large incubator heat source options - Page 4

Bristen · 02-03-05, 08:57 PM

Well, the masking tape gave about the same readings.. 81F to 82F... all the other sides are about 73F to 74F while objects in the room are 72F to 73F, so the front glass panes are a considerable heat loss it seems....

Thanks for the note,
Bristen.

Jeff_Favelle · 02-04-05, 01:17 AM

Yep, glass conducts heat REAL good. Always has, always will. Top-opening incubators for me all the way. Glass is for windows, french doors, and my rum and coke.

JDouglas · 02-04-05, 01:26 AM

Jeff you crack me up. I drink me some Rum and coke now and then to.
If you are using a helix dbs 1000 your temps will be fine as long as you have enough heat. I have glass on the front of my incubator and it works great. Sure the glass loses heat but the Helix allows heat to trickle to the heat source compensating for it. But if it is not well insulated you will have a lot of temperature variation which can be helped more by moving the air with a fan.

I think a cool thread would be to discuss the pros and cons of each style of incubator.

Too bad my incubator doesn't have any cons! OK maybe it does. It uses much more electricity than others due to the two fans and glass and 6 foot of 11 inch flexwatt. All of this in 4.5 cubic feet.

Oh well at least its accurate and consistent and can be placed anywhere in my house. It also reaches its set temp in less than 15 minutes at room temperature. It is also easily transported.

Last year my power went out and I carried my other cooler incubator to the neighbors house and plugged it in. That was definitely a plus. All those water bottles saved my python eggs. Power was out to my incubator for four hours! That 9 liters of warm water was a life saver literally. Had I been using an open air incubator like the one in this thread they all would have died for sure. But my cooler incubator only holds one clutch of python eggs. I have it running this year as a back up incubator just incase I need to transport eggs during a power outage.

Bristen · 02-04-05, 06:32 AM

Hey Jaremy,

I'm petrified of power outages.. even just to heat the animals.. never mind the eggs!! I will be placing a bunch of filled water bottles in my incubator (on the bottom) to be a heat sink... if anything else, it will help with power usage, and hopefully let the incubator go a little while longer if there's a power outage... I need to go buy a generator.. however a disel generator to run my house must be at least $5K or more... my house heating system is an air-to-air heat-pump.. they need a lot of juice to run!

Thanks everyone,
Bristen.

ATBlover · 02-12-05, 04:23 PM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Jeff_Favelle
[B] My incubatorS? Three. All the same. Picture this; a giant, rubber-lined (or plastic-lined) INSULATED wood box with top opening doors.

Hey jeff,
I was wondering how you lined the box with the plastic??....could you put a tupperware in a wooden box?...and maybe [poke some holes in it and maybe put the tupperware on the bricks..on the water????....my balls should produce some eggs by 2006 and i was just getting a kickstart on things..just so i know wut im doing ahead of time...thanks..Connor

logo · 02-22-05, 09:56 AM

what about a water bed heater, has built in thermostat

Jeff_Favelle · 02-22-05, 12:18 PM

Quote:

what about a water bed heater, has built in thermostat

So do fish heaters. ???

Quote:

I was wondering how you lined the box with the plastic??....

Ummm....I put the plastic in and then it was lined? I'm not sure how many ways there are to line a box? Maybe I misunderstand your question?

Yes I put the eggs in Rubbermaids and then put them in the plastic-lined box on top of bricks. I don't poke any holes in them though.

ATBlover · 02-22-05, 03:33 PM

hmm jeff i meant do you put a rubbermaid in it?..or just pieces of plastic...can there be spaces?..that kinda stuff...thanks...Connor

Golden_Lotus · 02-22-05, 05:59 PM

My incubator is somes critters plastic box with moist vermiculite that are partially immersed in a 15 gallons aquarium with horizontal water heater. Low cost and work correctly for my small needs. I also used a probe to monitor temperature inside the plastic critter box.

I am just asking, for you who used humid incubator: do you add something to make the water moving for better distributing heat in your incubator?

Thank,

clint545 · 02-22-05, 06:05 PM

I was thinking of going the fridge bator route in the future. Just not sure on the best heat source(it'll most likely be a bar fridge).
Flex watt
A heat pad
Heat cable?

Jeff_Favelle · 02-22-05, 08:21 PM

Quote:

hmm jeff i meant do you put a rubbermaid in it?..or just pieces of plastic...can there be spaces?..that kinda stuff...thanks...Connor

I still don't understand what you're asking me. Do I put the Rubbermaid in what? In the incubator? Yes, because the Rubbermaid holds the eggs, and the eggs must go in the incubator if I want them to hatch. :P

Not sure what you mean about spaces. My incubator is filled with water. Then I have bricks. On top of those bricks are my Rubbermaids with the eggs in them.

Quote:

I am just asking, for you who used humid incubator: do you add something to make the water moving for better distributing heat in your incubator?

Water is the best conductor of heat ('cept metal) so there's really no need to circulate it. The whole incubator heats up to 89F (or 90F or whatever you want it to), so circulating the water doesn't really do anything at all. Well, except waste electricity.

ATBlover · 02-22-05, 09:54 PM

lol nvm Jeff i guess im too stupid...maybe i shouldn't have any reptiles:S..thanks anyways...Connor

Jeff_Favelle · 02-23-05, 02:21 AM

No no, not at all brother! I just can't visualize the question, that's all! Incubation is a TRICKY subject at best. Better to ask these questions now, so that you'll totally be prepared for all the curveballs you get later!

Keep asking questions if you're stumped! For sure.

ATBlover · 02-24-05, 04:52 PM

lol thanks man....but i dont know how to phrase what im saying...do you have a pic of an incubator you own and made?..that would be a big help......thanks...Connor

JDouglas · 02-24-05, 04:56 PM

I am guessing Jeff lines the inside of the wooden box with plastic sheeting similar to what people put over their windows in the winter or on the floor when painting. You can buy this at a hardware store and it comes in different thicknesses.

Of course you would want to use one giant piece to line your incubator and not have any spaces or holes for obvious reasons.

Good luck!