Help!! Dented Gecko eggs.....

[Rodie84]

Hi everyone, Jodie here... I have 2 golden tail geckos which me and my husband thought were two boys, but it turned out we have a boy and a girl! Anyway, Marley (the girl) has been carrying eggs for the past 5-ish weeks, and this morning she laid them, but not in the laying box I had set up for her. She laid one on the tanks substrate, and one of them on a fake rock. They were really bright white when she laid them, and had a tiny dent in each one. When I pulled the one on the rock off, it kind of stuck to it, but I carefully removed it without tearing the egg. I took them to our local reptile store in the laying box I had made up, and he said they looked fertile because of their brightness. I was just wondering if anyone can clarify this for me. Also, I didn't have enough money to buy everything today to make an incubator, so I'm going to pick it up in the morning. The guy said to leave the eggs in a container with a lid, full of vermiculite and water (gave me the exact measurements of 50g vermiculite to 20g water - is this right??) on top of the fridge until tomorrow. I have checked them tonight, and they have indented more around the tops..... Can anyone give me any tips about whether or not they sound fertile or not or just any incubation tips in general...? I've attached a pic below of them not long after she laid them, about 11am this morning... Thank you so much! Jodie

 

[GeckoJosh]

Hey,
They look nice and healthy, congrats!
The Vermiculite needs to be mixed at 60 grams vermiculite to 40 grams of water, your current mix is a bit dry, once you get the mix right the eggs will plump back up in no time.
Also as I said in my PM don't worry about an incubator, they will be fine as long as where you keep them is in a closet or similar with no drafts and minimal temperature fluctuations.

Best of luck!

 

[Rodie84]

Thanks Josh. I'll go add some more water, I thought it seemed a bit dry! I also sent you an email too

- - - Updated - - -

Ok, water added... How will I know if I need to add more water throughout their incubation?

 

[mummabear]

I would get damp paper towel and cover the eggs with this until they plump back up. Could take a week or just a few days. If you add the right amount of water and have a closed incubation tub you should not need to add any further water during incubation.
I would put more water in the tub . I usually incubate at 60% incubation medium to 40% water as well, just no more that 50:50 by weight.

 

[Rodie84]

I would get damp paper towel and cover the eggs with this until they plump back up. Could take a week or just a few days. If you add the right amount of water and have a closed incubation tub you should not need to add any further water during incubation.
I would put more water in the tub . I usually incubate at 60% incubation medium to 40% water as well, just no more that 50:50 by weight.

Thanks for the advice Mummabear... But just wondering, couldn't the damp paper towel cause mildew to form?

I'm so new to this, so I have no idea!

Jodie.

 

[in2reptiles]

hi rodie i have some some eggs cooking in my incubator if you dont have an incubator at the moment u can throw them in with them until you get yours going

 

[Rodie84]

hi rodie i have some some eggs cooking in my incubator if you dont have an incubator at the moment u can throw them in with them until you get yours going

Aww thanks Power-pro I should be fine though, picking it all up tomorrow, so hopefully I'll be ok

I'm in Adelaide at the moment though so you might be a bit far away, lol

 

[mummabear]

If they are healthy fertile eggs the damp paper towel will do no damage at all other than plump them back up again. I have used this technique a number of times on eggs. Just make sure the paper towel stays damp then remove it when the eggs are nice and plump.

 

[Rodie84]

If they are healthy fertile eggs the damp paper towel will do no damage at all other than plump them back up again. I have used this technique a number of times on eggs. Just make sure the paper towel stays damp then remove it when the eggs are nice and plump.

Ok thanks. Unfortunately they are still dimpled and haven't seemed to change... I hope they survive. I have to get a led torch today so I can check if they are actually even fertile... It's so hard waiting and not knowing! :-/

So Mummabear, I just added the paper towel (am willing to try anything to keep these babies alive).... Does it need to be 'touching' the eggs? Or just sitting softly over the top? Sorry if my questions sound stupid but I'm still learning! Thanks.

 

[mummabear]

Touching is fine. You sort of want to make a humid pocket for them.

 

[Rodie84]

Good news guys, I have just 'torched' my eggs and I see veins! Yay!!! Now just to make sure they turn into geckos...