Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey robyn,

I read your post about your prasinus setup/husbandry, and I must say that your setups look sensational. I like how you utilize a whole trough filled with your "magical decomposed granite".

I also read that you wrote out a long post only to have it deleted. If I had a dime for everytime that's happened to me....especially emails... Anyways, I, as well as others are wondering how you are cooking the eggs, since that appears to be the most difficult part. Getting eggs, doesn't seem to be the problem, as many people have gotten from their prasinus, becarri, and p x b, but most have failed in the incubation process.

Perhaps you could shed some light on the matter, since you have had some eggs cooking for sometime, and appear to be doing fine... I tried asking Jimmy over at D&J one day, about their incubation techiques, and was dissappointed in his response of, "that is for me, and only me to know".

I understand that it is business and all, but I could have expected a more "personable" answer, instead of such a shrewed remark. I congradulate them for their successes over there in indo, however, I think that it is much more difficult, and more of a prestige to be able to hatch them out, out of their native range, especially in CO!!.

Anyways, best of luck to you robyn, I wish for many hatchlings for you guys.... Share some of your "secrets" if you could, I am sure people are dying to hear...

Thanks for your time Robyn, take care,

bob

As far as the decomposed granite that you guys use, would you consider it as being a material that is endemic to your area of the country, or have you heard of it being available/used in other parts? Being decomposed granite, I would figure that they mine it/dig it up right there in the mountains where you guys are situated. I've been lookin around up here in NY, but nobody seems to have a clue what it is used for/ or where one might find it..

Thanks again,

bob

Yeah Robyn, why dont you do an incubation FAQ. That way if someone asks an incubation question, you can just tell them "check out our incubation FAQ"

incubation FAQs....i have thought about it, but it is daunting

incubation is a fairly "simple" thing, but there are a lot of subtleties and details that are hard to capture.

i love it when someone posts "i just got a clutch of eggs from my lizard/bearded/iguana. how do i set up an incubator and hatch them??!?!"

lol, at that point, you don't!

for our Prasinus, they have been cooking at 82-86F, as we changed incubators half way through, which is always scary...

let me say this, i will never use another Helix thermostat (DBS 1000 or other) in my life, i have had so many fail with blown fuses, i am a Ranco guy all the way (check the boaphile's site).

anyway, the Prasinus eggs are cooking at 86 or so now, in a big wood incubator custom built box, with four corner bulbs for heat, in a deep shoebox with 8 inches of perlite. nice high humidity, but dry eggs.

i will also stick with perlite and never go back to vermiculite, perlite is much more flexible and forgiving.

i just candled the Prasinus eggs, and saw a heartbeat/pulse, which is way cool.

when we hatch them, THEN we will be Prasinus breeders

have you guys checked out the short video on our site of the heartbeat/pulse of the Albino Blood python in the egg, that is pretty wild...

and also, i know folks aren't paying MUCH attention to the incubation info that we DO offer, because i run ads for Doc Seward's Gila Monster book, which has some excellent and useful incubation theory, but nobody is buying them (i suggest it for ALL lizard keepers in the ad).

as Colin (creeps) once said (paraphrased) to me "I don't work with any Gilas, so it doesn't have anything to do with me." which is precisely NOT the point. ANY GOOD LIZARD INFORMATION is GOOD LIZARD INFORMATION FOR YOU! buy that book, and get a bit more insight on incubation theory!
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

Hey, thanks for the info robyn...

I myself prefer rancos better than helix also. Little heartbeats, eh?? That's amazing, it seems as if you're doing something right..Best of luck to you with those eggs...

bob

Hey guys, what settings do you use for the Ranco? I just purchased two Rancos from Grainger and wired them together but the instructions are pretty vague on settings. Specifically in reference to the "diff." Is it supposed to be set at 1? I posted this question in the cage forum and someone replied "if you want the temp to stay at 86, set the themostat at 86 and set the diff at 85 so it stays within that range." Well, the diff only goes to 30 so thats out of the question. I am assuming it is to be set at 1. Please let me know.

Thanks in advance,

Michael

setting the differential at 85 would mean the temperature would have to dip to 1 degree F before it triggers the heat to come on. that would be a bit chilly

shows you how much "forum help" is worth sometimes, don't it?

set the diff at 1. it will cycle your heating element most often, but will keep a tighter check on temps. set it at 2 and it will let it drop to 84 before turning on. 3 would turn on at 83, etc.
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

make sure it is set to "heat" and not "cool" as well
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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

I agree, to not have the incubator already before egg's are laid is silly.

I also prefer my ranco thermostat over the helix, the only thing bad is it is bigger but oh well works better (imo) so who cares.

Good luck with them egg's man. I hope you start producing them more often.