Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering which substrate you guys have had the best luck with to incubate your eggs. I have always used Sphangum moss, but have had a little trouble with mold. I think I'm going to switch to vermiculite this year, but I've heard of a new substrate called Hatchright that I might try.
Ken

>>I was wondering which substrate you guys have had the best luck with to incubate your eggs. I have always used Sphangum moss, but have had a little trouble with mold. I think I'm going to switch to vermiculite this year, but I've heard of a new substrate called Hatchright that I might try.
>> Ken
>>
>>
I have always used vermiculite (a little on the dry side). I use bottled water to mix with it and I add a couple drops of Novelsan (spelling?) to the water before mixing to keep any mold down. Let me stress, I only use a couple drops in a pint bottle.

I just put some Bearded Dragon eggs in some Hatchright so I’ll let you know how it works. Hatchright is just perlite with some of those water crystals mixed in to maintain a steady humidity (in theory).
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Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

Thanks Rick. I'll be interested to know how that stuff works out. When are the eggs due to hatch?
Ken

I switched to using sphagnum moss because I was having mold problems with vermiculite! I still saw some mold but not near as bad. A couple of years ago I put an ozone generating air freshener in the room and since have noted a marked decrease in mold of any kind in my incubator. I think the keys to keeping mold under control are to keep moisture levels under control and starting with the cleanest environment possible. I think the ozone generator goes a long way towards eliminating airborne mold spores and bacteria that might otherwise infect incubating eggs.

Last year, i used a layer of perlite w/ sphagnum on top r hold moisture and cushion the eggs, and the it went MOLD CRAZY! so i hopped on my bike rode 7 miles to my work and bought some aquarium filters. a while while back Mexicanamak (mike k) posted a thing about a guy in germany that uses filter floss to incubate his clutches, so what i did was wipe the eggs clean of mold, then i took some Aquaclear 20 (mini) foam block filters and cut them into layers and lined the bottom of a plasitc salad bar container and put about a 1/2 inch of water in the bottom, and then on top of the cut up foam blocks i put a nice bed of filter floss (the cottony type of synthetic filter material) and it worked great, the only problem with this system is that you really need to pay attention to the humidity, i found myself having to put wet paper towels around the eggs, to keep them happy, with an occasional spray of 85F degree water. every one hatched out just fine, even the egg that was half the size of all the others, i am going to try it again this year but mabey modify it alittle to keep better humidity

Adam
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4.5 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 HOLD BACK RUNT ALBINO CORN
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

I remember reading a few years back that you can use athletes foot spray to kill fungus on eggs, if used lightly. I never tried it, but am wondering if anyone else has ever heard of this, or tried it?

After my mold outbreak i did a light sprinkle of athletes foot powder, i dont know if it worked or not but i didnt get any new mold

adam
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4.5 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 HOLD BACK RUNT ALBINO CORN
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

Hi Tony

I have always been curious about those products. Do you see any other advantages and disadvantages with using those ozone generators? Any differences or side effects on you or your animals' health? I was told it could also keep the smell down in the rodent room. Please enlighten us. Thanks.
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Jonel M. Lopez

www.spsnakes.com

Jonel I really like mine. The benefits are antidotal and I can't really quantify why I like it other than the room smells clean. On the down side ozone is considered a pollutant in of itself so you have to balance what the air quality would be without it against the “benefits” of using it as a disinfectant. I leave mine set on the lowest setting. You can just barely detect it when you walk into the room, but within a few seconds you can’t smell it at all. As for rodents I have one small colony of 1.3 mice in the room. I clean their cage out once a week and NEVER pick up any rodent smells but I don’t think it would work as well for a large colony

which really means....in Navy terms.....Keep it simple Sailor.

I've been using long fiber spaghum moss (the kind you use for exotic flowers) for many years without problems. I simply wet it with a water spray bottle or w/ tap water and ring it out in my hand in clumps. I squeeze it until until the water stops dripping. I lay the eggs on a 2" bed of moss and then cover it with another inch of moss.....you can't see the eggs in the box...they are literally covered. Sure the eggs may discolor a little from doing this but it greatly reduces carrion flies and I don't get mold unless the egg dies.

Once the eggs are setup, they go on a shelf in my snake room and incubate between 78-84 degrees (whatever ambient room temp is during the day and night).

Can't wait, it's almost that time again.

Russ

hey Russ, do you have a problem w/ flies? i didnt have a problem at all last year with bugs, and i read in Kathy Love's corn snake book that a simple solution to flies in to keep the incubator in a dark closet. have you ever tried that? just curious
have a good one
Adam

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4.5 THAYERI
1.2 SPLENDIDA
1.3 ALTERNA
0.0.1 HOLD BACK RUNT ALBINO CORN
0.1.1 PYXIE FROG
0.0.1 MEXICAN RED KNEE
1.0 CHILEAN ROSE HAIR

I usually get flies every year and it all starts with the first egg that goes bad. If you catch it in time and can peel the bad egg away from the clutch it usually isn't too bad. I do find that I have less flies when I cover the egg pile with moss.

I don't know if flies will be as bad this far north.....Tony might know. In Florida, the flies really come on strong.

Russ

Russ they were once unheard of here then one summer they were EVERYWHERE! They are the bane of my existance. The only thing that's worse is kids wearing their pants loose and hanging past their butts! Easily the world could get by without both.

>>The only thing that's worse is kids wearing their pants loose and hanging past their butts! Easily the world could get by without both.

I find the best fix for this is a stapple gun; 5/8 inch staples seem to hold the best. Of course you need to tackle them first or nudge them lightly with the car bumper to knock them off their feet. For the flys a little piece of no-pest strip helps.
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Rick
Never Enough
Reptiles

I use to get some really cool glue strips that I would put on the window in my snake room and it would knock those darn flies out fast.

Russ

A dual solution. Those glue strips could hold up baggy pants too!

Yo whut up T

I got my flyz strips holdin me up so I don't show no boot-ee

Give me a pound dawg!

I've had the best success with plain old vermiculite. I've used perlite a few times but I feel it encourages mold. The mold just seems to take root and travel through the nooks and crannies like roots. When you go to pick up an egg or remove some of it you can see the whole sting of it that has spread in your substrate.

I've never had any problems with flies here.

BTW I've used athletes foot cream and it worked really well. Use it very sparingly though. I just used a very small dab on a Q-tip and treated several eggs. It stops mold cold.
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Vichris

Vichris Variables

Thanks for all your replies. I'm not sure what I'll use this year as a substrate, but I think I'll check into one of those ozone generating air fresheners. That sounds like a great idea.
Ken