incubator help

[Auddi01]

hello, i have a gravid female corn snake, she will be my only eggs to have to hatch. Does anyone know where i can buy a cheap oncubator or would it be better or cheaper to build one?

[unBOAlievable]

Corn eggs will hatch without an incubator as long as the temps stay between around 70 to 84. The lower the temp the longer it takes to hatch. I put my eggs in a small styrofoam cooler with vermiculite mixed with water at a 1:1 ratio by weight put two small holes in the sides for air and set them on the shelf out of sunlight. The styrofoam coolers help with sudden temp, changes. Gradual warming and cooling has never had no affects on my neonates. This works for most north American colubrids.
Hope this helps.

[Auddi01]

thanks, how big for the holes?, can u put a heat source like a pad on styrofoam? my house stays like 70

[unBOAlievable]

You can put a heat pad under the styrofoam but you need to hook it up to a thermostat and put the sensor cable under the eggs in the vermiculite then you can set the thermostat to 80 and this will keep them from from going higher than 80. I put holes in the size of an 1/8th inch drill bit. They do not need much air.

[Auddi01]

where is the cheapest place to get heat tape and a thermostat i went to Lowes ahrdware and asked for Heat tape and they looked at me like i was an idiot and brought me a roll of Teflon tape lol

[Zoe]

https://secure.ioncart.net/beanfarm/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=9&cat=Incubation+Supplies

https://secure.ioncart.net/beanfarm/shopdisplayproducts.asp?id=4&cat=Heating+Supplies

Check those out.

lol
Zoe

[Mike177]

you can also try www.bigappleherp.com

[Auddi01]

thanks guys, would it be better to use the heat tape or one of those submersable aquarium heaters, do they have to be submerged?

[Stockwell]

As has been mentioned, Corn eggs are easily hatched without an incubator. The most important thing is getting them into a nearly sealed container with the correct substrate moisture.
Use a rubbermaid or small food saver with a good snug lid. Only put a few small holes in the lid or sides.
Use Vermiculite as an egg media...
Use the patented Stockwell method for getting the moisture content correct.
Add water slowly and stir...Grab a clump like a snow ball. Sqeeze it as hard as you can in your hand. It should clump, hold it's shape, but shouldn't have water dripping out..If it's too wet at more dry vermiculite, and keep testing. If it's too dry still and won't clump and hold shape, then add more water...It's that simple..No weighing , No measuring... It's worked for me for 25 years now...(;o)
If you have room in your snake cage, simply put the container in the cage and use that as your incubator. As long as you keep them between 75 and 86F they will hatch!
If you can't get Flexwatt heat tape, you can use and aqarium heater in a larg pickle jar as a heat source in you feel you must use a separate incubator. Simply put the jar with the heater into a styro box or cooler. Do this days before the eggs are due, and put a good thermometer in there and adjust the fish tank heater until the air temp in the box is where you want it. 82 to 85F will give you hatchlings in just under 60 days.
Seal off any open water so it doesn't sweat up the box. Humidity is controlled automatically in the egg box, by setting up the vermiculite as I described above.
Have fun and good luck

[Auddi01]

is the normal vermculate you can buy at lowes hardware good to use?

[unBOAlievable]

Yep. the kind in the garden section.

[Auddi01]

thanks alot guys, and when i put the submergable heater in the jar, must it be submersed in water inside the jar or empty?
Slockwell you said that i need to make sure the box dont sweat, if the vermiculate is wet and the heater is hot, wont that automatically cause the water from the vermicualte to evaporate then condensate back onto the box and lid? Or can he water not escape the vermiculate, this will be my first clutch of eggs to care for. Thanks Guys

[Classic]

Great Info Roy. You should be answering more posts on this site.

Brian

[Chris Steele]

do higher temps bring more females?

[Stockwell]

Thanks Brian.
Chris, snake genders are not determined by incubation temps, as is the case with geckoes and some other herps. I've done expermiments as have a great many large US breeders... It's basically 50/50 when you look at a large enough sample group.

[Chris Steele]

ok, Thanks

[Tim and Julie B]

You must fill the jar with water, before placing the submersible heater in it. Otherwise it will shatter! Turn on the heater once it has been placed in the water, not before. :D I've heard some bad stories about heaters exploding LOL

[Smilts]

the heater box will tell you how to use but ive had fish a long time and a good heater will have line on it the you must keep the water at