Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm considering hatching my next clutch using a method I've seen discussed for chondros - no substrate.

Has anyone done this? Any pointers? Tips? Places to read up on it? How do you like it?

TIA!

It works great. Just have in your mind, 100% humidity, no substrate. That's all you need to know.

www.jefffavelle.com

Jeff,

What is your setup? Do you have a "false" bottom? Are your eggs in a covered container? How do you deal with "sweating"?
-----
Jay A. Martin

That is really interesting!

Your method is a great space saver.

1- Do you keep each individual clutch container covered?

2- If you do, do you make any holes in the container?

3- Do you keep replenishing the water in the container?

4- What is the tepmperature (I see the therm. sensor in your pic.) in the container ?

5- Is mold a problem with such high humidity?

Thanks for your response!

1) Each container is individually covered with a custom-cut piece of glass.

2) I have about 10 holes in the sides of each Rubbermaid.

3) No I don't replenish the water in the Rubbermaid. The whole point of no substrate is that it doesn't matter if there is an inch of water under the egg crate, or if its bone dry. 100% air humidity is all you need. In the incubator itself, yes I have to add water as it evaporates. I add water about once per season!

4) Temperature is always 88.9 - 89.4F.

5) No mold, no mildew, no fungus. That is, unless the eggs are duds. In which case, ANY incubator would get those things.

More pics to explain:

www.jefffavelle.com

Thank you Jeff.

I hope you don't mind a couple more questions:

1- Is the substrate in the Rubbermaids there as support for the grids that actually act as a bed for the eggs?

2- Do you keep the water in the incubator that holds the Rubbermaids in other containers?

3- Do you use Flexxwatt tape to heat the incubator?

4- Do you use any sort of air circulation in incubator to keep temp. even all over without heat gradients?

5- How many clutches (Rubbermaids) can you fit in your incubator?

Again, thank you for your patience!

Ben

1) The substrate doesn't even need to be there. It could be nothing, it could be water, it could be paper towel, it could be perlite, vermiculite etc etc etc.

I use wet vermiculite because it acts as a good heat sink to further reduce temperature fluctuations. But you don't need to for the "no substrate" method to work.

2) The incubator is just a big plastic-lined insulated box. The water sits in this box, with the small Rubbermaids that house the eggs in this box, sitting on bricks above the water. (Just like all the 90's herp books say to do. This style of incubator is older than dirt).

3) No I use a submersible fish aquarium heater. They have built-in thermostats and I just calibrate the incubator (with an empty Rubbermaid inside) a couple weeks before the first clutch, usually around April.

4) No need to circulate the air. The water in the incubator heats up evenly with the fish heater. Water is an EXCELLENT conductor of heat. Then, this heat and humidity fill the airspace and that's your incubator. Circulating air kills eggs everytime. No joke.

5) This particular incubator can house 18 Ball Python clutches and 12 Carpet Python clutches.

Hope it helps Ben!! Post pics if you build one!
www.jefffavelle.com

Have you tried without ventilation holes? Greg Maxwell (chondro breeder) has no ventilation holes for his chondros. Collette Sutherland recommends periodically adding fresh air.

I wonder if it matters or not since both produce excellent babies.
-----
Jay A. Martin

I'm not a scientist and I'm not into experimenting, LOL!! I found/copied/stole a system that works 10 years ago. 100% hatch rates with good eggs. You CANNOT improve on 100% so I'm not going to muck around and try, ha ha!!

But if I was doing chondros, I'd change a few things. I breed dwarf monitors as well, and I've had to modify the setup to get the eggs to hatch with any regularity.

Cheers!
www.jefffavelle.com