Reptile & Amphibian Forums

now, what exactly do i do with it? I hope to be incubating a clutch of Brooks eggs in a month or so, and like any expecting parent i am trying to be prepared. I know I have to drill a bunch of holes in the shoebox, but roughly how many 1/8" holes do I need? What is the ration of perlite to water? Do I keep them in the dark? What temperature is best? What humidity should I aim for.

If there is a link to this info, please post it. This is kinda fun!
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

I'd be careful with some of that stuff.
Looks like you have the type w/fertilizer in it?
:Mark
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Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

I agree, DO NOT use that product!

~ Mike Russo

take it back and get regular perlite or vermiculite without the plant food additives.

,,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

Ah crap, I hadn't noticed that! Is there a difference between perlite and vermiculite?
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

>>>Is there a difference between perlite and vermiculite?

not really both retain moisture very well. for incu. i use approx 1to2 water ratio, a good indicator for me is clump it in a ball if you poke the ball and it falls apart its ready.
good luck,,,,,,,,,thomas
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

Ah crap, I hadn't noticed that! Is there a difference between perlite and vermiculite?

I prefer Perlite . More air flow to the eggs.

Also only use the squeeze method with the vermiculite. With Perlite just add water and make sure the eggs are NOT floating in water, LOL! Perliet is more forgiving IMO.

Great job on Crimsonking spotting that miracle grow additive on the perlite bag!!

You only need a few holes. Put them in the lid directly over the eggs to prevent condensation from forming and dripping down on the eggs.

As far as moisture, when you squeeze a handful no water should drip out.

Do not use anything with fertilizer, it will provide nutrients for bacteria and fungus.

Any temps in the low to mid 80s will work fine. Avoid sharp temp changes. Don't open the box in a cold room. With a box that small I would bury the eggs almost completely so that the substrate provides some thermal insulation.

thanks for all the input!
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1.0 C/B Brooks
0.1 C/B Lavender brooks
0.0.1 W/C Scarlet King
0.0.1 W/C Eastern Milk
0.0.1 W/C Yellow Rat
0.0.1 W/C Western Garter
1.0 C/B Black Lab
1.0 C/B Min. PoodleXAmer. Eskimo hybrid
1.0 C/B Goofy Cat
1.2 C/B Children
0.1 W/C wife

I would suggest you rinse the perlite in a seive first
to remove any dust from the product
dust can cling to the surface of eggs
and prevent oxygen from permeating the egg shells
because you do not know how long the perlite has been in the bag,
or how many times it has been squashed by mis-handlers of the product in the store
it is best to rinse it off thoroughly first
better safe than sorry
just an observation.
Also avoid breathing the dust
as doing so can, in time, lead to 'Silicosis'.

>>>dust can cling to the surface of eggs
and prevent oxygen from permeating the egg shells

i strongly disagree, ive never rinsed mine and i bury my eggs completely for thermal insulation. i would be concerned of having it to wet if i rinsed it all,,,,,,,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

I suppose it depends on the brand, or the amount of dust which might be present in the product. Different manufacturers, different quality control standards. For those of us who expose ourselves to perlite regularly, one might want to take a look at this link.

I'd be curious to know if there is a specific brand name of product you use?

Is there a herps 'product safety' forum?
-dave
Perlite Silicosis