The "I hate hovabators" thread

[JordanAng420]

I hate hate hate my hovabator. Right now, I want to smash the styrofoam into little itty bitty pieces. And that's probably what I should do in fact. Because I can't get the stupid thing to give me consistant temperatures even with a helix dbs 1000. I don't understand how some breeders do it year after year with their hovas. It amazes me quite frankly, because I feel i've tried everything short of sitting on the darn eggs myself.

I'm expecting some eggs from my Nova x raptor pair, and i'd hate to lose them because the hova doesn't want to act right.

I use a hova without a fan, and i've been told that a fan is necessary....which leads me to my question. What incubator is the best for a small number of eggs? I don't need to incubate a ton, just maybe up to 10- 20 at a time. And i'm looking for something on the "not so expensive" side...i'm quickly running out of money.

Thanks for your opinion.

 

[Imperial Geckos]

my friend told me the MR-148 from LLL Reptile works nicely and it does not hold a crazy amount of eggs.

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...-incubators/-/lllreptile-pro-mr148-incubator/

 

[JordanAng420]

I've been looking at that model for a while. Seems nice. It's a shame they're out of stock right now.

Anyone else use that model?

 

[janjgeckos]

Talk to Greg at Squamata Concepts they are coming out with a cheap bator

 

[Enigmatic_Reptiles]

I use the Mr 148 and I like it. When you first get it you are going to have to calibrate it yourself. I have it set up for my males and the incubator itself is set at 94 but the actual temps inside are about 5 deg cooler than the reading. It holds steady temps and works perfectly fine...just be sure to calibrate your temps.

 

[Havik]

I've always used a hova and never had any problems if urs has a tray then fill it with water if not place bags of water at the bottom keep ur hova in a place thet the temperature doesn't change much like a closet or under ur bed mines on the corner of my room and I keep my waffer thermostat to max and my separate one to 86 so my hova stays at 82 and it it jumps between 81and 83. Also if u want cover some of the wholes in the incubator with something

 

[bman123]

You'd probably be better off incubating eggs in a fish tank with a light for heat lol. I don't see why your having problems when you have a nice tstat like that helix.

Have you looked into a digital incubator? I saw one for $150 but I don't remember where I saw it.

 

[turbogex]

Make sure your waffer is set to the max or even if the helix comes on it may not be starting the incubator. Make sure it is in a spot that stays cooler than the set temp. How much are the temps changing? I've used hovabator for years with out problems with only the waffer. Zoo med has a new incubator with a proportional tstat and digital settings for around $120.

 

[SFgeckos]

Sorry to hear that you are having problems with the hovabator. This may or may not help, but geckos eggs particularly leopard geckos can tolerate a wide range of temperatures (within a certain degree). If you're only incubating for females, try to set the thermostat around 80F and don't worry too much about minor temperature changes. The environmental or room temperature will cause slight variation of 2-4F, but this won't really harm the eggs and you will still get females. If you want males on the other hand, it would obviously be better to have an more accurate and consistent temperature. I can't count the number of clutches from various species that I've just left on the shelf (high 70's-mid 80's), not in an incubator that have hatched just fine.

In short, don't worry to much!

Jon

 

[Northstar Herp]

I bought a MR-148 this year, and I like it so far. I would second the suggestion about calibration, and mine also reads about 5 degrees higher than the actual temp. Plus, the MR-148 cools too. Maia, aren't you in Florida? You might enjoy the cooling option then...

I've seen the Zoomed incubator, and it looks like a hova to me. For that much money, I'd buy the MR-148.

 

[Ehatcher]

Im using a hovabator and have hatched every egg that wasnt infertile in it. Out out 7 good eggs I have 7 BEAUTIFUL babies... Got 12 more eggs chillin in it... or should i say cooking? lol

I have 4 half full gallon ziplock bags in the bottom. I took out the tray and placed the grate on top of the bags. I feel that it is a nessessity to have a proper heat sink. My temps range from 82-84