Reptile & Amphibian Forums

K, I got a question for you boys and girls. Whats the best place to put the probe in a mini-fridge incubator. I'm hopefully gonna have two clutches in the incubator. I've heard a few different spots, but I was wondering which one do you use?
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Coolluigi

1.0 Pastel
1.0 Yellowbelly
0.2 Normal
0.1 Spider
1.2 Het VPI Axanthic
and soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

Well I like to make a dummy tub with the same amount of bedding that would be with the eggs and place the probe inside that.

Since eggs will give off their own heat as they cook -- I've found the best place to put the probe is inside the egg box that is closest to hatching.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

So not on the heat tape? My worry I guess would be that the incubator would get too hot... I suppose it should be okay..
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Coolluigi

1.0 Pastel
1.0 Yellowbelly
0.2 Normal
0.1 Spider
1.2 Het VPI Axanthic
and soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

Theoretically since eggs release heat as they develop the one closest to hatching will be the hottest box (or if you have one with a lot more eggs in it). If you have the probe set just in the incubator or separate dummy box the thermostat will not read the added heat the eggs are putting off inside their boxes and that can potentially fry your eggs. Or if you want to keep it outside the egg boxes then just make sure you monitor the temps inside the boxes really well and adjust your thermostat appropriately.
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Tosha
JET Pythons
Toshas Blog

Ya, I have two seperate temp probes that'll go into the egg boxes.
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Coolluigi

1.0 Pastel
1.0 Yellowbelly
0.2 Normal
0.1 Spider
1.2 Het VPI Axanthic
and soon to be more. *fingers crossed*

We place the probe in our incubator on the center shelf of the incubator. We also place thermometers in each of our tubs so that we can monitor each individually. With our incubator fan running and circulating the air they all pretty much stay within 0.2 degrees of each other from the top shelf to the bottom shelf. We use glad disposable type of tubs for our clutches.

Tosha if you place the probe as your describing then that means you are going to have to move it to the next tub closest to hatching whent that one hatches? That sounds like a lot of un needed handling of the egg tub to me depending on how spread apart your clutches will be hatching from each other.
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....I would rather have a Bottle in front of me.....than a Frontal Lobotomy....

Rob Trenor
RK Reptiles
www.rkreptiles.com
www.rkreptiles.net
www.ballpythonmorphs.net

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In all the incubators I have used or built the probe stays outside the egg box in the middle of the incubator. I also make sure it is hanging down where it is not in contact with any of the boxes or shelves.

My concern with putting the probe inside the egg box would be when temps are coming up the ambient inside the incubator is going to heat up faster than the air inside the closed egg chamber. When the thermostat measuring the temp inside the egg box kicks the heat off the outside temp may be considerably higher. Now even with the heat off to the incubator the temperature inside the egg box is going to continue to rise till it stabilizes with the ambient temp in the incubator. This may not happen with all incubator designs but this would be my worry.

George