# perlite V.S vermiculite witch is better when incubating



## georgieabc123

witch one is better and why thank you


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## mack-bell

I use coco humus you can get them in briks here.
Last year this year many nice babies no problems and you see perfectly if it dries out + I lost 6 Mack Super Trempers on vermiculit due to myself beeign an idiot ;-)


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## SleepyD

I've used different mediums before and to be honest I find perlite is ideal for me ~ it holds the humidity/moisture well without going soggy but also allows good airation (thus preventing any 'staleness') and since staying with perlite my hatch-rates have been great : victory:


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## georgieabc123

i wish i made this thread before buying 100L of vermiculite :blush:


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## snowgoose

georgieabc123 said:


> i wish i made this thread before buying 100L of vermiculite :blush:


use it in the garden


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## georgieabc123

ooo good idea ill give some to my nan she'll be chuffed :flrt:
any other opinions much appreciated im a first time breeder by accerdent i ot a gravid leo that i didnt know was gravid so its a nice surprise:mf_dribble:


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## HadesDragons

I personally use perlite - it's easier to prepare and it shows up any dirt / leakage better than vermiculite does.


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## georgieabc123

HadesDragons said:


> I personally use perlite - it's easier to prepare and it shows up any dirt / leakage better than vermiculite does.


why is it easier i thought you wet it and squeeze it till stops dripping sorry if im badly wrong :blush:


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## sarah2rob

Whether it is coincidence I don't know, but I have quite a high percentage of eggs go rotten on vermiculite. Whereas I have about 80-90% success on perlite.
More than likely more luck than judgement but I'm sticking to it! lol
xxx


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## georgieabc123

oh no you've made me paranoid now  right now there on moist sand now its the only thing i had im nervous now i mite go and buy some perlite now


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## HadesDragons

georgieabc123 said:


> why is it easier i thought you wet it and squeeze it till stops dripping sorry if im badly wrong :blush:


With perlite you soak it in warm water, leave it 20 minutes, drain it. That gives the right humidity for most common species. It makes a lot less mess than slowly adding water to vermiculite and then squeezing it to see how much comes out - or at least I find it easier!



georgieabc123 said:


> oh no you've made me paranoid now  right now there on moist sand now its the only thing i had im nervous now i mite go and buy some perlite now


I wouldn't use moist sand to incubate them on, as the surface layers tend to dry out pretty quickly which will cause the eggs to lose a lot of moisture. It's fine as a laying substrate, but not so great for incubation.


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## shep1979

were can i get some perlite from???


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## HadesDragons

shep1979 said:


> were can i get some perlite from???


I can't remember where I got mine from - I got 5 bags a while back...

Most garden centres should sell it, or you could try online. It won't be expensive.


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## Slurm

i used vermiculite last year and suffered from bad hatch rates, this yr im using perlite and i have to say its a far better medium.

I bought 100 litres for £10 or so.


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## suez

perlite all the way : victory:any garden centre sells it


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## funky1

Perlite every time-tried nearly every substrate going at one time or another - though this, for some bizarre reason, is the first I`ve used perlite consistently, and I`ve gotta say I`ve been blown away by it`s cleanliness, gentle moisture holding capacity and the airflow it allows around the eggs. This is also the first season I haven`t had a single problem/incident with mould (touch wood), which I had regular problems with using vermiculite - prob due to it`s fondness for clogging up the airflow.


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## georgieabc123

looks like ill have to go homebase tomorrow


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## InternetReptile

Wilko sells it nice and cheap too. 

We have been using a 50/50 mix of vermiculite/perlite and found that works well. The former to hold moisture and the latter to allow air around the eggs. Mould was a problem with vermiculite only, hence the change. 

From reading this, I may do some perlite only experiments... I like the fact it is white anyway, lets you spot hatchlings easier. :2thumb:


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## oakelm

Can I say neither as they are both annoyingly messy :lol2:

Using vermiculite myself just because I have tonnes of the stuff but plan on changing to perlite next year to give it a whirl.


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## georgieabc123

but i dont understand why it makes eggs mold is it something to do with the way it holds moisture or is there something in the vermiculite hmm??


