Incubator unplugged!!!

[ShaffersExoticHerps]

My daughter accidently unpluged one of my incubators today while cleaning. I don't know how long it took to drop, but about 6 hours later it was at 72 degrees. 2 eggs are do to hatch anytime. Do you think everything will be ok? I am slowly bringing the temp back up. Thanks, Mike

 

[cooter]

I hope you fare well whens the expected date? Im getting +-2deg fuxuations can that cause problems with eggs incubating @ 82.4deg?

 

[ShaffersExoticHerps]

I have about 20 eggs in there. 2 are ready anytime now. I think you will be fine. That sounds like the typical Hovabator to me!

 

[cooter]

Were your eggs all close to hatch? I watch the temp closely everyday. My only egg is a week old come sat 23 june. She layed her first two but only one was fertile.

 

[PaulSage]

Two of my "male" incubators that were running at 87*F were on a power strip that popped the other day and they dropped down to 79-80. I think two days went by before any babies hatched out, but then a dozen did at the same time and they were fine.

 

[lizard-king]

I had a similar thing happen yesterday also.

I checked my female incubator and the temps were sittting at 78.2F. It was set at 82.5. After playing around with the dial on my Pulse stat I soon realised the bloody thing had malfunctioned (it wasnt even a year old)..Anyways it took me most of the day to get the temps back to what they were as I had to go out and buy a new pulse thermostat.

Some eggs have a week to go some are only just 2 weeks old. I guess its just a waiting game till they hatch to see if any have any abnormalities. Can eggs tolerate a + - by 1 or 2 degrees consistently throughout incubation without any problems? My male inc fluctuates like mad 1 or 2 degrees....

 

[PaulSage]

Can eggs tolerate a + - by 1 or 2 degrees consistently throughout incubation without any problems? My male inc fluctuates like mad 1 or 2 degrees....

1-2 degrees shouldn't be a problem, but obviously the more stable your temperatures, the safer the eggs will be. If an incubator is fluctuating too rapidly, you might want to use a dimmer/rheostat/proportional thermostat to help moderate the amount of wattage going to the heating element if you aren't already doing so. Also, the better insulated an incubator is, the more stable the temperatures will be inside because it will not exchange heat with the room environment as rapidly.

 

[lizard-king]

Well I have a temperature thermostat hooked up to a heat mat inside a poly box (this is the male inc).. should I be using a dimmer with or without the temp thermostat? You mentioned about insulation withing the incubator. I was told i should make a hole at the bottom of the inc and one at the top to allow better air and heat distribution withing the inc. Is this right or will it make no difference if the box is completley sealed?