Incubator Tips/Advice...

[tangerineman]

incubators

I have a hovabator which i bought to start off with, but had the chance to get an old mini fridge from work that had leaked coolant...?, (maybe this was partial payment for possibly inhaling some percentage of freon?),

anyway..lol, I bought a Helix dbs1000, and hooked it to some flexwatt 11" inside along the back wall...i ran the wires through a single hole drilled in the back (1.25"?) which fit a piece of PVC pipe (1") exactly...this was used to make a clean passage for the wires to pass through. I sealed the edges of the PVC pipe with silicone. The wires were wrapped in section of foam insulation like you'd wrap copper water pipes with, i just found a size that I could wrap around the wires, and which also fit snug in the pvc pipe..
it's been working like a charm, the only drawback is lack of a window..but i only peek occassionally...lol

i had problems with the hovabator ocassionally, but mainly it was problems with the ambient room temperature..and DRAFTS...they were killing it...
I have found that placing a container with water or water bottle in it does seem to help maintain more even temperatures also...

as far as the Hovabator, I think it was worth buying, just for the reason that it allowed me to get projects going, while trying to find a better solution (the converted mini fridge)

-Duane

 

[giantkeeper]

I have a hovabator which i bought to start off with, but had the chance to get an old mini fridge from work that had leaked coolant...?, (maybe this was partial payment for possibly inhaling some percentage of freon?),

anyway..lol, I bought a Helix dbs1000, and hooked it to some flexwatt 11" inside along the back wall...i ran the wires through a single hole drilled in the back (1.25"?) which fit a piece of PVC pipe (1") exactly...this was used to make a clean passage for the wires to pass through. I sealed the edges of the PVC pipe with silicone. The wires were wrapped in section of foam insulation like you'd wrap copper water pipes with, i just found a size that I could wrap around the wires, and which also fit snug in the pvc pipe..
it's been working like a charm, the only drawback is lack of a window..but i only peek occassionally...lol

i had problems with the hovabator ocassionally, but mainly it was problems with the ambient room temperature..and DRAFTS...they were killing it...
I have found that placing a container with water or water bottle in it does seem to help maintain more even temperatures also...

as far as the Hovabator, I think it was worth buying, just for the reason that it allowed me to get projects going, while trying to find a better solution (the converted mini fridge)

-Duane

Duane,

Did you install a fan?

 

[tangerineman]

incubator tips...

yeah, i did 'retrofit' a computer CPU fan to the tray that slides under the area where the freezer is/was in the top section...the tray was vented and has grates that lined up okay so I could screw it to that..
my plan was to install a rheostat to control the speed of the fan, and also a power switch...so that the fan could be turned off when opening the door, etc..

I used a variable/adjustable power adapter to switch the power to 9 or 12v (whatever it was-i'm at work so i can't look), and the proper amperage (maybe 500ma?) , but i have never used the fan....

thought it may be useful,but seems to work great w/o it....
I could take some pics if you're interested, but working two jobs, so give me a little time to get it for ya..

-D

 

[Golden Gate Geckos]

I used Hovabators for years. The trick is to give yourself plenty of time to get the temperatures 'dialed in'. Since the wafer thermostat is not very sophisticated it's critical to keep the incubator in a place that isn't subject to temperature fluctuations, such as a closed closet. Opening and closing the lid will cause severe temperature oscillation, so keep that at a minimum. Also, you can use those gel cold packs in the bottom as a heat sync.

I currently use a couple of Hovabators, but I removed the wafer thermostat and have them hooked up to Helix DBS-1000 proportional thermostats, and they seem to do fine. I Do have the Nature's Spirit incubators for the bulk of my eggs, and I really love them!

 

[boutiquegecko]

Wow, those ns ones are pretty. I think we'll have to see how this season pans out and maybe get one of those.
If I had help I think I'd prob build one from a small mini fridge.

 

[okapi]

I wouldnt mind getting a NS :main_yes:

Right now im using a Plastic cooler with 2 inches of water in the bottem, which has a submersible aquarium heater. Then I have 2inch sections of pvc pipe holding up a plastic platform that the eggs sit on. The heater is plugged into a thermostat with a probe (an ESU thermostat that cost $50 at a pet store). At first I kept it in the basement where the temp is pretty constent but later moved it to my room for fear that I would chill the eggs when candling or checking for hatchlings. In a few weeks I will have to move it back down though because my room can get hot in the summer.

Since your only breeding on a small scale a home made incubator would be an okay option. It would cost about the same as getting a Hovabator then hooking that up to a thermostat.

 

[giantkeeper]

yeah, i did 'retrofit' a computer CPU fan to the tray that slides under the area where the freezer is/was in the top section...the tray was vented and has grates that lined up okay so I could screw it to that..
my plan was to install a rheostat to control the speed of the fan, and also a power switch...so that the fan could be turned off when opening the door, etc..

I used a variable/adjustable power adapter to switch the power to 9 or 12v (whatever it was-i'm at work so i can't look), and the proper amperage (maybe 500ma?) , but i have never used the fan....

thought it may be useful,but seems to work great w/o it....
I could take some pics if you're interested, but working two jobs, so give me a little time to get it for ya..

-D

Whenever you have a chance, shoot me a picture...no rush though.

 

[giantkeeper]

I have been using Hovabators for this season, and am not really excited about the temperature fluctuations. I am not ready to go out and purchase a Natures Spirit incubator yet. I have however started building one that will hold roughly 40 deli cup containers (I don't mix eggs, one clutch per container). I'll share my results and pictures when it is completed. I'll be happy to pass along where & how much I got my materials for....and all of that good stuff.