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Incubation

AnimalMan1981

AnimalMan1981

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Hello,
I am Life Science Teacher here in the awesome desert southwest, new to the forums here, and I am about to start a large-scale genetics program with my high school students this fall breeding a few ball python morphs....have been into reptiles for quite some time, but have never specifically bred ball pythons before, what would you say is the best overall incubator, setup, temps, humidity, hatching substrate, incubation period etc for a good healthy clutch of eggs? I am open to any and all suggestions, and any other helpful info you cool people may have.... and thanks ahead of time for your input!!!


Nick
 
i'm just using a wine cooler that was converted with 11" flexwatt all the way down the back.. ran on a herpstat thermostat at 89 degrees. pretty much anything insulated and that has a door/lid that would seal would work. my humidity is generally around the 85-90% range as i just put a couple small bottles of water in the bottom to attain that. for incubation medium, i just use vermiculite that is carried at most lawn/garden stores with enough water in it to clump it together without water dripping out of it. my eggs have hatched as early as day 50.

good luck with the program, i wish my teachers would've done cool stuff like that when i went to school.
 
Sounds like an awesome teacher right there, props!

Here's what I do:

Incubator:
1. can be a mini fridge or old wine cooler picked up off of craigslist for pretty cheap.
2. Flexwatt heat tape for the heat source, small incs I place the heat in the back, large incs I place it on both sides.
3. Proportional thermostat for keeping the temps consistent, I like herpstat myself.
4. Fan if you're doing more than one shelf, helps keep temps consistent top to bottom.
5. Water bottles to help keep temps stabilized.

This inc is rather large but it's no different than going small scale...
PICT5484.jpg


The tubs I use are locking lid 7qt sterilites and I put vermiculite in the bottom, add water and a piece of light diffuser panel for the eggs to sit on.

Incubating is done between 87 and 90 degrees, I personally try for 88.7 or so.
Humidity in my tubs runs around 88% to 90% which to me is perfect and has a lesser chance of mold issues.

Incubation periods vary from 50 days to 60+ days depending on the temps you incubate at. My clutches have been pipping about 52 days.

Good luck with your project!
 
Thanks for the positive comments guys, much appreciated, and awesome advice!!

Jerry, in your pic, are the water bottles open in some way, or are they kept closed?

Thanks again guys!!!

Nick
 
AnimalMan1981 said:
Jerry, in your pic, are the water bottles open in some way, or are they kept closed?

Nick
Click to expand...
They are closed except one that I use to top off the tubs should they need it.
The water bottles are only to help keep the ambient temperature in the inc stable, and they do that very effectively.
 
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