My personal SIM and humidity update

[acpart]

I'm using the reptipro5000 with SIM, incubating in low 80's for female and currently have 4 AFT eggs in there (leos just aren't ready yet). I started with 1:1 perlite to water and have been adding more periodically because it didn't seem to do the trick. I have a cheap hygrometer in there that was reading 90, but there was minimal condensation up the sides and the two oldest eggs were denting. Last night I added nearly a cup of warm water (I haven't measured, but that may make it at least 2-3 cups of water I've added since I started). The perlite is soaked and there is a bit of water sloshing above it, but not touching the eggs. Now there's condensation all around the sides and even a bit (not much) on the lid. The dented eggs have popped back out again. I'm going to keep an eye on this to make sure I didn't overdo it.

One question I have based on all this watering is whether it would make more sense to either use plain water to the fill line or to use water crystals to the fill line instead of substrate.

Aliza

 

[Khrysty]

Either Gregg or Johnantny mentioned that in a thread -- that using water crystals worked well

 

[acpart]

I thought I read something like that. I like that idea much better than messing around with all this perlite.

Aliza

 

[Gregg M]

It really depends on the incubator that you use... The container seems to use less water when you are using an incubator that is bottom heated or at room temperature believe it or not... We just recently bought a MR-148 which is the same as the reptipro so we can test it out with the SIM... It seems to need much more water in the MR-148 than it does in our other incubators but once the proper humidity level is reached it maintains very well... I am wondering if adding much more water will fix the problem while in the Hovabator...

Aliza, thanks for providing this information... Any information that we get will certainly better the use of the SIM container... This is data that will be compiled and posted up on our website....

Like I said before, any incubation tool needs to be adjusted and working properly before any eggs are added...

As mentioned, this may be a good incubator type to add water crystals as a substrate... Not only is it functional but it is really cool looking.... LOL

 

[acpart]

Thanks Gregg, I figured you'd see this. I actually had the incubator up and running weeks before I got the eggs but didn't understand the stuff about the humidity and condensation. I'm definitely learning as I go. Hopefully I"ll have some hatches within the next few months.

Aliza

 

[Northstar Herp]

I've been seeing threads about this kindof thing, and still have a question. What is the correct humidity level for the eggs?? I have hatch-rite in mine, and it reads a constant 90%, but I don't see any condensation. (I don't have any eggs in it, but I want to have it ready since I'm expecting within a couple of weeks.)