*new product* Zoomed incubator will be available soon...

[robin]

I think honestly I would spend the extra 30.00 and get the min fridge/ repti pro model as this only appears to hold nine deli cups and is pretty much nothing more than another hovabator with a clear top and a digital thermostat. I am waiting to see what Gregg is coming out with before I decide weather or not to build my next unit or buy from him.

from the video it looks like it holds more than just nine deli cups http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyYkcQ53tE4

 

[David Evans Reptiles]

I noticed that it looks deeper but not having a fan I don't know if I would double stack deli cups in this unit, plus the heating element reminds me so much of the element in my stove and I would be concerned about getting the deli cups to close. I have been incubating egg for 15 years now the first eleven years being bird eggs and during my time I have used hovabator ,little giant , GQF sportmans incubators ,Dickey Incubators as well as home made units. From all of these units I have found the best method be those with digital thermostats and were the heating element is in a compartment away from the eggs and a fan pushing air across the element and down in the egg compartment and recirculating back to the heating compartment has worked ten times better for me in both bird and reptile eggs. The still air models are out dated in my book. I really wish when I got out of breeding birds that I would have kept my Dickey hatchers as those would have been killer reptile incubators. I just can't see spending $500.00 on buying another one when I am breeding reptiles as a hobby and not making a profit from it and I am hatching reptile eggs just fine in my home made ghetto mini fridge.

 

[robin]

I noticed that it looks deeper but not having a fan I don't know if I would double stack deli cups in this unit, plus the heating element reminds me so much of the element in my stove and I would be concerned about getting the deli cups to close. I have been incubating egg for 15 years now the first eleven years being bird eggs and during my time I have used hovabator ,little giant , GQF sportmans incubators ,Dickey Incubators as well as home made units. From all of these units I have found the best method be those with digital thermostats and were the heating element is in a compartment away from the eggs and a fan pushing air across the element and down in the egg compartment and recirculating back to the heating compartment has worked ten times better for me in both bird and reptile eggs. The still air models are out dated in my book. I really wish when I got out of breeding birds that I would have kept my Dickey hatchers as those would have been killer reptile incubators. I just can't see spending $500.00 on buying another one when I am breeding reptiles as a hobby and not making a profit from it and I am hatching reptile eggs just fine in my home made ghetto mini fridge.

if it is going along the line of a hobavator, you do not need a fan. the turbo fans just dried things about. i was watching the video and it does have a circulation type of system and a pad to moisten to keep the humidity tp with some ventilation. thats what it sounds like from the way it is explained. not too bad an idea

 

[SFgeckos]

In my limited experience with the minifridge incubators (I was testing them and trying them out long before they became popular in the reptile market), I can tell you that they are VERY inaccurate in terms of maintaining temperature. The digital temperature on the screen is usually 5-8F degrees off the actually inside temperature and can easily fluctuate depending on the environmental influences. Needless to say, the last few years mine have been used strictly as backup incubators, but mainly I use them for brumating animals (50-60F) if there is a warm fall/winter in CA. They work great at keeping the temperatures cool...for snakes, geckos or some cans of soda =)

Jon

 

[robin]

I noticed that it looks deeper but not having a fan I don't know if I would double stack deli cups in this unit, plus the heating element reminds me so much of the element in my stove and I would be concerned about getting the deli cups to close. I have been incubating egg for 15 years now the first eleven years being bird eggs and during my time I have used hovabator ,little giant , GQF sportmans incubators ,Dickey Incubators as well as home made units. From all of these units I have found the best method be those with digital thermostats and were the heating element is in a compartment away from the eggs and a fan pushing air across the element and down in the egg compartment and recirculating back to the heating compartment has worked ten times better for me in both bird and reptile eggs. The still air models are out dated in my book. I really wish when I got out of breeding birds that I would have kept my Dickey hatchers as those would have been killer reptile incubators. I just can't see spending $500.00 on buying another one when I am breeding reptiles as a hobby and not making a profit from it and I am hatching reptile eggs just fine in my home made ghetto mini fridge.

i have hatched out quite a few leopard geckos in my day using the hobavator with no fan. i know most people who used the hobavator did not use the fan, it dried the eggs out.. btw if you are looking for a bigger, quality reptile incubator, natures spirit has a great one.

