Reptile Basics SIM incubation box

Ok Harold you're right, I was just trying to get an answer to a question from someone from the company or from someone who had previously used this product as I'am seriosly considering purchasing 4 of them,but I keep getting replies back from someone who apparently never has used this product but yet is an authority on them. Sorry I'll just call them or go to their website.

Originally Posted by The Mad Baller

Most people use boxes with absolutely no holes in them and press n seal when they go substateless.

Originally Posted by The Mad Baller

everyone that makes their own boxes puts lids on with no holes or most add press n seal when doing substrateless at least for ball pythons which require 100% humidity.

How did you come up with these beliefs? I know many breeders who use the no substrate method yet I have never heard of anyone using press n seal. Not saying it isn't done, but I doubt it is used as often as you think. Those who prefer no holes in the boxes, in my experience, also open the boxes periodically for air exchange....others seem to prefer small holes for the same reason. There are other factors to consider, such as the humidity in the incubator's main chamber, when deciding whether or not to vent the boxes.

I also question the requirement for 100% humidity. High humidity is needed but no reptile egg requires 100%. If the eggs require an air tight environment and 100% humidity, how to you think they hatch in the wild? They are certainly not achieving these conditions in nature.

With that said, I am currently using these boxes for chondro eggs and with the exception of the small hole in the lid for the temp probe, I am not venting them but do open them every 5 days or so for air exchange. So far they are working well. Could I get the same results using other materials? Probably, but that doesn't change the fact that they work well and perform as advertised.

Bart

So are these boxes big enough for ball python eggs? I thought they were making a larger sized one for those. Have those been released yet?

The standard size boxes, in my opinion, are not suitable for balls. It does not appear, based on their site, that the larger boxes are available yet.

We've had a few set backs in the production, mainly from a factory minimums stand point. In order for the factory to produce goods of any kind, (in many cases) they require a minimum to keep the staff busy. My original plan was for 1000 SIM XL to be produced in December but the factory came back with a higher minimum. 1000 SIM would only keep the staff busy for a couple days, while they can get orders for other components (mostly footwear components and plastic hardware) and stay busy for weeks. Last I visited the factory in January the molds were complete and ready to go so its been a bit frustrating.

I have two of these coming from RBI right now and my intent is to use them for carpet python eggs. Will the boxes RBI is selling work? Has anyone independent of the manufacturer used these boxes successfully?

Okay. I just noticed Bart's comment. It sounds like they were working for chondro eggs. Now I just want to know if they will work for carpet eggs. Looks like I will have to wait and see or ask the manufacturer.

I have been a little confused on the humidity and air holes as well. I think people generally believe that no contact with substrate mandates more humidity in the box. I have no idea if that is true of not. Either way, many people considering this box just want to avoid a situation where we are fighting with substrate for the right amount of moisture throughout incubation.

Here are some shots of the sim xl using cellulose as the substrate. I will do a separate/ thorough review once i have 3 more clutches hatch out, but so far i am very happy with them.

The clumped clutch is a standard 9 egg ball python clutch. The other 7 eggs are rather large ball python eggs (90-100 gram babies).

After killing off some very valuable clutches full term. i tossed my old incubator and started fresh with a couple test incubators and the newer sim xl boxes with sponge substrate.

So far i have not been using air holes in the boxes. And, I am running them in natures spirit incubators with extra fans.

thanks
howard