I have been using the over water system for years with 100% hatch rates, leave the eggs in the clump as laid and this seems to trigger their instincts to hatch at the same time so I never have to pip any eggs. I use modified microwave steamer tubs for smaller clutches (up to 17 eggs) and modified baby bottle sterilisers ($15 at K Mart) for larger clutches. If you wash the containers in boiling water and use boiled water in the base you will not get mouldy egg problems that are common when using a substrate.I am breeding diamonds.
Definitely didn't want to leave it to the last minute so I am trying to get everything sorted now. What kind of substrates/breeding boxes, and egg boxes do you guys use? Bit of a newbie to this (the breeding, I mean) and haven't been able to find many reputable sources.
They’re pretty :ODitto the over water, i use the SIMS tubs and a converted wine cooler; definitely works as I incubate large monitors, which go out to 200+ days of incubation. Always had 100% hatch rates with viable eggs.
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I have Jessica but it is very hard to provide the right conditions, temperature and humidity inside a large enclosure and the mother can damage some eggs so it is unlikely you will get 100% survival.@Yellowtail thank you so much for your help! I managed to pick up an actual incubator on the weekend, so I won't need to build one after all! I like the idea of the microwave steam containers, and you have put my mind completely at ease in regard to separating the eggs (I was definitely stressing about this). I want to set it all up this week just to check I have everything in order. Just curious, have you ever tried maternal incubation?
@Richard Biffin what monitors do you breed?
I have Jessica but it is very hard to provide the right conditions, temperature and humidity inside a large enclosure and the mother can damage some eggs so it is unlikely you will get 100% survival.
The other problem is the mother is not going to feed till the eggs hatch, probably 8-9 mths between feeds and will loose a lot of condition in the process, in the wild they may only breed every 2 -3 years because of this.
Ditto the over water, i use the SIMS tubs and a converted wine cooler; definitely works as I incubate large monitors, which go out to 200+ days of incubation. Always had 100% hatch rates with viable eggs.
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