# DIY incubator



## Jessica (Aug 16, 2018)

Has anyone done this/ any recommendations?


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## Yellowtail (Aug 17, 2018)

This topic has been covered on APS before but if you only need a small incubator get a small wine fridge (they are an excellent insulated box with a double glazed door and shelves), you can find them on Gumtree for $50 or often free in the street for council cleanups (a good clean with F10 is recommended), some heat cable secured around the inside of the cabinet with aluminium tape, a small computer fan for air circulation and a good thermostat. Put your intended egg containers in there and check temps with an IR thermometer before use.


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## pythoninfinite (Aug 17, 2018)

I've actually used polystyrene broccoli boxes a couple of times, with a 25W heat cord fixed around the inside and a good thermostat (probe on the eggs) set at around 31C. I have only ever used it for Carpet Python eggs, but they worked fine, with a 100% hatch rate. Took me about an hour to organise.

Jamie


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## Flaviemys purvisi (Aug 17, 2018)

I just use a converted willow Esky.


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## Buggster (Aug 17, 2018)

Depends on the species you’re wanting to incubate and how many eggs you’re expecting.

If you’ve got a hardy species, you could probably make do with a cheap wine fridge/styrofoam box with a heat cord and cheaper thermostat.

If you’ve got a very delicate species, you definitely want an accurate thermostat to make sure everything goes well.

Also good to have a seperate thermometer in there so you can double check the readings your thermostat is giving.

Don’t leave setting up and running the incubator until you have eggs- you need in the least a week for the incubator to stabilise temperatures.


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## Jessica (Aug 18, 2018)

I am breeding diamonds. 

Definitely didn't want to leave it to the last minute so I am trying to get everything sorted now. What kind of substrates/breeding boxes, and egg boxes do you guys use? Bit of a newbie to this (the breeding, I mean) and haven't been able to find many reputable sources.


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## Pauls_Pythons (Aug 18, 2018)

Last 2 times I bred my diamonds i put the eggs over water (no substrate) 100% hatch rate both times.

You do know how difficult it can be to sell snakes that are 'not in fashion' dont you?


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## Jessica (Aug 19, 2018)

Very aware. I'm not in it for the money, and diamonds are always a good first snake. In the ACT they are one of a limited number that you can get on a class B license (the first license that allows snakes), and they are generally even tempered and great pets. I've been a keeper long enough to know my market - or lack there of in some cases.


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## Yellowtail (Aug 19, 2018)

Jessica said:


> I am breeding diamonds.
> 
> Definitely didn't want to leave it to the last minute so I am trying to get everything sorted now. What kind of substrates/breeding boxes, and egg boxes do you guys use? Bit of a newbie to this (the breeding, I mean) and haven't been able to find many reputable sources.


I have been using the over water system for years with 100% hatch rates, leave the eggs in the clump as laid and this seems to trigger their instincts to hatch at the same time so I never have to pip any eggs. I use modified microwave steamer tubs for smaller clutches (up to 17 eggs) and modified baby bottle sterilisers ($15 at K Mart) for larger clutches. If you wash the containers in boiling water and use boiled water in the base you will not get mouldy egg problems that are common when using a substrate. 
I have tried every type of nesting box with the recommended substrates, even given them a choice of boxes in different positions and more often than not they ignore them and make their own nest in the newspaper.


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## Richard Biffin (Aug 19, 2018)

Ditto the over water, i use the SIMS tubs and a converted wine cooler; definitely works as I incubate large monitors, which go out to 200+ days of incubation. Always had 100% hatch rates with viable eggs.


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## Bl69aze (Aug 19, 2018)

Richard Biffin said:


> Ditto the over water, i use the SIMS tubs and a converted wine cooler; definitely works as I incubate large monitors, which go out to 200+ days of incubation. Always had 100% hatch rates with viable eggs.
> 
> View attachment 325068
> 
> ...


They’re pretty :O


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## Jessica (Aug 22, 2018)

@Yellowtail thank you so much for your help! I managed to pick up an actual incubator on the weekend, so I won't need to build one after all! I like the idea of the microwave steam containers, and you have put my mind completely at ease in regard to separating the eggs (I was definitely stressing about this). I want to set it all up this week just to check I have everything in order. Just curious, have you ever tried maternal incubation?

