Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a hovabator with a reservoir for water and a fan in it; do I need to use a mixture to lie the eggs on?
Thanks

The fan model will dry out the eggs. Disable the fan. You can put water in the reservoir to act as a buffer to the temps when you open the incubator. You will need a container that will fit inside the hovabator without touching the heating element. You dont need any holes for the container. Toward the end of incubation you need to open the container once a day. Then put your container with medium in your incubator a couple of days prior to you expecting eggs so the medium can get up to temps. Then add eggs. Keep a good eye on temps because the hovabator thermostat isnt that good. Hope this helps
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www.BallPython.Us

Thanks, I bought it because someone said that the one with the fan would circulate the heat better and the moisture. So your opinion is to not use the fan? Thanks

The fan model is bad for reptiles, the still air/thermal model is best. To disable the fan you may have to cut a wire or two (not sure, because I havent worked with that model). Maybe you can still return it and get the other model? Good luck.
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Sal
Geckos "R" Us

www.geckosrus.com

yea...NO FANS........

and use air holes....IF you use a container for the eggs to set into.....noone wants to open a box every day..and if you do..you may spill,bump,rattle,roll,or otherwise kill your eggs.....

get Hovabator....and use a different bottom that is taller(fish shipping styrofoam boxes)...or any other box to make incubator taller.....so the eggs set away from the heating coils.......

I use 2 1/2 inches of vermiculite.....all over the bottom of incubator....dampen it properly....set all eggs into it as laid.....half burried....and open the Hovabator only once a week ? maybe more maybe less.......(set at 89 with enough moisture....)....I have no room for little boxes...I fill the thing up fully....even with 4 or 5 cluthces......(that's like 50 eggs or so....some piled and some just resting in a row.....)

....other people use no substrate for eggs...just 100% humidity method......ask them more info........

...........have fun

Last year when I got back into breeding BP's, I used Hovabators WITH FANS on 2 clutches with great success...

First, I modified the lid portion by elevating the heating element/thermostat/fan assembly to accomodate clear Phillips Shoe box egg containers. I did this by cutting the styrafoam, placing a perimeter "gasket" of 1/8" thick plastic around the cut perimeter, then seated the assembly (still attached to the styrafoam) on the gasket. This elevated the assembly by an amount equal to the thickness of the styrafoam plus 1/8".

I placed the eggs on slightly-moistened vermiculite, actually 1/2 buried, in the shoe box with no holes and lid on. However, I elevated the lid slightly (a couple layers of masking tape at the four corners) to allow SOME airflow.

In addition to keeping water in the plastic liner (in the central part where there aren't holes for drainage) I placed a 5" square tupperware containing water WITH paper towels half in the water and draped over the edge of the container, acting as a wick. This setup allowed replacement of lost humidity throughout the incubation period. Water had to be added several times during incubation. Humidity was maintained above 80% throughout.

This setup allows only 1 shoebox to fit but that's fine by me.

The advantage of using the fan is that it facilitates air changes, eliminating the risk of elevated CO2 levels/reduced O2 levels. In addition the fan prevents any hot spots/stratification of air temps.

So the fan is safe to use if one accounts for lost humidity.

I used one shoebox per hovabator.

I hatched 100% of the fertile eggs this way last year and will use the same method this year.

Scott J. Michaels DVM

(PS, first clutch due 4/15: 100% het albinos)