Finished my incubator/How to Pics

[JDouglas]

I think you'd see a lot of full term dead in egg with that system, but that is just my opinion

I was only joking about incubating monitors. LOL

While designing this incubator I used several ideas from others who have successfully hatched carpet eggs. If anyone is wondering about the success of the no substrate egg chamber I got the idea from this website and he had a 100% hatch rate. After clicking on the link click on Articles and then click on Carpet Python Incubation Techniques.
http://www.morelia.ca/


I don't see any reason the incubator wouldn't work for carpets. Its temp is steady and humidity is 100%. If you have any insight let me know.
No one will no for sure if this incubator will work for carpet eggs until it is successfully used with a clutch of eggs. I'll keep you posted.

[Vanan]

Ok so not good for monitors cos too much humidity. So I presume you'd use no water bottles, just a fan (to help keep humidity low) and a dryer substrate?

So it would be good for pythons cos the amount of humidity in it would be ok?

Getting confused here. Maybe if everyone showed what works for them regarding each herp. A least a brief description.

[Jeff_Favelle]

If the pop bottles are sealed, exactly how would the humidity be too high again??

[JDouglas]

Jeff is right. If the pop bottles are sealed they have no affect on humidity. Also adding a fan would not affect humidity either because the egg chamber has no holes. A fan would help with hot spots.

[NiagaraReptiles]

In my experience, fans suck........

I would possibly consider using a circulation fan if/when I build a walk in incubator, but until then no more fans for me!

Vanan - Monitor eggs don't follow a recipe very well. You have to figure out what they need in your conditions, though for the most part excessive humidity will result in full term deaths. Any standing water in a relatively sealed incubator will surely be too much for Ackie eggs.

Jeff - I kinda like the idea of the bottled water for volume, but the center chamber pictured is to what I was referring as a problem for monitor eggs.

Also, an egg chamber with no holes would spell disaster for Varanid eggs.

Again, let's keep in mind that I have absolutely no experience with Python eggs and my comments are limited to my experiences with monitors, geckos, and tortoises.

[Jeff_Favelle]

I would take your advice for monitor eggs ANY DAY over what my pea-brain thinks or "knows". For sure.

[Vanan]

Thanks all, for this enlightening thread.

So again, if there were holes to prevent buildup of water in the egg chamber, it would be an ok incubator for monitors? And Jeff, you think that setup would be perfect for pythons? Thanks in advance guys!

[Jeff_Favelle]

Not sure about Python eggs. Its different from the way I do it, but by no means any worse (or better). Time will tell.

I use 100% humidity by warming water and I suspend the eggs without a substrate. That's my method. Not to say that this won't work, I'm just not sure, that's all.

[Vanan]

Thanks Jeff.

[JDouglas]

Jeff heats water with an aquarium heater in the bottom of his incubator to attain 100% humidity in the entire incubator.
In my incubator 100% humidity is attained only inside the egg chamber. One inch of water is placed in the bottom and the chamber is sealed. This is how it was done on the website I posted ealier and he had a 100% hatch rate. Really the only thing different about my setup from this person is the water bottles. I hope they are an improvement but as Jeff said only time will tell.

[Jeff_Favelle]

I can almost guarantee you that the pop bottles WILL be an improvement!! They will act as a heat sink and will moderate temperatures. For sure.

[NiagaraReptiles]

Originally posted by Vanan

So again, if there were holes to prevent buildup of water in the egg chamber, it would be an ok incubator for monitors?

Some things yiou just have to experience. Give it a whirl and see what happens. It wouldn't be my first choice, but I don't live where you do, and you're the one watching your eggs

Just a tip: If you're going to try something, try to stick with it through the duration if it looks good or bad......the more variables you change or play with only give you that many more things to guess at in the end, whether things end up good or bad.

Best wishes Vanan,

[MouseKilla]

There's something that isn't right here... You said that there's what, 9 pop bottles filled with water in there? Well what I can't understand is what you did with all of that Mountain Dew. I mean no one could actually drink all of that could they? EW! LOL! Hell of a set up though. Would it be rude to ask what it would cost to build one like it assuming you had to start from scratch? Ballpark numbers would satisfy my curiosity.

[JDouglas]

LOL! My wife drank most of the mountain dew. Although I did drink some after realizing i wanted to use those bottles and she wasn't drinking fast enough! Here is a list of the cost in American dollars.

Cooler = $15
Heat tape & cord = $5
2 Bricks = Free (taken from neighbors yard he he)
1 Sheet of egg crate $5
Plastic Tub = $3
2 ft by 4 ft plexiglass = $15
Mt Dew bottles = Free (my wife drinks it otherwise its around $15)
ESU Thermostat = $30
Digital Thermometer = $10

Approximate total is about $85 but most of the stuff I had already. (except plexiglass and eggcrate)

I can't wait to give it a try! My Irian Jaya Carpet Pyhons are in tip top shape and hopefully will produce this year!

[JDouglas]

OK Here is the REAL test...

5 Irian Jaya Carpet Python Eggs