• 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....

Hova-bator incubator

C

cavu

New member
Joined
Feb 8, 2002
Messages
113
Reaction score
0
Points
0
Location
Elberton, GA
OK, I now have two swell new Hova-bator incubators.  Where do I put the damp beding material?  In the plastic tray?  When I have eggs, do I place them on the screen or do I despense with the screen?  Any help will be appreciated.

Thanks, MIke Blackston
 
We place our eggs in sandwich size deli containers w/2, 1/8" holes in the lid and 2 in the sides. Use damp vermiculite as a medium(use equal parts BY WEIGHT vermiculite and water). Check moisture occassionally but it is most likely going to stay about right for the entire incubation period. Place on the screen. Good luck Casey
 
As for me...
I bought one of those walmart rubbermaid bins...A BIG ONE.
I cut a quare on the top.  A square just big enough to let you see through the glass.  I also drilled four holes....to let you attach the top of the incubator to the underside of the cover.
I then taped insulation all around the tub.  The kind of insulation that comes with your frozen herps.  I put perlite at the bottom...vermiculit on top of that.....it is working excelent for me..................so far

p.s.  you probably won't need the screen
 
Hey Ritchie,

 Pretty clever. I may give your system a try, but I have a few questions. 1) What's the measurements on the tub that you used. 2) air circulation ? 3) What eggs or temps are you currently incubating at 4) condinsation ? 5) wouldnt putting a towel over the top run a risk of fire ?

Thanks,

Joe Dembinski

Dembinski Reptile's
 
Ah yes, Ritchie you rock!
I've been brainstorming something similar for a few weeks now...now I dont have to think anymore.
So the hovabator lid is strong enough to heat that whole area?
You just made my life a little easier.  Since I am on my 9th hovabator of the season with a bunch of gravid girls staring at me.

Thanks
Dana
 
Thanks Ritchie.

I looked at your system and it looks like it will work just fine.  Right now I only have 10 CalKing eggs in the hova-bator at about 88 degrees.  I put the damp (1 to 1) vermiculite on the plastic tray and placed the eggs on that.  As I enlarge my breeding program I will try your system.  How deep did you make the medium in the tub?

Thanks, MIke
 
1.  measurements -- I forgot to measure...I basically got the one that would fit the top of the hova bator incubator.--  In the future if I really need a super huge one...I suppose I can get a bin that is big enough to hold two (2) hova bator incubator tops.  One would be on...the other as a back up.  Or maybe both on...who knows.  I do not plan...I just improvise.

2. air circulation -- The top of the incubator came with holes. -- the holes are exposed -- air still gets in there even though I have it covered with insulation (loosely covered)

3.eggs & Temps --  Burmese Python eggs 88-89 f

4. Condensation -- there definately is condensation.  On the sides of the tub and on the cover.
 4a how do I prevent the condensation from dripping on the
eggs?   Well the ones on the sides is not a problem.  The ones on top drip onto a hard plastic thing that I have angled over the eggs.  Kinda like an umbrella / roof of a house thing.

5.  Risk of fire -- again not to sure on the answer.  The top has a lot of surface area where you can loose lots of heat.  Before I covered it up...I noticed my incubator was basically running all the time.  After I covered it up...it was able to regulate the temps a little better.  --Although some people say having the incubator running all the time is a better way to regulate the temp.  I do not know about that one.

You do not have to cover the whole top...I suppose covering just parts of it would work.  It is just a lot of surface area without any insulation.

6.  I put 1:1 perlite:water mixture as a base. actually it is more like 1:1.125 a little more wet than 1:1 ( Also I figured the more medium I have the more stable the environment)  On top of that I put 1:1 vermiculite.  (because it seems the vermiculite is the medium of choice)  I am hoping on bringing out the positives of both mediums.

p.s.  I am not an expert..I don't even play one on tv.  But so far it is working.
 
Back
Top