Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Worked pretty hard on this incubator over the weekend, finally got it all done and up and running. Holds temperature really good only about a half of a degree between top and bottom shelves and 0.2 degrees front to back. What kind a methods does everyone else use? I used just a shoebox on top of the rack last year, worked good took about 75 days to hatch but had an 87% hatch rate. This year I am keeping my ambient room temp at 70-74 so it will be a little chilly for incubation.



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Jimmy Tintle

>>Worked pretty hard on this incubator over the weekend, finally got it all done and up and running. Holds temperature really good only about a half of a degree between top and bottom shelves and 0.2 degrees front to back. What kind a methods does everyone else use? I used just a shoebox on top of the rack last year, worked good took about 75 days to hatch but had an 87% hatch rate. This year I am keeping my ambient room temp at 70-74 so it will be a little chilly for incubation.

Looks great Jimmy....
I incubate at 80F.....Usually get hatchlings around 60 days.
I use damp perlite in shoe boxes or smaller containers.....I set the eggs on the damp perlite substrate but have thought about using a light diffuser grating thingy...lol
I even got some free hatchrite that I may try out this year........To keep gnats off the eggs I am planning on using nylons or coffee filters over the tops of the egg containers and placing the lid over them.......

Here's some pics of my new incubator:
I haven't used it yet but think it will do the job....I got a great deal on this.....

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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

holy mackerel. where'd you get that and what did it cost?
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

>>holy mackerel. where'd you get that and what did it cost?

The normal price was somewhere around $2750.....That is what the guy paid for it.........I got it for less than 1/3 of what he paid for it.....For only $800.......

It was built by Habitat Systems......

http://www.habitatsystemsltd.com/

I could never afford one if I ordered straight from the manufacturer........That is way too pricey for me......So when the guy who had it gave me a price I couldn't refuse.....I didn't.....LOL
Hell...I even had to pay off the $800 in payments.....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Thanks Man! now I can throw away the Hovabator that I had from 1994. Hahah!
Looks great there John...You can fit a ton of eggs in there! I have always been a vermiculite fan...But last year a buddy gave me some of the Repashy Super Hatch. I tried it out and it works great just put in a cheese cloth soak in some water and pull it out and drain. I had to add water 1 time I think in just a few containers. Whats nice is it's reusable, just bake it at 350F or 400F for an hour I think. I bought a couple more bags for this year.
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Jimmy Tintle

>>Thanks Man! now I can throw away the Hovabator that I had from 1994. Hahah!
>> Looks great there John...You can fit a ton of eggs in there! I have always been a vermiculite fan...But last year a buddy gave me some of the Repashy Super Hatch. I tried it out and it works great just put in a cheese cloth soak in some water and pull it out and drain. I had to add water 1 time I think in just a few containers. Whats nice is it's reusable, just bake it at 350F or 400F for an hour I think. I bought a couple more bags for this year.
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>>Jimmy Tintle

Cool..thanks...I have never heard of Repashy Super Hatch....
I feed my lizards many Repashy products and never knew he made Super Hatch........I may have to try it out on a clutch this year.......
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

It's a porous ceramic gravel like....It holds water unbelievably...Worked good for me and you don't have to bury the eggs in it either. I just dimpled it a little for my single ones a little so they wouldn't roll over when I moved them. But if it was in a whole clutch I just set them on top. LLLReptile has it.
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Jimmy Tintle

HOLY SMOKES JOHN. You're packin some serious heat...I didn't know that about you. That thing's impressive to say the least.

Veddy nieeeece.

Sincerely envious,

Micah

LOL...Like I said...I lucked into a deal....There's no way I could afford one like this new......Especially since whatever I spend on the reptiles I have to equally spend on my wife.....LOL
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

Just checked it out again......That's great looking Jimmy.....
I like the idea of taking a fridge like that and turning it into an incubator.....I have a buddy of mine that has one he is going to give me but I am running out of room......LOL
A commercial/restaurant style Fridge......the cold air doesn't work anymore but I am sure it will hold heat with some flexwatt and fans like you did........

Does it have lights in it?
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

John, I took out all the mechanical parts to make it lighter. This fridge was actually used in a pharmacy for medicine, it has one four foot fluorescent light right behind the door. The light is on in the photos. The only thing is when the light is on it raises the temp a couple of degrees. But that helps out when you open the door to check on everything.

I like it! and as long as the eggs like it I figure I could get about 60 to 70 clutches in there. Not that I'll have that many this year. I was thinking of putting filled water bottles in the bottom to help hold temperature but the thermostat is only running every 10 minutes or so at low power.

Those computer fans up at the top sure make the air move. I probably could have gotten away with 2 but if it is filled with containers I wanted to make sure everything had decent air flow.

Can't wait to fill it up!!LOL
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Jimmy Tintle

>>Can't wait to fill it up!!LOL

I can't wait until you do too Jimmy.....Good luck this season!
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...

You Too!!! I don't have enough females to fill this year but maybe in the next few I will. Can you fill yours?? I bet with all those Nice MexMex and Thayeri's you have you can do it! Plus all the rest of those beauties you have!
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Jimmy Tintle

>>You Too!!! I don't have enough females to fill this year but maybe in the next few I will. Can you fill yours?? I bet with all those Nice MexMex and Thayeri's you have you can do it! Plus all the rest of those beauties you have!
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>>Jimmy Tintle

I don't think I will fill it ever...LOL........I only have 38 adult females this year breeding.....No way 38 to 76 clutches will fill that incubator.........Hell...I am sure not all of them will lay fertile eggs, but I hope most of them do....
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John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...