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Incubators

clarinet45 said:
This coming season I will be trying an alternative. I will not have enough eggs to merit building a homemade-refrig-heattape one. About the size of a NS at 1/3 the cost.
http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/6ad2/

clarinet45 -- Have you got the chance to try this out yet? I was wondering, because I am going to try and breed this upcoming season and am looking for an incubator. For smaller snakes, this could even serve as a brumation chamber.
 
I would like to know how that mini fridge worked out as well. I plan on getting one for my beardie eggs this season, but would like to hear a few reviews on it first. Has anyone tried this thing yet?

Anya
 
Did she say how well it keeps the set temperature? How many beardie clutches do you think would fit in there? It's an awesome price, I just want to make sure it's reliable.


Anya
 
She has three of them, if that speaks to their effectiveness. She said they hold the temp very well, and the thermostat is very accurate. She said you may have to set the temp 1-2 degrees warmer to get the desired temp in the substrate, but that is mostly due to the thickness of the substrate. Not sure how many clutches it would hold, but she also uses it for geckos and ball pythons, I believe.
 
Thanks for the input! I had seen these a long time ago and thought they might be appropriate. I'm going to pick one or two up for holiday gifts.
 
That's a pretty great idea with the ThinkGeek minifridge. I'm curious as to how well it'd function as a brumation chamber as someone mentioned above.
 
I really like that frig...wish it was a little bigger but I think I will give it a go. W/ gecko eggs all I need is a bit of space...nothing like snakes. Wonder how may tubs I can fit in there???
 
that thing does seem pretty awsome...for that price the small size isnt to big a deal...just buy more then one...you can attempt temp-sexxing different clutches or if you breed different animals you can have each one set for those eggs

i may have to give this thing a try...it would be awsome if it really works out well...someone should email the website who makes em and ask details about the fridge
 
I'd like to say that I have used this mini-fridge as an incubator- last spring, for a clutch of Carpet Pythons. I had 20 good eggs and they fit- but barely. Obviously it would be much better for smaller critter eggs. But, since it was my first and only clutch I wasn't really wanting to spend too much. There *is* a temperature difference between the top and bottom I noticed- when the egg container with vermiculite was in there. Since it was last year I'm not sure how much exactly but it didn't affect my eggs badly enough- got 21 hatchlings. :)
Another plus was that this was useful for road trips and a bit of camping for the rest of the summer! I plan to use the fridge again this year too. Still planning on just one clutch, and it worked fine previously so why change things?

I'd also like to point out that there's a company selling these with their name on it- and for an extra ~$150. Get it at http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/6ad2/ and not "ReptiPro 5000".

Lauren
 
I'd like to say that I have used this mini-fridge as an incubator- last spring, for a clutch of Carpet Pythons. I had 20 good eggs and they fit- but barely. Obviously it would be much better for smaller critter eggs. But, since it was my first and only clutch I wasn't really wanting to spend too much. There *is* a temperature difference between the top and bottom I noticed- when the egg container with vermiculite was in there. Since it was last year I'm not sure how much exactly but it didn't affect my eggs badly enough- got 21 hatchlings. :)
Another plus was that this was useful for road trips and a bit of camping for the rest of the summer! I plan to use the fridge again this year too. Still planning on just one clutch, and it worked fine previously so why change things?

I'd also like to point out that there's a company selling these with their name on it- and for an extra ~$150. Get it at http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/gear/6ad2/ and not "ReptiPro 5000".

Lauren

i think i just spent a half hour looking at all the kitchen gadgets on their page. i love thinkgeek. I've seen that posed as an incubator before and its great to see some feedback on it. Might get one and test it out later this year.
 
If your Hovabator is unreliable, I think there is something wrong with it. I have 2 that I've used for the past 3 years, and they hold temperatures beautifully...VERY good temperature control.
I use a Herpstat thermostat with them. I think the folks who are having problems are trying to use the simple wafer thermostat that they come with. I just unscrew and remove that completely. It operates fine without it, as long as you have it connected to a GOOD thermostat. Plus, without it, they are stackable. lol

I have looked at a number of incubators over the past few years, and with this year's results, using substrateless incubation directly in the Hovabator base, I can fit 5 clutches in one Hovabator. I decided...why mess with what works? I am going to continue using Hovabators, and just buy more when I need them.

I tried the Reptibator, and it sucks, frankly. It doesn't hold humidity at all.
 
Beside making your own, which is the most economical...Nature's Spirit as mentioned earlier is a great production made incubator...I also use a cooler incubator made by Jake Wallace of JW Exotics...Yes, I couldn't have made it on my own and cheaper, but Jake does a great job and it's a pretty cool cooler incubator with all the bells and whistles...It has a clear window, light, fan and Herpstat T-stat...
 
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