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some ? on prepping for eggs

T

techgirl

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ok since i'm expecting some eggs in a few weeks and getting the hovabator this weekend, i want to make sure i'm ready for all this. I know i need to get vermiculite and deli cups. where do i get the deli cups? what else can be used? is regular tupperware fine? should i get perlite too? are there specific kinds to avoid?
now i dust the food every feeding with leopard gecko dust from t-rex every 3 nights and on the 4th do the rep-cal herpitive with D3. A small dish of calcium is always out. i just go silkworms for tonight and am getting more bugs this week and next week. i also got crickets because i will be getting a pacman frog this weekend. anything special i should do for momma?
Mom and dad were together for 2 days before i could separate them, what chances are there of this pairing taking? they did get together several times. I would rather be ready and not have anything happen then have eggs and go "oopsy!"
last question...Dad was a shtctb, mom a tremper albino. what kind of babies would come from this? both were rescues from petco that were supposed to die and didn't because i was able to get them treated at work.
ok i lied, one more question, is it normal for momma to not be interested in food for a day or two? she seems more laid back since all this happened. i tried offering a pinkie but she wasn't interested. when do you think i should try again?
thanks so much for all your advice on this unplanned pairing. i was going to hold off 'til next year, but then nature took it's course.
i'm also excited to say that my friend will hopefully have luck getting me a banana blizzard female and a reverse red stripe female for me too. i figured those would be some nice girls to breed with my blizzard or shtctb next year.
 
You can use almost any kind of container for the eggs as long as it doesn't have holes. If you choose to use perlite for an incubation medium do not buy the kind that has fertilizer in it. The brand was miracle-grow but there might be others. The babies will most likely be hypo tangs het for albino. Some females will reject food a few days before they lay. She should start eating again right after she lays. Hope that answered a few questions. Good luck!
 
I use the Rubbermaid Stain Shield containers that I get individually at the Supermarket. They are more rigid plastic than the deli cups or some of the disposable tupperware-like containers (like Gladware). They also have a clear cover rather than a frosted one so I can see the eggs. I can fit at least 6 eggs in each container.
 
When you get your Hovabator, it may take 2-3 days to get the temperature 'dialed in'. You will want to plug it in and let it set undisturbed for at least 6 hours before checking the initial temperature. When you make adjustments, the temperatures will not stabilize for several hours, so make sure when you reach your final adjustment that the temp has not fluctuated and remained stable overnight before putting eggs inside.

You can incubate your eggs in any type of sealed container, and use perlite or vermiculite that is damp, not wet. I use 1 part vermiculite with .8 parts water. Like what was already said, don't use anything with fertilizer in it.

If you cross a shtctb with a tremper albino, you will get shtct's that are het for albino.
 
thank you for the info! do leos go through a pre-lay shed like some snakes do? i'm just worried because i won't be able to get my incubator until next monday and she's looking kinda fat and now looking like she's gonna shed. she has not been spending any time in the hide box which i re-did so it's bigger and has more vermiculite so she can dig. no digging activity yet. man i think i'm more paranoid about this than i was with my own pregnancy. :rolleyes:
 
Leos don't necessarily do a pre-lay shed, but the shedding just indicates she's growing in size. I've found leos will usually start digging one to two (sometimes three) days before laying, so you should be able to use that as an indicator that she's close.
 
I got my incubator!!!!

It's here!!!!! It was actually a great sight to see when I got home from an incredibly busy day at work. I set it up in my kitchen next to the males' tanks so I can keep an eye on them without disturbing them. I got the one with the picture window because the regular was back ordered. Good timing too because she looks like she's going to pop!!! She has been spending more and more time in the lay box too and not really eating too much. I did catch her eating from the calcium dish for the first time ever. Unfortunately I can't take any pics because the wee daughter of mine broke our digital camera and all I have is a disposable one. Will keep you updated on everything. :)
 
forgot to ask, they sent deli cups with the incubator and they have holes in the sides of them. i can't use these right? i need to have the containers sealed correct?
 
I use them without problem, you'll just want to start with a little more moisture than normal (I use a 1:1 ratio instead of .8:1 water:substrate ratio). You'll also have to check the moisure of the eggs every 3-4 weeks to make sure they are saying moist. I found I have to spray the substrate around the eggs after about a month.
 
The other thing you can do with the deli cups is put a peice of tape over the hole to prevent moisture from getting out. Then Albey's method will work fine.
 
Thank you for the link. I have looked into albey's method, but i don't have a digital gram scale. I only have the cheap diet scale from target. now with the 1:0.8 or the 1:1 method, may i use a regular measuring cup or must it be by weight? Is it possible to make a mix where it's moist but not soggy when squeezed? Thanks for the help everyone, I truly appreciate it.
 
It really should be by weight, but you can spray the vermiculite to the point that it's wet and not dripping when pressed and you'll be close. You'll just have to keep a closer eye on them and adjust as necessary
 
now the waiting begins...

alrighty then, the incubator is set at 84, i got vermiculite and deli cups, all i need is eggs. i can see the shape of eggs in her belly and she has shown no real interest in food but is eating from the calcium dish every night now. she is spending time in the lay box i made for her. i know i have still some time before she lays, but man i'm wanting to see this thing happen! :ack2: impatient, what can i say? i know i'm going to be flipping when i look and see eggs. just needed to vent some. thanks for letting me share. :dgrin:
 
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