@Richard Biffin what monitors do you breed?


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## Yellowtail (Aug 22, 2018)

Jessica said:


> @Yellowtail thank you so much for your help! I managed to pick up an actual incubator on the weekend, so I won't need to build one after all! I like the idea of the microwave steam containers, and you have put my mind completely at ease in regard to separating the eggs (I was definitely stressing about this). I want to set it all up this week just to check I have everything in order. Just curious, have you ever tried maternal incubation?
> 
> @Richard Biffin what monitors do you breed?


I have Jessica but it is very hard to provide the right conditions, temperature and humidity inside a large enclosure and the mother can damage some eggs so it is unlikely you will get 100% survival.
The other problem is the mother is not going to feed till the eggs hatch, probably 8-9 mths between feeds and will loose a lot of condition in the process, in the wild they may only breed every 2 -3 years because of this.


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## Mick666 (Aug 22, 2018)

I'm separating all my eggs this year, I had a few problems with two clutches last year, and the third I separated the eggs and had 100% hatch rate. I also had some problems with keeping temps down and had to move the incubator into an air conditioned room for the third clutch.


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## pythoninfinite (Aug 22, 2018)

Yellowtail said:


> I have Jessica but it is very hard to provide the right conditions, temperature and humidity inside a large enclosure and the mother can damage some eggs so it is unlikely you will get 100% survival.
> The other problem is the mother is not going to feed till the eggs hatch, probably 8-9 mths between feeds and will loose a lot of condition in the process, in the wild they may only breed every 2 -3 years because of this.



I have had excellent hatch rates in Carpets with maternal incubation, I've done it 4 times and got 100% each time, without any damage to eggs. I've never had a female lay anywhere but the laying box which gives them privacy, on dry substrate, and all I've done is put plenty of loosely crumpled newspaper in the enclosure (not the laying box) after they lay and keep it a bit damp to ensure reasonable humidity. (A bit of condensation on the glass lets me know it's OK - they don't have to have 100% humidity because pythons in the Australian bush would find that impossible at the times they are incubating). I've done this in very dry Perth summers with imbricata, and here on the east coast as well with local Carpets.

I have a female GTP incubating maternally at the moment - the first time I have tried it with GTPs, but she laid a couple of weeks ago - couldn't see all the eggs, but those I did see were perfect. I was waiting for her to finish when I saw her in the morning - all eggs laid inside her coils (none loose) - and when I went back 15 minutes later she had done the full beehive, totally drawn together and covered completely, so I decided that she looks like she knows what to do so left her to manage them herself. My GTP enclosures have a 15W heatcord in a space under the enclosure to allow gentle heating from bottom as well as a heat panel at the top. (I have had to add a bit of supplementary heat from the bottom this week because it's been so damned cold at night). The box in which she is incubating is raised about 10mm off the floor of the enclosure, and the floor temp on which the eggs are being incubated is varying between about 27C and 30C. In the forest in Iron Range the night temps will get much cooler than this on occasion, so I believe the eggs have more resilience than we think they have (I might be proven wrong on this, but I don't think so...). Hatch will be due around 27/9, so we'll see how it goes. Crumpled newspaper, frequently damped, will keep the humidity at sufficient levels - the enclosure doesn't have to be dripping wet.

She last fed in early June, and if all goes well, should begin feeding again in early October after the eggs hatch. That will be five months without feeding, but for a captive snake carrying more condition that a wild one, should not cause any major problems, despite the physiological burden of producing the eggs and incubating them for seven weeks. They do put on condition very quickly once the process is finished, but if she doesn't breed next season, that's fine by me.

I do believe that given the right conditions, female pythons and fertile eggs are meant for each other, and healthy eggs are meant to hatch. Of course it might all turn to sh!t but I can see no reason why it should at the moment. 27/9 is the day.

