Bed-a-Beast

[HeatherRose]

Yet another crestie Q from me:

Is bed-a-beast an ok egg substrate? How does it compare with Vermiculite/Perilite and how much do Vermiculite or Perilite cost?

[katev17]

You should stick with the vermiculite or perilite I think, Heather!

Kate

[HeatherRose]

Alrighty....:P Kate's so ooooo oooo ooooo smart :D

Heather

[Linds]

I agree with Kate, vermiculite or perlite is probably your best. Vermiculite is probably the easiest to work with (perlite is hard to judge the moisture content since it doesn't change much in texture or colour), but both are equally good incubation mediums. Sphagnum moss can also work quite well. My personal preference is vermiculite. I find it the easiest to work with :)

[HeatherRose]

Are they expensive? I can get them at garden shops right?

[Kyle Barker]

They cheap, and yes you can get them there, or most department/hardware stores. I have also read different things that say vermiculite has beed found to have small amounts of espesdos in it. May want to look into it, or see if someone here knows for sure.

[HeatherRose]

ok, thanks :D

Heather

[sara]

I agree, vermiculite is easier to work with than perlite, but I switched over because apparently vermiculite contains asbestos.
The perlite is working fine for me.

[Youkai]

From what I understand, the vermiculite contataining asbestos has been pulled from the market.

Personally, I use verm sometimes, and also ceramic soil.

[Zoe]

Perlite and vermiculite is like 3$ at canadian tire. I have used both, and have had best results with perlite. On perlite, (before the eggs) i ad water until the humidity is correct, and I keep the container closed once the eggs are in it. I open it once every other week for a second or two just to let more oxygen in, and ad a little water if the water drops on the side start to drip down.

This is with fat-tail eggs, however, but I should think it would work about the same with crested...
Zoe

[sara]

sorry kyle, I missed your post up there. Vermiculite does contain small ammounts asbestos. As a result, quite a few buisnesses have stopped selling it as an incubation medium, but i don't know if it's been taken off the market altogether.

[Youkai]

What I've been made to understand is that in some places where vermiculute is mined there was also asbestos...and verm from such sites is no longer sold.
Vermiculite is still very easy to find.

[Youkai]

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/vermiculite_overview.html

[Leona]

I have used both vermiculite and perlite to incubate veiled chameleon eggs. I prefer vermiculite. I buy it at my local Home Hardware for $3 a small bag, I used to buy big bags but they no longer carry them:( I soak it down with enough water so that when you squeeze it, it clumps together. And I never use it twice.
Leona

[Katatonic]

Just my personal opinion; I've had higher hatch rates with various species of gecko in comparison to incuabating with vermiculite. What I, personally, find is that there is less risk over over-absorption with perlite. And to avoid any would-be debate of the subject, yes, I know, you squeeze the water out of the vermiculite till is only damp and no excess water drips from it yadda yadda yadda.
Whatever you choose to go with asbestos or non-asbestos vermiculite, or perlite, it's still pretty cheap no matter where you go. Canadian tire and/or White Rose sells it fairly cheap... I can't quote an exact price.
I do know, however, that WalMart will sell either for $5.99 for a 9 litre bag.

[Katatonic]

Maybe to answer your question initially; bed-a-beast and the like substrates don't tend to be great egg incubation mediums merely due to the fact that the junk dries out overly quick. Stick with the aforementioned mediums.

[HeatherRose]

Thanks a bunch guys :D very helpful.....

PS Leona, the Chameleon in your avatar is gorgeous!

Heather

[Leona]

Thanks Heather, but the picture is one I got from the avatar pictures when I signed up. Someday (soon I hope) I'll have pictures of my own chameleons to show off. lol
Leona

[HeatherRose]

lol ok.....so it's more of a compliment to the cham....:)

anyway I'm going with vermiculite because perlite is bad for your lungs.......(it is made from volcanic rock as vermiculite is mica...) I asked my mom, who's a horticulturalist and loves to answer gardening questions....but it was simply a gecko Q in disguise....oh yes...:P

byes

Heather