Possible cheap incubator alternative!

[cassadaga]

We used to have an entire room heated to 82 that we incubated our eggs in. Unfortunatly we had to move, and now don't have that option. So We've been looking at different incubators, and considering I'm currently unemployeed, we need to go pretty cheap. I saw this on another forum, and think it might work great:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/6ad2/

What do you all think? It probably isn't the best choice out there, but I have to say it seems a lot better than the havobator option.

 

[Baoh]

It works well and is the exact same thing as the Herp Nursery II, but for much less money. Just make sure to use a digital thermometer to establish your temperature difference between what the display says on the unit and what the temperature is at the position of the incubation containers. It will drop a couple degrees on the display before it kicks back on, but there's less than a degree of change in the actual containers housing eggs that you would place within it. Oftentimes, no change.

 

[Gregg M]

It would be much cheaper to build your own... Those mini fridge/warmers are not made to run all the time and the thermostat is not reliable...

 

[cassadaga]

Those mini fridge/warmers are not made to run all the time and the thermostat is not reliable...

I was thinking of maybe using a high quality thermostat together with it. I don't know if that would help.

Another thing I was considering was looking for a possible free unwanted fridge and using the heat tape/fan/thermostat system.

 

[Gregg M]

That is a good option... You could even pick up a nice wine fridge on ebay for 50 bucks or under...

 

[Sunrise Reptile]

That is a good option... You could even pick up a nice wine fridge on ebay for 50 bucks or under...

Another option would be to check Craigslist for a cheap mini-fridge. :main_yes:

 

[cassadaga]

Thanks, I would have never thought of a wine fridge, but they seem like a good option.

Craigslist is also a great idea, hopefully one will pop up in the free section..:main_thumbsup:

 

[Baoh]

It would be much cheaper to build your own... Those mini fridge/warmers are not made to run all the time and the thermostat is not reliable...

Most are not, but this one is. I contacted the company to confirm this after I noticed they don't include the typical warning.

 

[Gregg M]

Most are not, but this one is. I contacted the company to confirm this after I noticed they don't include the typical warning.

I stand corrected.. Good to know Baoh...

 

[Blizzard Lizard]

So this mini fridge/warmer doesnt shut off and keeps a constant temp?

 

[Baoh]

So this mini fridge/warmer doesnt shut off and keeps a constant temp?

You set the temp via the digital control, add another internal thermometer at the area/position of your egg containers (set up with substrate sans eggs), and then let it run. After a while, you can check the difference between the two values. It comes out, for me, to something like a degree or two. So, what you see on the display is not accurate. As a result, I bumped it up by two degrees and then observed. I found it would hit a temperature I wanted that would only fluctuate within the span of one degree at the position of the eggs themselves (where they would be).

When the temperature drops by what the machine's sensor reads as 3 degrees, it kicks the heating element and fan back on. However, the actual change experienced in the chamber is around a third or less of that.

At least, that is to say, how my unit I purchased via Amazon works. I cannot speak to what the manufacturer's quality control standards and practices consist of.

Hope this helps. There are probably heaps of folks in Europe using the Herp Nursery II and I know a few people here in the US, from looking around on the web, that have had good results using the Thinkgeek and Amazon sourced versions.

Just make sure to verify the temperature before calling it good. I think the source of the discrepancy is the position of the sensor, wherever that might be. I'm not going to tear it apart to see, though.

 

[cassadaga]

Interesting. We may just go ahead and build my own incubator, but buy one of these too. I guess if we end up not liking it's incubating abilities, we can just stock our reptile room with some beer, haha.

 

[cassadaga]

Baoh, do you have one of these that you use for incubation? If so, what kind of results have you had?

 

[Gregg M]

Sadly, an incubator that size is not big enough for my breeding projects but I can see how it would be great for a small breeder or hobbiest... If they made a bigger size I would certainly give it a try...

 

[Sidviciouser]

Sadly, an incubator that size is not big enough for my breeding projects but I can see how it would be great for a small breeder or hobbiest... If they made a bigger size I would certainly give it a try...

Wow, you must drink a lot of beer......





J/K

 

[Baoh]

Baoh, do you have one of these that you use for incubation? If so, what kind of results have you had?

Yes. I'll be able to tell you in a few days, I hope. A couple clutches (Giant RAPTOR x possible Ember and "Thor" x Black-eyed Murphy Patternless) are about due to hatch with several more following. I bought it in January, I think. As Greg said, too, it would only be feasible for smaller projects. If you have a lot of geckos, you will either need several or something with more capacity. I plan to get another one, as I've consolidated my projects despite initially expanding my overall collection at the beginning of 2009, so I don't require anything especially large. I'm also interested in testing out a version of a substrate-free incubation container (nothing extravagant- just something I've seen done with fowl eggs before), and I'd like a second one to try stuff out with.

 

[Brett Boller]

Why not use a full size fridge LOL :main_laugh::main_laugh: I made this tank of a fridge into a incubator last year. I took about 150 lbs of junk out of it. It still weighs a ton. Each side is controlled by a Johnson thermostat. It works perfect for leos. Heat is controlled by two heat lights. Air is circulated with computer fans.

 

[Baoh]

Baoh, do you have one of these that you use for incubation? If so, what kind of results have you had?

Well, the first clutch hatched today. One of the two is well formed and still attached to "her" yolk. The other managed to pip the egg, but didn't emerge for a couple hours. I opened that egg and it appears the other baby drowned after pipping. Perfectly formed, though.

That's not the annoying part, though. The annoying part is the morph.

Basically, what was sold to me was not what it was advertised as.

The sire is legitimately a Giant RAPTOR. No problems, there.

The dam was sold as a TPA that had snake eyes. In other words, it was a possible Ember, although that was as of yet unproven. That's why I paired her with the Giant RAPTOR. I was willing to accept that it could just be a funky TPA. At least, that way, I'd get offspring that were Tremper het Eclipse and Murphy's Patternless.

But no.

Both offspring are non-albino, non-Eclipse Mack Snows. One banded and one jungle. That means the person that sold this as a TPA with weird eyes most likely sold me a Mack Snow Rainwater Patternless, as that's the only realistic option I can see from the pairing.

Think "artificial actuality" as the closest way to avoid a TOS violation.

The money spent on the dam is nothing, but the waste of my time and rack space is very annoying.

 

[Tommy13b]

Today i got a styraphome box, put a hole in it and stuck a lamp in it, right now its 88.8.

 

[cassadaga]

That's crazy Baoh. I'm sorry to hear one was lost.