind when we designed it and we are not changing the SIM to fit a bird incubator...

Also the function of the SIM or how it works does not change between being used in a proper incubator or at room temperature... The function is exactly the same... When used in a Hovabator, the top heating element is heating up much hotter than the air temp causing it to dry the air in the egg chamber faster than the humidity can build up... How can you say that there is a problem with the design of the SIM when the problem clearly lies in the combo of the Hova and the SIM... When you use a bottom heated incubator, the heating element does not have to be much hotter than the air temp because heat rises naturally and it is not being forced to do so in any way... It creates and ambient air temperature, not a radiant heat...
That is why bottom heated incubators are much better and create a more natual, even heat than the Hovabator...

I am not Sure how you can even have anything to say about the container being that you have never even seen one in person... You are not even using Hovabators... You have not had an issue using our container... What leg do you have to stand on here Robin??? What studies have you done with the SIM container??? What is the design problem???
All you have is your opinion and in this case its not even valid because you know nothing about the product of how it works...

Like I said Robin, there is no lack of study or info available to back up what I am saying...
Sure, many people have used the hova with success... That is not in question... At the same time many people have had plenty of issues using them even without the SIM container...

What is in question here is if incubators designed to hatch bird eggs is the absolute best we can do for our reptiles... Yes it is an option, but is it the best option... I am sure you and everyone reading this will say it is not even close to the best option...

This is why we are taking one of our tried and true (with or without the SIM) incubator designs and offering it up to the public... I also made the offer to sell anyone an incubator for a very reduced price if they are using a hovabator and bought a SIM from us prior to this thread... It still stands...

Again, I understand some people will not use the SIM and hatch reptiles very successfuly but there are many who will and will do so very successfuly as well...

If anyone wants to talk to me directly, here is my number...
1-347-898-8728

Hi Gregg,

I first had doubt in your product (using it in the hovabator), because I didn't reach the much needed humidity. I put them into my new incubator (professional one, with circulated air and constant temps.). And now I get 80-85% of humidity and much condensation on the sides. Nearly the whole SIM is fogged. I put the eggs from last few days in there, and it works just nicely.:main_thumbsup:

In my opinion it is just a question of the right incubator...:main_laugh:

Now I think it's a great product. You just have to adjust your incubator.

I don't want to call you, but I want to talk with you about another topic, I hope you know what I mean, so answer my mail please.




Max

 

[Gregg M]

I don't want to call you, but I want to talk with you about another topic, I hope you know what I mean, so answer my mail please.

Max

LOL... You got it Max... And thank you for your honest finding using our product...

 

[MXWreptile]

I think most problems don't come from the SIM itself, they come from the used incubator.


And Gregg, I'm awaiting your answer.


Max

 

[MXWreptile]

Gregg and John,

I have one question. Do you leave two holes between each rod, or just one? So the eggs are on the grid, or on the rods. I put them on the rods (one hole left out between each rod), because some eggs are to small and they would roll around. How are your guys doing it?



Max

 

[Gregg M]

Gregg and John,

I have one question. Do you leave two holes between each rod, or just one? So the eggs are on the grid, or on the rods. I put them on the rods (one hole left out between each rod), because some eggs are to small and they would roll around. How are your guys doing it?



Max

We are doing it both ways... We are also going to come out with a new rod that will be even more adjustable...

 

[MXWreptile]

We are doing it both ways... We are also going to come out with a new rod that will be even more adjustable...

Will they fit into the SIM, or are they designed for another model? If you put the eggs on the rods, does it work as good as if you put them on the grid?



Max

 

[Gregg M]

Will they fit into the SIM, or are they designed for another model? If you put the eggs on the rods, does it work as good as if you put them on the grid?



Max

Yes, they will fit the SIM... Both models...
We have hatches egg in both situations without fail... I can not tell you if one way is better than the other because both ways have worked...

 

[MXWreptile]

Okay,

I think I have some debutes incubating. I will give you datas and pictures, once they hatched...



Max

 

[robin]

Ok, this is my last post to Robin in this thread...

My point with the albino carpet pythons hatching had nothing to do with the ease of their hatching... I has to do with the fact that the SIM was used to incubate hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of snake eggs and it was 100% successful... Reptile eggs are not hard to hatch in general especially when using the proper incubation equipment...

The SIM has worked 100% since its release and way before then with NUMEROUS species when used in the proper incubator and when used at room temp... The biggest and best breeders around the world are using it with great success and it has been implimented in breeding programs in zoos around the world... If the container was flawed we would not be able to say that... We tested it long before we put it out there... However we did not test it in the outdated Hovabator... Maybe we should have but we did not have the Hovabator in mind when we designed it and we are not changing the SIM to fit a bird incubator...

