Hi guys,
I am about to start my first breeding experience ever, with my female marbled velvet gecko about to lay.
I've done a bit of research on this site and books and very little reference is made on the medium:water ratio.
From what I've gathered, the standard medium is vermiculite, and the ratio is 1:1 in weight. The way I understand it means mixing 30g of vermiculite with 30g of water for example.
I bought my vermiculite at my local Bunnings store, it seems to be standard vermiculite but can't say if it's co**** or fine grade (I read some keepers have had trouble with fine grade vermiculite)
Anyway, when applying the 1:1 ratio in weight, the result seems pretty dry. Is this normal? I was expecting something more moist as some keepers use moss as a medium and they say they saturate the moss in water, then squeeze the excess out and that should do the job. In my mind, it should be quite moist, if not damp. The result I got from mixing vermiculite with water at 1:1 ratio seems really dry compared to that.
I'm afraid my gecko will not lay in this as it is too dry, but I don't want to add too much water in case it would drown the eggs...
Can keepers and breeders give their opinion on this...?
The thread might also help other people as it is dedicated to the medium:water ratio, not to my breeding experience.
Also, can keepers and breeders give their opinion on the different techniques (laying sites and incubating medium) used for different animals, as I guess you don't breed geckos like you breed pyhons...?
Thanks everyone.
Cheers.
I am about to start my first breeding experience ever, with my female marbled velvet gecko about to lay.
I've done a bit of research on this site and books and very little reference is made on the medium:water ratio.
From what I've gathered, the standard medium is vermiculite, and the ratio is 1:1 in weight. The way I understand it means mixing 30g of vermiculite with 30g of water for example.
I bought my vermiculite at my local Bunnings store, it seems to be standard vermiculite but can't say if it's co**** or fine grade (I read some keepers have had trouble with fine grade vermiculite)
Anyway, when applying the 1:1 ratio in weight, the result seems pretty dry. Is this normal? I was expecting something more moist as some keepers use moss as a medium and they say they saturate the moss in water, then squeeze the excess out and that should do the job. In my mind, it should be quite moist, if not damp. The result I got from mixing vermiculite with water at 1:1 ratio seems really dry compared to that.
I'm afraid my gecko will not lay in this as it is too dry, but I don't want to add too much water in case it would drown the eggs...
Can keepers and breeders give their opinion on this...?
The thread might also help other people as it is dedicated to the medium:water ratio, not to my breeding experience.
Also, can keepers and breeders give their opinion on the different techniques (laying sites and incubating medium) used for different animals, as I guess you don't breed geckos like you breed pyhons...?
Thanks everyone.
Cheers.