building a incubator

[burmco4]

Hey guys I started building my incubator for all my snake eggs thaught I'd share some pics

[Microlepidotus]

Looks good, but is there going to be water in there (hope not), if not, wont that aqua heater burn out ??

[Mitton]

Micro, those Aqua Heaters are to heat water.

[eyed_lizard]

...are you using that Bob Marley poster...?
hehe I like the idea you got there but not all of us have a spare fridge or space for one on-top of that lol, I am planning on building my own as well, as the one I got from ReptileCity.co.za is to small if I get all the eggs I am expecting.
Also I am getting a digital thermostat, (that I will be supplying soon will give details and pics soon), also going to be using glass as the base but I have 4 sheets of polystyrene at home that I will be using for insulation.

because it is not good for the eggs if you keep on opening to peek, I am also going to add a fan for ventilation on a simple timer for about 30min a day.

LOL @ mitton

[Microlepidotus]

Exactly, normaly there's no water in incubators.

If there is no water, wont the aqua heater burn out, or is the aqua heater for something else.

Maybe its me just not understanding.....

[Mitton]

Maybe its me just not understanding.....

Yep

You need to put water in an incubator and then heat it with the Aqua Heater, this will build up the humidity that is needed for most reptile eggs to hatch.

[Microlepidotus]

Maybe its me just not understanding.....

Yep

You need to put water in an incubator and then heat it with the Aqua Heater, this will build up the humidity that is needed for most reptile eggs to hatch.

Thanx, it was definately me not understanding..

Rgrds

[burmco4]

Lol @ mitton, I just used a normal manual thermo stat, have been running test this week with the incubator the humidity is on 70 and the tems go between 27 and 31'C , so o hope it works just want to try it with corn eggs this year and then burm eggs next year.

[Doug Anderson]

I am not sure where the fridge fits in?

you can make a simple incubator by using a fishtank. Silicone polystyrene on the sides and make a polystyrene lid to insulate. Make a wire mesh platform which you will place in the fishtank and rest your tubs containing the snake eggs on the platform. Fill the tank with water to just below platform. Lie fishtank heater flat. Experiment with fishtank temperature settings until you get the desired temperature you want INSIDE the container that would have the eggs (to be done prior to eggs being laid).

With this method, it is easy to control the temp and humidity isn't a problem.

[Bushviper]

Burmco just be aware that next year you will have to ensure that the temps stay within the range of 30.5 and 31.5 for Burmese eggs.

[burmco4]

Will do BV ,

Which is your personal preference for incubators in general e.g fridges , polystyrene boxes etc.
I'm stuggeling to get the temps to stay on the 30' range constantly.....back to the drawing board.

Also I just wanted to ask you if you are expecting / have any retics (normal or tiger) for sale? If you have could you please give me some prices also.


Keep well,

Charl

[Urucone]

Out of personal experience: The stand up fridge works, but put the fridge on a pan of sorts, 2 - 3 day's and your floor is going to be wet, the water dont stay inside the fridge, everytime you open the door the water drops every where, put the fridge on it's back and seal of any holes.

[Rishaad]

While we are on the topic of incubators I would like to ask a quick question. Would it be ok to use a cooler box filled about a 1/4 the way with water in conjunction with a fish tank heater. The eggs can then be placed in smaller tubs with a hatching medium and floated in the water.

[Mitton]

While we are on the topic of incubators I would like to ask a quick question. Would it be ok to use a cooler box filled about a 1/4 the way with water in conjunction with a fish tank heater. The eggs can then be placed in smaller tubs with a hatching medium and floated in the water.

Yes, that will work fine, I have used it before and had 100% success.
I just would not float the tubs in the water, just put something in the bottom, I use upside down flower pots.

[Snakes4Africa]

I use a completely dry incubator, the tubs being the closed environment with their own humidity, much like the fridge pictured. I have also used and manufacture the polystyrene type as well. Both work, but have their pros and cons. The fish-tank heater humid environment type is messy, leaking water (condensation) every time you open it.The case will start looking mouldy and dirty quite quickly. The temperature stays pretty constant though as water holds temperature better than air does. Even in a power outage, the temperature will stay steady for a relatively long time if you don't open it. The larger the volume of water, the longer it will hold the warmth.
The dry type is less messy but more prone to temperature drops if not properly insulated. Hence the fridge case. If you are breeding a large number of snakes, space for your incubator needs to be a priority, not just what you can fit into a space! This is the make or break of your whole season and is often the thing left till last.
Have a look at the incubator rooms of the big international breeders such as Bob Clark, NERD and Prehistoric Pets. They do not use a humid environment, but rather closed, humid containers for each clutch in a temperature-controlled room.