Humidity for incubator

[MartinW]

What should the humidity be for a leo egg incubator? Should it change depending on the age of the eggs? Hopefully not so I can keep different clutches together.

[reptilez]

I believe that the humidity should be about 80-100%(Not Positive) amd the humidity level should stay the same throughout the 60 some odd days. (maybe try to raise it a bit during the last week)

[Tim and Julie B]

I keep my humidity around 60-70 percent. I have tried many tecniques and what I have found so far is that a mixture of vermiculite , sand and water makes a great incubation medium. I use(for each clutch of eggs I use seperate containers-deli cups-for egg health but it's not necessary) half a cup of vermiculite(Ifind perilite is poor for maintaining humidity) and 1 tablespoon of tepid water. I mix this in my deli cups ahead of time and keep them in the incubater for any unexpected eggs my females may lay. It keeps the humidity very constant and I haven't lost an egg in 2 years(except one clutch that was infertile). Hope this helps you out! J.B.(Reptilez- By the way I hope you got the pics and prices okay. Let me know if you didn't get them, my e-mail was screwy last night! :w)

[MartinW]

I have a hova-bator incubator that came with my geckos and I'm having problems getting the humidity above 50%. I have water at the bottom of the incubator with tupperware containers with moist vermiculite and a lid with one small hole. I read not to get the vermiculite too wet. Should I add more water to the vermiculite?

[fr0glet]

MartinW, I have a close friend who is a leo breeder and he has a technique that works perfect for him every time.

He mixes 50/50 by weight vermiculite and water.

He mists once daily.

He completely replaces the 50/50 by weight mixture each week so he is confident the humidity stays where it should.

That's it!

[MartinW]

Thanks for the advice froglet. Does he replace the 50/50 mixture even if there are eggs in it? Or does he just spray it with water, replacing the mixture only if there are no eggs in the container?

[Tim and Julie B]

That seems like a lot of moving and handling that is really unecessary. If you try my method you'll be glad you did. Not that froglet is wrong, I'm sure it does maintain the humisity level, but you shouldn't touch the eggs more than necessary.

[DragnDrop]

If you keep the eggs in moist substrate inside delicups with lids, you don't need to worry about the water in the incubator to keep up the humidity. The eggs will stay moist enough in the cups, even with the incubator itself sitting bone dry. Three or four pinholes in the delicup lid will do for air exchange. Since you'll probably open the container once or twice a week to check on the condition of the eggs, that's enough air exchange for the eggs in the cup.
Too much humidity can be fatal if it allows water to drip on the eggs. By using the delicup method, you also protect each clutch from expsure to mold or fungus from other eggs, and once hatched, the geckos are contained and safe, easy to transfer to the nursery.

I've got some pictures of how to tell if the cups are humid enough:

Leopard Gecko Breeding - Eggs and Incubation

I keep mine in perlite. Before I put the eggs in, I just fill the water so it goes just above the perlite. Then I strain all the water out, trying not to let the perlite come out of the container.

That makes the perlite moist enough to never have to mist it again. Just keep it closed inside your incubator.

That's the simplest way I know of.

I use a two section rubbermade keeping one side without eggs, with soaking wet spagnum and the egg side with the spagnum a little little less damp than usual. No fungus, the lid was laid on upside down so there was enough ventilation, a little mist when it seemed dry. I handle the eggs usually once a week when I candle them to make sure everything is ok, a tiny marker dot is enough to keep the right side up.