New to Incubating!

[BabyLeo09]

Ok so today I came into the room that my geckos are located to find two eggs in the laybox. I have not checked them, as they are a research project at my college, since Monday. I immediately mixed up some vermiculite and placed the eggs on it. However, the one egg dented slightly when I picked it up, and trust me I was very careful. Does this mean it won't hatch? Also, I have a digital thermometer in my hoovabator, but I was just wondering what the humidity should be. And one final question, is there something wrong with a hoovabator that keeps turning on and off? It's staying at about 90 degrees because I can't seem to keep the temperature down. I am keeping a close eye on them, but I am just curious if I should be worried. Thanks in advanced for any advice!

 

[acpart]

For best info about how to set up the egg container, check out this site: http://www.albeysreptiles.com/incubate-eggs.htm. It talks about use of perlite rather than vermiculite which you may want to consider. I know the humidity needs to be over 80% but not sure exactly what it should be. If you have adequate moisture and keep your container sealed, opening it every week briefly for air exchange you'll be OK.

Eggs can be dented either because you didn't find it in time and it's no longer any good, it wasn't any good to begin with, it's still good and with appropriate humidity it will plump back up. Best solution is to incubate and see what happens.

Your incubator keeps turning on and off because the temperature keeps reaching the thermostat temp which makes it shut off and then as the temp drops, it turns on again to get back up to that temp. The hobovator only heats and doesn't cool so if the temperature in the room gets above the temperature you have the hobovator set for, then the temp in the hobovator will get that high too. 90 is borderline too high for leopard geckos so you need to get the temp down. If your room temp is that high, there's not much you can do (when I used a hobovator, it would be in my basement for the summer for that same reason). If you're using the thermostat the hobovator came with, you can turn it down, though that thermostat isn't really much good. You'd do best buying a proportional thermostat (to find out what that is, do a search on the incubation forum) which will cost you in the neighborhood of $100.
Good luck,

ALiza

 

[roger]

Ok so today I came into the room that my geckos are located to find two eggs in the laybox. I have not checked them, as they are a research project at my college, since Monday. I immediately mixed up some vermiculite and placed the eggs on it. However, the one egg dented slightly when I picked it up, and trust me I was very careful. Does this mean it won't hatch? Also, I have a digital thermometer in my hoovabator, but I was just wondering what the humidity should be. And one final question, is there something wrong with a hoovabator that keeps turning on and off? It's staying at about 90 degrees because I can't seem to keep the temperature down. I am keeping a close eye on them, but I am just curious if I should be worried. Thanks in advanced for any advice!

the hovobator has a key u turn back or forward depending on what u want.Counterclock wise is to increase temp and clockwise is to decrease temps,at least with mine

 

[BabyLeo09]

Do I have to flip or turn the eggs at all?? I am sorry if these are stupid questions..I just want to make sure I am doing everything right.

 

[TokayKeeper]

you want to avoid rotating the eggs....ever

 

[BabyLeo09]

The egg that had the dent has plumped back up very nicely! I am very excited! The humidity is staying at about 80%, so I think that is good..No signs of mold, so lets hope for the best!

And thank you for letting me know about rotating the eggs!