Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Can anyone post detailed instructions for the "no-substrate" incubation method? What's worked for you? Would like to give it a try but need to make sure I do it right. Thanks a lot for any help. Ryan.

Soaking wet perlite in an egg box with a tight (but not quite air tight) lid and no extra ventilation holes. Plastic egg crate (fluorescent light diffuser from hardware store) sits on top of wet perlite. Eggs on top of plastic grid. Close lid. Open briefly about once a week at first to visually inspect the eggs and "change the air" (more frequently toward the end of incubation). Eggs get 100% humidity and stay 100% dry. This is by far the best method for BP eggs in small incubators, IMO.

JP,

Do you find that you have to add water to your container after a few weeks? What type of container are you using? I have rubbermaid containers but they do not seal very tight. The air movement in my incubator has a tendence to dry out the medium. I am trying the "no substrate method" for the first time. I am using bearded dragon eggs as a test. My ball pythons have not laid eggs as of this writing. I don't want to mess them up. Trying to work out all of the bugs.

PS: I am using 6 qt containers. I am using the egg crate as pictured in your post. I made on modification, I am using 1" PVC feet attached to the crate to keep it elevated (1/4" above the wet Perlite. This way if I tilt the container the eggs will not touch the wet medium.

Any suggestions/advice?

Dwayne

So the container with the perlite and eggcrate go right into the incubator? can you do this with a hovabator?
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1.0 Het for pied
0.1 Het for Pied
1.5 normal balls
1.1 bearded dragons
0.1.0 Sulcata tort
1.3 kids
1.0 husband
To many little critters list

np

I have not ever had to add water. I just use whatever egg boxes I find appropriate...rubbermade, sterlte, whatever. If you make the perlite wet enough to begin with, I can't imagine the need to add water. Remember, since the eggs don't touch the perlite, you can actually add water until it starts to float.

Let's see some new pics of that bright colored one.
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Charles

unfortunately, that baby never thrived. It was the only one I've ever had that never ate on its own. I was assist feeding it about every 3 or 4 weeks. This went on all summer and fall. When I came home from some travelling over the following Christmas, it had died. I had palpated it a few days prior to remove a block of urates that it was having a hard time passing. I think I may have injured it, or possibly it was just not quite right to begin with.

setup for 3 of my clutches this past year to try it out. It worked great. Thanks for posting this method and your success with it.

The only thing I will change this year is that I will cut up some of the "egg crate" (light diffuser from Home Depot or Lowes) into 1" X 6" strips and lay them down around the eggs. This should help keep the eggs from rolling around when I take the box out of the incubator to add air.

Again, thanks JP!
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Alice Cobb

How often do you open the boxes to give them air? I like this method and want to try it but I didnt know how you get air in?
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1.0 Het for pied
0.1 Het for Pied
1.5 normal balls
1.1 bearded dragons
0.1.0 Sulcata tort
1.3 kids
1.0 husband
To many little critters list

You don't really need to open often, especially at first. IN fact, the more you open the box, the worse this setup will work. Open about once a week for the first few weeks...just a quick peek and then cover them back up. I really think developing embyos, especially at first, do not require a ton of O2. The last couple of weeks, as the embryos mature and start to use more O2, I may open the box every few days...

With my incubator I don't even have to remove them. Just open the lid, open the egg box lid, quick peak,and recover. Glad it worked for you!