 

[SFgeckos]

None of the hovabators I use have fans and I've never had any problems. I remember when I bought my first ones in the 90's THEY were about $100 and the "newest technology" haha
ps- the NS incubator works great! I use a helix on mine
Jon

 

[SFgeckos]

Found an old photo I thought I might share, I believe this was 2003 or 2005? I can usually fit SIX of those gladware containers into a single normal hovabator. With 10-15 eggs in each container you can easily incubate around 60-90 eggs. The other method I've used is to find a much deeper styrofoam box with the same dimensions of the hovabator and just use "the hovabator heating lid" on it. I did that one year and fit about 300 eggs into my custom "giant hovabator".

Let me know if you have any questions.

Jon

 

[Shera]

I guess it's nice that it has a proportional thermostat. It does look cool in many ways, but I'm more interested in seeing what Gregg comes out with.

 

[robin]

Found an old photo I thought I might share, I believe this was 2003 or 2005? I can usually fit SIX of those gladware containers into a single normal hovabator. With 10-15 eggs in each container you can easily incubate around 60-90 eggs. The other method I've used is to find a much deeper styrofoam box with the same dimensions of the hovabator and just use "the hovabator heating lid" on it. I did that one year and fit about 300 eggs into my custom "giant hovabator".

Let me know if you have any questions.

Jon

lol jon i would love to see photos of your giant hovabator! hehe

 

[Gregg M]

The top heated incubators just go against the natural flow of heat dispursion... Heat naturally rises so it would be perfectly correct to say that if the heating element was on the bottom it would be quite efficient and would create a more stable environment in the incubator... The heating element would not have to get as hot for as long to ensure the desired temperature and would most likely use less wattage...

I just think that if Zoo Med designed an incubator from the ground up, they should not have duplicated the Hovabator... It is true that the Hovabator works but there are many designs that are more efficient and better suited for reptile egg incubation...

 

[robin]

The top heated incubators just go against the natural flow of heat dispursion... Heat naturally rises so it would be perfectly correct to say that if the heating element was on the bottom it would be quite efficient and would create a more stable environment in the incubator... The heating element would not have to get as hot for as long to ensure the desired temperature and would most likely use less wattage...

I just think that if Zoo Med designed an incubator from the ground up, they should not have duplicated the Hovabator... It is true that the Hovabator works but there are many designs that are more efficient and better suited for reptile egg incubation...

we get it gregg, thanks

 

[KelliH]

Please let's not turn this thread into another Hovabator thread. Some like them and some don't, who cares? This thread is about the new Zoo Med incubator, and frankly anything any of us say here about that is opinion, because none of us have used it. Anyway, try to stay on topic everyone. Please.

 

[justindh1]

Well I do believe that the design isn't much different then the hovabator beside the proportional thermostat which ads alot. I know that there is better incubators out there but it looks like it will be a incubator that will do the job. I wouldn't worry about stable temps in a incubator that is that small when it comes to having the heating element on the top.

I don't know what the reasoning for all the hova bashing but I do know that the hovabator has probably hatched out more reptiles then anything else put together. Its consistant and reliable besides the waffer thermostat possibly going out. I know that the hovabator hatched 26 hatchlings last year and only had one a deformity. All my eggs that were fertile hatched out. You don't need to have something that cost a arm and a leg to be successful at all.

Posted this befor I saw your post Kelli!

 

[KelliH]

Well I do believe that the design isn't much different then the hovabator beside the proportional thermostat which ads alot. I know that there is better incubators out there but it looks like it will be a incubator that will do the job. I wouldn't worry about stable temps in a incubator that is that small when it comes to having the heating element on the top.

I don't know what the reasoning for all the hova bashing but I do know that the hovabator has probably hatched out more reptiles then anything else put together. Its consistant and reliable besides the waffer thermostat possibly going out. I know that the hovabator hatched 26 hatchlings last year and only had one a deformity. All my eggs that were fertile hatched out. You don't need to have something that cost a arm and a leg to be successful at all.

Posted this befor I saw your post Kelli!

No worries :main_thumbsup:

 

[Gregg M]

Well I do believe that the design isn't much different then the hovabator beside the proportional thermostat which ads alot. I know that there is better incubators out there but it looks like it will be a incubator that will do the job. I wouldn't worry about stable temps in a incubator that is that small when it comes to having the heating element on the top.

I don't know what the reasoning for all the hova bashing but I do know that the hovabator has probably hatched out more reptiles then anything else put together. Its consistant and reliable besides the waffer thermostat possibly going out. I know that the hovabator hatched 26 hatchlings last year and only had one a deformity. All my eggs that were fertile hatched out. You don't need to have something that cost a arm and a leg to be successful at all.

Posted this befor I saw your post Kelli!

Justin, Your post is your honest opinion and it is welcome... I do not see a problem with comparing two products as long as it stays on topic as Kelli said...