Temp question

[SilverMoon]

I have been reading through different topics on here and it raised a question for me. I'm incubating my leo eggs and the temp fluctuates from 79 F to 81 F Will this cause problems. I've candled and the eggs are growing well, I'm one month into incubation.

 

[roger]

I have been reading through different topics on here and it raised a question for me. I'm incubating my leo eggs and the temp fluctuates from 79 F to 81 F Will this cause problems. I've candled and the eggs are growing well, I'm one month into incubation.

IMO your ok.dont let it dip below 79.when u get into fluctuation for a long time like with electrical blackouts is where u get into trouble

 

[TripleALeos]

IMO your ok.dont let it dip below 79.when u get into fluctuation for a long time like with electrical blackouts is where u get into trouble

+1
I agree. Small fluctuations of a degree or 2 should be ok. Its best not to have any but we dont live in a perfect world lol. We lost power last breeding season for over 6 hours and had a little hypo snow born with an eye deformation. If you have room in your incubator, try placing a couple bottles of water in there (full with lids on). This will help keep a constant temp and cut down on temp flux.

 

[SilverMoon]

+1
I agree. Small fluctuations of a degree or 2 should be ok. Its best not to have any but we dont live in a perfect world lol. We lost power last breeding season for over 6 hours and had a little hypo snow born with an eye deformation. If you have room in your incubator, try placing a couple bottles of water in there (full with lids on). This will help keep a constant temp and cut down on temp flux.

Bottles of water help keep temps stable? I believe you just never heard of that..do you know how/why it works?

 

[SilverMoon]

IMO your ok.dont let it dip below 79.when u get into fluctuation for a long time like with electrical blackouts is where u get into trouble

lol thanks, I appreciate it.

 

[TokayKeeper]

They function much like a heat sink and aid in maintaining a more stable temperature. They also aid in allowing the incubator to recover back to the set temp when opening it for either hatchling removal, inspection of eggs, or adding of new eggs. There was a pretty cool discussion of the use of either water bottles or large vessels of water over on the Morelia Viridis Forum, but I stupidly didn't bookmark it and have a strange feeling it'll be a pain to search for it.

Some leisurely reading:
http://www.kingsnake.com/salceies/Incubator.htm

My incubator is designed very similarly. And I also follow the no substrate method with the above linked setup. I hatched all but 2 leopard geckos that way last year and 3 mexican hognose eggs (would have had more if I wasn't on my way out the door to an NM Dept of G&F commission meeting, my female ate 4 more eggs). Last year was the first time since 1997 that I had a 100% hatch rate.

 

[TripleALeos]

The bottles of water work the same way as an ice pack does. Ice packs keep food and drinks cold longer. The bottles of water will warm to the temp of your incubator. If your incubator is set at 80 then the bottles of water will be 80 as well, if the temp drops below 80 for a short period, then the bottles of water will give off heat for a period of time until they cool. It helps with temp flux that happens for short periods, not prolonged periods. Hope that clears it up a bit..

 

[SilverMoon]

that make sense, thanks guys I'll do that!

 

[Norrad]

I'll open pandora's box here. I used to "incubate" all my geckos both leopard and crested right up on the shelf with my corn snake eggs, in the living room with daily fluctuations of temperature and a 100% success rate. Not saying anyone is doing anything wrong, if it works for you stick with it!

 

[roger]

I'll open pandora's box here. I used to "incubate" all my geckos both leopard and crested right up on the shelf with my corn snake eggs, in the living room with daily fluctuations of temperature and a 100% success rate. Not saying anyone is doing anything wrong, if it works for you stick with it!

Your way might be the unconventional way but if it works then its the right way.Its only the wrong way if it doesnt work

 

[C C Gecko]

I recall reading or hearing that the first 10 days of incubation determines the sex of the leopard gecko. Is this true at all? I was thinking because of only having 1 incubator at the moment with 2 eggs in there at 81.0 for females that I could raise the temp higher on 1 batch of eggs for 10 days to get males then bring the temp back down a bit.

 

[roger]

I recall reading or hearing that the first 10 days of incubation determines the sex of the leopard gecko. Is this true at all? I was thinking because of only having 1 incubator at the moment with 2 eggs in there at 81.0 for females that I could raise the temp higher on 1 batch of eggs for 10 days to get males then bring the temp back down a bit.

actually 3 weeks or 21 days locks in the sex