Jamie


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## GBWhite (Aug 22, 2018)

I've never owned let alone used an incubator and always let the female do the job with absolutely great results. I haven't bread any for a while but here's some pics of the last clutch I did about 8 years ago...100% hatch rate with one egg containing twins. All I did was just leave the girls in a 600cm long x 500cm deep by 500cm high marine ply box with a small viewing window and a 40 watt globe attached to a timer that came on for two hours in the morning another two around midday and another two on dusk. No spraying or misting. No thermostat. And as can be seen - artificial grass as a substrate. Just like in the wild I let the females do everything. They'd shiver if they needed to increase the temp and (if needed) wet the eggs by either cruising through the water dish and relaying the moisture onto the eggs or by having a drink and pissing on them. Female's usually shed and crapped after the eggs started pipping, start feeding within a week and would come up fine after a few feeds. Gave the female of this clutch to a mate who wanted to breed her but I've still got 6 of the clutch including the twins.

Here's a few pics to show how easy it is.


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## pythoninfinite (Aug 22, 2018)

George, there is some opinion that clutches hatched this way are more robust that artificially incubated babies, and I guess allowing the eggs to undergo various movements in temperature etc might be of benefit to developing babies - they may be tougher? What do you reckon.

Jamie


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## GBWhite (Aug 22, 2018)

Hi Jamie,

From what I've seen over the years I'd have to say they do appear more robust and believe they are tougher. I've hatched different species of vens over the years as well without incubators...eg: Browns, Mulgas, Spotted Blacks. Just by putting the eggs in take away Chinese containers with a bit slightly moist perlite and leaving them on a shelf in the snake room.

Cheers mate,

George.


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## pythoninfinite (Aug 23, 2018)

Richard Biffin said:


> Ditto the over water, i use the SIMS tubs and a converted wine cooler; definitely works as I incubate large monitors, which go out to 200+ days of incubation. Always had 100% hatch rates with viable eggs.
> 
> View attachment 325068
> 
> ...



Absolutely gorgeous rosenberg's. Gee they're pretty when young! Beautiful babies!

Jamie


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## Jessica (Aug 23, 2018)

Decisions decisions... So much great advice from you all - thank you!!! I'm thinking I will set up my incubator and play it by ear. If she lays and looks to be managing well and there are no visible issues with the eggs then she can potentially incubate them herself. Otherwise, I'll remove them and keep a good eye. 

This might be a silly question, but if say I am out one day and the room heats too much would it be at all possible for her to move them if she thinks the area they are in is too warm? Or is that simply a killer and she won't be able to do anything about it. I know she can vibrate to warm them up, but she can't really do anything to cool them down if she can't move them. Maybe shimmy them over smidge?


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## pythoninfinite (Aug 25, 2018)

Jessica said:


> Decisions decisions... So much great advice from you all - thank you!!! I'm thinking I will set up my incubator and play it by ear. If she lays and looks to be managing well and there are no visible issues with the eggs then she can potentially incubate them herself. Otherwise, I'll remove them and keep a good eye.
> 
> This might be a silly question, but if say I am out one day and the room heats too much would it be at all possible for her to move them if she thinks the area they are in is too warm? Or is that simply a killer and she won't be able to do anything about it. I know she can vibrate to warm them up, but she can't really do anything to cool them down if she can't move them. Maybe shimmy them over smidge?



If you're incubating eggs, or allowing the female to do it, it won't be a particular hot spot that is a problem because you shouldn't have any hotspots, it will be that the ambient temperature of the enclosure or the incubator where they are located is too hot, so she won't be able to move them anywhere cooler. You need to ensure that the entire environment is at an appropriate temperature, so there are no hot spots. As I have mentioned to you, Diamonds are late layers, so if your house gets very hot during heatwaves in late summer, you need to place the incubator or the enclosure with the female in a part of the house that stays coolest, often the bathroom or the floor somewhere. Excessive heat for too long will kill the developing embryos, so it is essential that you keep the incubation chamber cooler than around 31 -31.5C at all times. I have managed mine to keep the temps at around 28-29C so the female only has a couple of degrees to make up, so uses less energy. Incubating females in the wild would of course encounter temperatures far lower than this on occasions during the two month incubation period in the wild, but I'm sure would generally choose a very well insulated place to incubate to reduce excesses of heat and cold.

If you are out during heatwave conditions, you can drape the enclosure with wet towels before you leave to keep them cool.

Jamie


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## Richard Biffin (Sep 3, 2018)

Jessica said:


> @Richard Biffin what monitors do you breed?



Apologies, for the late reply, Jessica, these are Heath monitors (V. Rosenbergi), but I also dabble in Lacies.


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