• Responding to email notices you receive.
    **************************************************
    In short, DON'T! Email notices are to ONLY alert you of a reply to your private message or your ad on this site. Replying to the email just wastes your time as it goes NOWHERE, and probably pisses off the person you thought you replied to when they think you just ignored them. So instead of complaining to me about your messages not being replied to from this site via email, please READ that email notice that plainly states what you need to do in order to reply to who you are trying to converse with.

  • IMPORTANT! PLEASE READ!! About the Google Adsense ads being displayed

    =====================
    Posted 08/15/2025
    =====================


    Yeah, I know. They are a pain in the butt. But they pay the bills to keep my server running. Just a fact of life, I am afraid.

    Want to get rid of them? Simple. Just become a Contributor level member or above and they will be gone. -> Please click HERE."

    Is that too much for me to ask of you to keep this site running? Well, sorry about that. I too wish I could get everything for free. But alas.....

    =====================
    Addendum: 01/10/2026
    =====================


    Google Adsense ad revenue for December, 2025 was just $30 over the cost of the lease for the server running this site. So, in effect, the money providing the incentive for me to continue running this site is coming SOLELY from the paid memberships and sponsorships here. Which honestly ain't much....

Which thermometer is telling the truth????

chainslayer

chainslayer

Born With An Addiction!!!
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Messages
92
Reaction score
3
Points
0
Age
44
Location
Reno, Nevada
I just finished building an incubator out of a wine cooler. I installed a brand new herpstat and everything is working but cant seem to figure out the real temp. The herpstat says 88.5, I have also put in three digital thermometers w/ a probe and all 4 items are giving me different temps.They read 86.9,88.1 and 87. Its kinda driving me crazy. I need it to be pretty close to 89 for BP eggs and just dont know what to do or if I should just believe the herpstat. I can post pics of it if that would help any.

Thanks
 
Thanks...I ll give it a little longer. Its been running for about 24 hours as of now.
 
I agree to let it run for a few days and then check temps to get it right. I'm not sure what kind of digital thermometers you are using but I've noticed they tend to be different by a degree or two when checking the same spot when using different brands. I bought a temp gun (I think it's the PE2) and only use that to check temps now, however I know it's different when it's an enclosed incubator.

Also I wanted to mention, use your thermometers to test the temps and adjust the thermostat as needed, don't rely on the temp setting shown on the thermostat. One of mine is set at 89 but it really keeps the tubs at 85-86.

Don't let it drive you *too* crazy, as long as it's as close as you can get it, should be fine. Reptile eggs in nature most likely don't stay at a consistant perfect 89 degrees the entire time.
:)
 
The thermometers are all zilla brand, prolly not the best but you would think that they would read close to the same.lol I also have a temp gun that I used on it and it also gave a different reading. I will wait a couple days before I start going crazy.lol Thanks for the advice.
 
The temp gun should be the most accurate (assuming that you're using a good one), BUT when you open the door, you change the temp. Take your thermometers OUT of the incubator and lay them on a flat surface side by side, no more than about an inch between them. Leave them alone for maybe as long as an hour. Come back and, with the temp gun, shoot the space between each to make sure there are no variances and you'll see which is the most accurate.
 
Matt2979 said:
The temp gun should be the most accurate (assuming that you're using a good one), BUT when you open the door, you change the temp. Take your thermometers OUT of the incubator and lay them on a flat surface side by side, no more than about an inch between them. Leave them alone for maybe as long as an hour. Come back and, with the temp gun, shoot the space between each to make sure there are no variances and you'll see which is the most accurate.
Click to expand...

Not a bad idea at all!!
 
Thanks Matthew, that's a good idea. I have two computer fans in it. One at the top blowing down and one at the bottom blowing up. I'm hoping they circulate enough air.
 
chainslayer said:
Thanks Matthew, that's a good idea. I have two computer fans in it. One at the top blowing down and one at the bottom blowing up. I'm hoping they circulate enough air.
Click to expand...

I'm using about the same size 'bator you are and one fan on the bottom moves plenty of air.
 
I would think having the fan run 2/7 would be better.

Zilla = garbage *oops did I say that:rolleyes:*
I've seen the same zilla thermometers read most of a degree apart sitting next to each other.
I won't use them for an inc...
 
It's the first time I've used a Zilla product and so far I'm not impressed. You would think that atleast two out of the three would read pretty close to the same temp if they were all built the same.
 
Just to confirm, yes, I have mine running 24/7. It's plugged directly into the wall, not my therm.
 
Mine is controlled by a proportional thermostat and while using it the fan runs 24/7. With good air movement you will notice very little difference in temps throughout your incubator. When I set it up after several hours I hit the probe with a temp gun and adjusted accordingly. Then get an egg box ready like you would use and after a day hit the temp inside the box and make adjustments for your desired application. I want my medium at 88.5 for BP eggs so it doesen't really matter what the thermostat or thermometer says as long as you have the right temp in the egg box.
 
Back
Top