incubation methods

[yommy]

With the breeding season in swing and eggs hopefully inbound.
I was curious on what others used to place there eggs in for incubation and different methods.

i.e. I used a converted fridge incubator, with heat cord as the heat source, dual thermometer and thermostat with a computer fan at the bottom running constantly for equal heat distribution throughout and the woolies version of the click-clack fully sealed.

I've even seen eggs successfully hatched in foam 6 pack eskies left at room temp in a herp room with high success. What other methods work for other people?

I'm really interested in the zero substrate method with the water like in 'The complete chondro' book. Though can't find alot of information on it.
Anyone interesting in sharing their successful methods??

[craig.a.c]

The water method ( no substrate) may only work for chondros as they require high humidity. Just a thought.

[yommy]

any more details on the water method there afro?

[dee4]

I will be trying no substrate, just water, mesh tray and a click clack placed in a Bigguy incubator which he describes in the hints and tips on this site with a computer fan and all controlled by a this microclimate B1. I have herd a lot of positives about the no substrate method.

[Pythoninfinite]

Have a look at Damon Salceies (watch the spelling!) website, and click on incubator design - he's a top chondro breeder in the US, but has done heaps of experiments with incubation, and it would apply equally to all species of python. He has a very clear explanation of his favoured technique, it's all pretty simple really. Have a look at some his chondros too - the albino is AWESOME!

Cheers, Jamie.

[hazzard]

My take on it is, how many snakes incubate in water?

The only reason for this is as others have said is for humidity purposes. I have hatched 100% of my eggs for the last 3 years using and accurate thermoline humidity an temp controlled incubator (accurate to 0.1degrees c and 1/2% humidity). Although it cost me $10,000, how much is a hatchling Chondro worth.

Vermiculite works fine. Any sunken eggs can be re-hydrated simply by placing a sterile moist paper towel over the top of eggs to further increase humidity. As long as you don't leave it there for ages at a time. I've brought back some severely dehydrated eggs like this.

Whatever works mate, water just sounds pretty fiddly to me.

[TrueBlue]

i use large grade vermiculite and have rarely had a problem, fridge with fan and heat pad inside.

[Magpie]

My take on it is, how many snakes incubate in water?

And how many incubate on vermiculite?
Water is involved in 100% of wild snakes incubation, vermiculite in 0.0001%?

[Pythoninfinite]

As Brian Barnett says, for incubation, the KISS principle is best. All you need to do is maintain the correct humidity and temps for the right length of time, and this is very easy to do these days with the range of heating and temp control devices available. My first (and very successful) incubator was a foam broccoli box with a couple of inches of water in the bottom, a good quality aquarium heater set to 30.5 deg, and the egg box set above that. High humidity, stable temps. For lots of eggs, as TB says, a fridge is excellent.

Jamie.

[hazzard]

Originally Posted by Magpie

And how many incubate on vermiculite?
Water is involved in 100% of wild snakes incubation, vermiculite in 0.0001%?

Point taken, but they urinate on them as so they don't dehydrate, they do not sit them in free standing water. Vermiculite just simulates some sort of earth, and it's sterile. I doesn't matter if you use dirt, moss, bark and leaf litter as long has their is humidity an temperature.

Incubating on water with arid species I think is ridiculous. I can understand it with GTP's as humidity should be around 85% which is difficult to obtain. As I said there is plenty of incubators available now that can maintain it very accurately. Therefore substrate is a bit of a non issue. They will incubate quite fine in plastic trays with no substrate.

For the beginner vermiculite (grade 3) is ver easy, and maintains humidity well enough for most species.

[junglepython2]

Do most people fully seal their egg containers or have them ventilated?

[TrueBlue]

small air holes to let unwanted gases escape and fresh air in.

[junglepython2]

Thanks TB and how often do you monitor them for water loss?

[pike1]

i just use folded paper towel, put the eggs on dry paper towel and wet the corners.The humidity equalizes and then i just add a couple of mls if the sides aren't fogged.

[rexs1]

one inch of water in the bottom of a large click clack, a plastic rack about another inch above that then a sheet of paper towel on the rack and put your eggs on the towel. Lid on top, wack it in the incubater. We take the lid off for a few second s every 3 or so days.

we usually have 100% hatch rate this way.

nick