Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am using deionized water for my egg incubation substrate for the first time this year. I am trying this in regards to a topic Bill was interested in a year or two ago coupled with my own observations.

Bill had read claims that the alkalinity in water damages egg albumin (the protein in the white of chicken eggs, also present in snake eggs, but snake eggs have the "white" and "yolk" mixed together). I had noticed that when my eggs hatched, there was a large amount of solidified egg matter left inside the egg that hadn't been used by the developing snake. The baby snakes weren't completely filling the egg like happens with some people's hatches. I had been using various sources of bottled water (which contained minerals) for the incubation substrate.

For practical purposes, the alkalinity of potable water is basically equivalent to the amount of dissolved bicarbonate. This bicarbonate is in the form of Calcium and Magnesium Bicarbonate. It comes from Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate (in rock or soil) that the water comes in contact with on or under the ground, and solubilized by dissolved CO2 from the atmosphere (Carbonic Acid). For example, Carbonic Acid reacting with solid Calcium Carbonate yields dissolved Calcium Bicarbonate.

Deionized water has no alkalinity because it has no minerals. An alternate way to accomplish this would be to use prepared water which has selected minerals added but no bicarbonates. Sparkletts and other water companies sometimes add Sodium or Potassium Sulfate and Calcium and Magnesium Chlorides for good flavor, and this water would have no bicarbonate. I haven't tried this type of water source.

So far, my eggs are fine on deionized water. If more albumin is available to the developing embryos, then it would be reasonable to expect the incubation time to be longer as the embryos use more of the nutritional content of the egg. It would also be reasonable to expect the hatchlings to be larger at hatching.

I will keep everyone posted on how it all works out.

Robert Bruce
robert.bruce@sbcglobal.net (310) 502-6311

Robert,

how does deionization affect the pH of the water?

There are still H , h30 and OH- in the h2O so is this more appropriately demineralization?

I would be interested in seeing if/how this affects the uptake of water across the egg shell and membrane. by chance do you weigh the eggs to see if they are gaining weight?

I would also be interested in seeing if/how this affects the embryo uptake of minerals from the eggshell. I wouldn't know how to accomplish that, other thaqn noting the health and vibrancy of the hatchlings upon emergence.

Very good topic.
DaveB