OG IS SIMED THANKS TO SQUAMATA CONCEPTS!

paulnj

New Member
Messages
10,508
Location
NJ USA
gecko boy... the substate under normal use shouldn't dry out for you. You could find under heavy use that you may need to rewigh the substate and add water to the desired original wieght of the mix (IE 100 grams substate/ 80 grams water makes 180 gram mixed)
 

HugeGenes&LoLa

New Member
Messages
202
Location
NJ & Pennsylvania
Maybe I can help you out a bit... What are some of the issues you are having??? We have tested many substrates and ratios with various species... I can tell you that most people have been using their regular substrate that they have been using...

I think Eric is using superhatch in that container... Others are using perlite, vermiculite, and cocofiber...


I'm using perlite as the substrate. I weighed the S.I.M, I filled it to the fill line, weighed it again to determine perlite weight, then sprayed water to match the perlite weight for 50/50 ratio.

Problem was the eggs dented, but also developed mold. So I'm confused. So the eggs weren't getting enough moisture, hence the denting; but were also getting too much moisture, hence the molding.

I was pretty frustrated with all of that, so I did cheat-- I candled them 48 hours after being laid to make sure they were fertile. I saw two bullseyes.

Anyway, they went bad. Maybe it was the substrate? I don't know. They were incubated at 81 with zero fluctuation. What do you think I can do next time to avoid this happening again?
 

Gregg M

Registered Member
Messages
3,055
Location
The Rotten Apple NYC
How long were they in when they dented?
You can try using less substrate. The fill line is basically a line to not pass. It is not the amount of substrate you need...

The only scenarios where eggs have dented were either infertile or found too late. If you want you can give me a call...
347-898-8728
 

lillith

lillith's leo lovables
Messages
1,923
Location
Land of the Rain and Trees, WA
It might be that your perlite had latent mold in it, that will sometimes happen if you have an open bag of perlite for too long.

I lost 2&1/2 fertile clutches that way this year, but I was NOT using a SIM. And it is horribly frustrating to lose clutches like that. I mean, losing eggs to "fresh" out of the bag perlite, who knew? I have switched out all my containers and bought new substrate. I got coco fiber since I've heard it inhibits mold growth. My last two clutches seem to be doing okay since then.

I'm thinking a SIM might be a better way to go next year. I'm watching to see how everyone else likes theirs, I'm leaning towards buying 2-4 of them after tax season. :D

p.s. is the SIM material bleach-solution safe for sanitizing between seasons? or should I use chlorhexidine/something else to sanitize?
 
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Gregg M

Registered Member
Messages
3,055
Location
The Rotten Apple NYC
p.s. is the SIM material bleach-solution safe for sanitizing between seasons? or should I use chlorhexidine/something else to sanitize?

I am not a big believer in bleach solutions to clean anything my animals go into... With that being said, the S.I.M. container is made of PC plastic and the lid is TPU... These materials can be cleaned with diluted bleach... However, these are also dishwasher safe and can be completely sanitized using the dishwasher...
 

eric

OREGON GECKO
Messages
3,466
Location
Oregon
I've been using Superhatch and I haven't had to add any water in the room temperature S.I.M. I have had to add it in the Hovabator one due to the higher heat.
 
F

fikken

Guest
i wish i could pay any other way than pay pal. pay pal makes me wait 3-5 business days for money transfers. i will be getting one when the transfer clears.
 

eric

OREGON GECKO
Messages
3,466
Location
Oregon
Add Gargoyles to the list guys! This is actually the second Gargoyle I've hatched out of the S.I.M.S! I totally love it! Thanks again guys awesome product!:main_thumbsup:

004-14.jpg


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Gecko_Jay09

Addicted to reptiles!
Messages
145
Location
Rugby, Warwickshire, England
Im going to get one of these boxes :) can anybody suggest either a dirt cheap way of making an incubator to suit the S.I.M box or send me a link to cheap incubators please! thanks ever so much! well done Squamata, this is an amazing product you should be very proud!
 

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