*sigh* can anyone give me insight?

[LeoTyreal]

So my one Leo has laid her first egg ever. Her first one in the 4 years I've had her. Which really surprised me. So I got home and built an incubator in record time using 2 uth's and a zoo Med hygrotherm. Laying the bigger uth in the bottom and a small one for the side. I used a foam lined shipping box I had received a gecko in the day before. Using skewers I made a platform to elevate the tub I put the egg in with a 1:1 water/vermiculite ratio. Had a few temp spikes and drops fine tuning with a low of 82 and I high of 94. Finally fine tuned the hygrotherm and have a temp probe next to the egg and it holds almost perfect at 87.6f with +-.5 degrees. And to answer. Yes there is a male which she is proving receptive to with mating. My questions. Did those temp fluctuations ruin the egg? All those temp changes were only in the span of a day and never more than a few hours here and there as I tuned the hygrotherm. Only 30% of the egg is really firm the rest is slightly soft but won't press in without some pressure. Its firm and full. Hasn't dented, sagged or molded and its been a week and a half since laid. Is that ok? I have tried candling it with a few different lights. And I have seen what I guess is the rossy colour. Then a different light I haven't. So I'm doing the "incubate till there's no debate". So the question there is could it be true with certain temps it can take a while to really show up since it was only laid on the 11th or is the above egg description the sign of a dud?

 

[marauderhex]

Was she ever house with a male?

 

[LeoTyreal]

Yup ever since she was mature and of weight. Been with the male 3 years. For a while I was convinced she was either a hot female or just sterile

 

[acpart]

It's hard to know. I've had eggs that looked like duds hatch and perfectly good looking eggs deflate after 8 weeks. Just try not to get too invested, wait and see. It doesn't make sense to keep messing with the egg trying to candle it. Good luck.

Aliza

 

[The Gecko Person]

I would separate the male from the female, and when she ovulates, put them together temporarily. Usually that makes them want to breed more than if they were kept together permanently.

 

[LeoTyreal]

very true acpart. with the incubating. fortunately the incubator i made cost nothing. i had a hygrotherm from an old Poison Dart Frog tank, the UTH was a spare for if one went out, the box from a shippment. so it was just the time to make it, i've only candled it twice but open it ever few days to exchange air but don't touch the egg.

@the gecko person, very true, i'm in the process of a new rack system to allow for my other females growing up in another tank, so i'll make another one for her to let her plump back up.

thank you all so far

 

[bittner_344]

Hey the temp spikes should not be a problem. The first couple of days eggs adapt pretty easily to change, like temps, rolling etc. now the best way to tell of the egg is fertile or not is if it has a slight pinkish hue to it, indicating blood vessels throughout the egg. Let us know of any progress!

 

[LeoTyreal]

quick update i think i might have a viable egg going here, just looking at the egg without moving it, it appears to be taking on the pinkish hue in contrast to the white vermiculite its on, also its still holding shape with no mold growing, no dont droops or sags and tho its ever so slightly soft, its fairly firm. candled it yesterday after letting it be for a few weeks and looks like you can see the outline of the embryo (i think) unless it was a shadow but who knows....ill know in another month or so if it was successful *fingers crossed*

 

[GeekyGecko]

Fingers crossed, maybe you will hatch out a healthy little baby sometime in the future. I hope you do. Good luck!