Also the function of the SIM or how it works does not change between being used in a proper incubator or at room temperature... The function is exactly the same... When used in a Hovabator, the top heating element is heating up much hotter than the air temp causing it to dry the air in the egg chamber faster than the humidity can build up... How can you say that there is a problem with the design of the SIM when the problem clearly lies in the combo of the Hova and the SIM... When you use a bottom heated incubator, the heating element does not have to be much hotter than the air temp because heat rises naturally and it is not being forced to do so in any way... It creates and ambient air temperature, not a radiant heat...
That is why bottom heated incubators are much better and create a more natual, even heat than the Hovabator...

I am not Sure how you can even have anything to say about the container being that you have never even seen one in person... You are not even using Hovabators... You have not had an issue using our container... What leg do you have to stand on here Robin??? What studies have you done with the SIM container??? What is the design problem???
All you have is your opinion and in this case its not even valid because you know nothing about the product of how it works...

Like I said Robin, there is no lack of study or info available to back up what I am saying...
Sure, many people have used the hova with success... That is not in question... At the same time many people have had plenty of issues using them even without the SIM container...

What is in question here is if incubators designed to hatch bird eggs is the absolute best we can do for our reptiles... Yes it is an option, but is it the best option... I am sure you and everyone reading this will say it is not even close to the best option...

This is why we are taking one of our tried and true (with or without the SIM) incubator designs and offering it up to the public... I also made the offer to sell anyone an incubator for a very reduced price if they are using a hovabator and bought a SIM from us prior to this thread... It still stands...

Again, I understand some people will not use the SIM and hatch reptiles very successfuly but there are many who will and will do so very successfuly as well...

If anyone wants to talk to me directly, here is my number...
1-347-898-8728

k gregg, you send me a SIM, i will dig out a hova, buy some pictus geckos to breed and i will give you my findings (i will also test it out in my current incubator as well). i still think even though you have solved all of your problems (the problem being the hobavator :main_rolleyes you are still going to have some of the same issues, of course that's just my opinion.

tell me gregg if you were using deli cups (no matter the incubator) how much of the deli cup would you fill with your incubation medium? and once you do that and get the eggs in the medium how much room is left in the deli cup (from the eggs to the lid)? from my experience there is not a whole lot of room. definitely less than half since most people fill their deli cups up about 2/3 full of incubation medium. because there is less room it decreases the amount of extra air space.
get where i am going? i do not think one size of SIM is going to work for all eggs and i think either you need up raise up the area for the incubation medium (which will move the grid up too) which will decrease the amount of extra air space and in my opinion decrease the amount of egg denting. i believe this will also change the way the SIM will work on a hova. this way you can work to make a solution for your hovabator users. oh but the hovabator is a bird incubator and inferior. but your incubator is going to have bottom heat and is going to be superior in every way to the hova so no need to work to make something work with the hova , which you know most people on this forum uses. dang now i have to buy a new incubator so i can use a SIM too :main_rolleyes:



p.s. i do not how you can call a wine chiller a proper or professional reptile egg incubator

 

[Riyo]

Interesting debate going on with this thread!

Gregg, I am using a MR-148 incubator (from LLLReptile) set at 83F. I was having humidity problems until I realised that perhaps the lid on my SIM wasn't fitting quite right. I filled the SIM further with water (a little past the fill line) as well as put a moist paper towel between the lid and the container and it seems to have fixed the problem. (I get a better seal now) My eggs have plumped back up since then.

Even though this is my first season and I really have no experience incubating besides what I have learned so far, I really like the SIM! I have never used the Hovabator, so I cannot comment on it.

 

[MXWreptile]

The European way of "professional" incubators seems to be pretty much unkown in the US. But this is the best way. If some people are interested, I can post pictures of a "homemade" professional incubator, which is 100% accurate and the best solution, if you don't want to spend an awful lot of money or want a primitive wine cooler incubator.



Max

 

[KelliH]

I think the point trying to brought across is that the Hovabator are "out dated", not a crappy product..We have better ways of incubating now..I am currently using hovabators (its my first year breeding geckos) and they work great..but i do agree that they ARE "out dated"

My posts were meant to make the point that eggs will hatch out in a Hovabator just like they will in another type of incubator, or on a shelf in a room, etc. This thread seemed to be sending the message that using Hovabators is risky and I had to jump in and say: No, it isn't. That's all.

 

[KelliH]

Interesting debate going on with this thread!

Gregg, I am using a MR-148 incubator (from LLLReptile) set at 83F. I was having humidity problems until I realised that perhaps the lid on my SIM wasn't fitting quite right. I filled the SIM further with water (a little past the fill line) as well as put a moist paper towel between the lid and the container and it seems to have fixed the problem. (I get a better seal now) My eggs have plumped back up since then.

Even though this is my first season and I really have no experience incubating besides what I have learned so far, I really like the SIM! I have never used the Hovabator, so I cannot comment on it.

You could also try using saran wrap rather than paper towel (that way you can still see through the lid). Just a suggestion!