Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This year I had to hustle to make a incubator that would work for my ball python eggs. I used a ten gal aquarium with a submersible heater.
Now that I have some time, I'd like to build one. Does anyone have any ideas or plans for one? I've been looking around for a old commerical refrigerator with glass door to add 11" heat tape and a thermostat, but I'm not having any luck finding one, so far. I'm considering building a box. What material and how to insulate it are the first questions coming to mind.
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

There was a homemade cooler incubator back on aug 9 from cjbianco. It looks pretty nice and easy to build. Derek

Anyone know how to wire a computer fan to be used on a homemade incubator?
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

You will probably have to have a transformer for the fan itself
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www.MGReptiles.com
Professional Heating Supplies

You have to convert AC voltage to DC voltage. You can use one of those AC/DC converters from Walmart (found in the Stero electonics section) that will give you an ajustable DC voltage output. It is easy to do once you know the voltage of the fan (be it 3, 3.1, 3.5, etc.) You can use a tranformer also if you like to do the wiring (I enjoy this kind of activity).
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2.1 RTB (Zander, Ridick, Liliana)
1.1 Burms (Vladamir, Natalia)
0.1 Lavender Albino Retic (Katerina)
1.0 100% Het Tiger (Nicholi)
2.3 Silver fox rabbits
many, many, many, many rats
"New strategy R-2, Let the Wookie Win!!!"

I'm not sure that a computer fan will work due to being a lower voltage fan. I know you can get the same type of fan from rockler but it is for 110. I am NOT an electrician so I may be wrong. Just my .02.

Thanks
Anthony

thanks, I'd rather not have to wire it or use a transformer unless it's just a lot cheaper using the computer fan.
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

This is really simple. Radio Shack sells a computer-style fan that is all ready to run on 110V - you just need to wire the cord to the fan - no tranformer necessary. I think they sell for about $25. I bought mine quite a while back - you can also wire them into a rheostat as well if you want to control the speed of the fan.
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Matt Campbell
25 years herp keeping experience
Full-time zookeeper
Personal collection - 21 snakes (9 genera), 20 lizards (4 genera), 6 chelonians (2 genera)

Sounds like a plan to me, no shipping, no waiting, thank you
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

how many clutches will you be incubating?

probably no more than two pyhon clutches and 4 colubrid clutches, is there a way to have two temps in one incubator, or am I going to have to have two incubators?
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

It is not difficult to have two temperatures in an incubator. I have done it and seen it done on many occasions.

I have no doubt you could setup an incubator for both Ball Python eggs and colubrid eggs.

Chris,
Could you give me some more details for two temps in an incubator. I'm guessing that it would just need two different thermostats and two different heat tapes attached to two different shelves. I could put the warmer temp on the top shelf. Is this what you were talking about or something else?
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1.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.1 Ball Python
1.1 Corn Snake
0.1 Gray band Kingsnake
0.1 Desert Kingsnake
0.1 Pueblan Milksnake
1.0 Bullsnake
1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback
0.1 Spouse
8 ball python eggs due any day now!

Just use a large incubator with only one heat source and thermostat. I would suggest controlling the hotter section and allowing the cooler section to flucuate a bit, which will be natural with this type of setup. I was at a zoo one time and they had a large chest freezer, I think, set up as an incubator. You'd be shocked at the variety of species they hatched out in that thing.

You don't need to go that big, however. Just play around with it. I think you'll be surprised at how easy it is to do.

I don't know how you would go about having 2 temps in one incubator, but, if your clutches number as you say why not use a couple of fish tanks and submersible fishtank heaters?

I used a couple of big styrofoam boxes, found in meat markets or seafood stores throw aways. A Hovabator fan forced cover is attached to the top hooked up to a Herpstat thermostat. Works great. One for pythons and colubrids.

Mike