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## georgieabc123

anyne found out why it molds yet oh and good morning


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## snowgoose

Vermiculite is a clay, Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass.
Perlite allows air to circulate the whole way round the eggs


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## georgieabc123

snowgoose said:


> Vermiculite is a clay, Perlite is an amorphous volcanic glass.
> Perlite allows air to circulate the whole way round the eggs


ahhh thank you i just got in i went to B&Q they had ran out of perlite so then i went to home base and got the last bag :no1: so now there cooking in the incubator :flrt:


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## snowgoose

georgieabc123 said:


> ahhh thank you i just got in i went to B&Q they had ran out of perlite so then i went to home base and got the last bag :no1: so now there cooking in the incubator :flrt:


Sounds good to me  good luck


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## georgieabc123

aww thank you but im not holding much hope i think i found them to late  but fingers crossed anyway hay :2thumb:


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## Grond

Personally, I use vermiculite for leos. 

Works fine for me.

I have had a 90% plus hatch rate for last two years.

I use sphagnum moss for the snakes though. Not sure why?

*goes off to think at length*


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## JamesJ

We used vermiculite or 50/50 vermiculite & eco earth last year. This year I picked up pearlite to try instead, and weve found it much much better! :2thumb: However I find the eggs dont sit in it aswell and we have had eggs moved about in the tubs by a hatchling before we took it out the tub.


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## SleepyD

James_and_Hana said:


> However I find the eggs dont sit in it aswell and we have had eggs moved about in the tubs by a hatchling before we took it out the tub.


I make depressions with my thumb for the eggs to sit in (about quarter inch or so deep) which sorts it


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## candoia aspera

i voted other, vermiculite as base and spagnum in a thin covering over the eggs. been very sucessesful with this.
i tried pearlite and i made finding snows, lusistics and opals very hard to find in the incubator, lol.


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## georgieabc123

candoia aspera said:


> i voted other, vermiculite as base and spagnum in a thin covering over the eggs. been very sucessesful with this.
> i tried pearlite and i made finding snows, lusistics and opals very hard to find in the incubator, lol.


i wish i could say that :mf_dribble:


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## georgieabc123

its weired most people on here agree perlite is better but then the poll says vermiculite i wonder why :gasp:


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## SleepyD

georgieabc123 said:


> its weired most people on here agree perlite is better but then the poll says vermiculite i wonder why :gasp:


maybe cos some are voting and not posting


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## georgieabc123

SleepyD said:


> maybe cos some are voting and not posting


i knew that :whistling2:


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## TonyB

i always use a mixture of the two with a ratio of 2 parts vermiculite to 1 part perlite. its something that was reccommended on a ball python breeding dvd i watched a few years ago. Ive had 100% success with it so far.


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## danielle101

Can i just ask about sand, would that not be of any use, Just a thought... :hmm:


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## georgieabc123

it was temporary


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## danielle101

What the sand, im just asking if sand was anygood for incubation...


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## HadesDragons

danielle101 said:


> What the sand, im just asking if sand was anygood for incubation...


You'll probably find it doesn't retain and distribute the water as well as vermiculite or perlite - the top layers of the sand tend to dry out (drawing water away from the eggs), and the bottom layers become very wet...


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## georgieabc123

didnt use it long enough to find out


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## Mwoxy

I tend to use vermiulite but have used perlite. 

Vermiculite is very easy to prepare. You can judge if it's right by squeezing it, you can't do that with perlite. Given that both mediums are often sold in bags with drainage holes, mixing by weight is meaningless unless you dry it, perlite (especially) often already has too much moisture when you buy it.

Vermiculite is a moisture retaining medium and perlite is for airation.

Many people use the vermiculite with a layer of perlite ontop, this allows the best of both worlds.

Just my 2p.

Cheers

Mark


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## georgieabc123

ooooo good point :2thumb:


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## andyfraser666

Perlite for me all the way, very eay to manage.

proof of the pudding for me is numerous gecko babies and now corns too.

I don't find it messy either, guess it depends how careful you are.


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## andyfraser666

Mwoxy said:


> Given that both mediums are often sold in bags with drainage holes, mixing by weight is meaningless unless you dry it, perlite (especially) often already has too much moisture when you buy it.
> Mark


 
Never seen a bag of perlite sold wet? I've always had dry from garden centre?


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## SleepyD

andyfraser666 said:


> Never seen a bag of perlite sold wet? I've always had dry from garden centre?


ditto ~ all my perlite was sold in contained bags and bone dry ~ and that's buying from garden centres and shops .... never had a wet bag yet


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## georgieabc123

SleepyD said:


> ditto ~ all my perlite was sold in contained bags and bone dry ~ and that's buying from garden centres and shops .... never had a wet bag yet


mine too where do you get yours /???


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## cornmorphs

can stand vermiculite... just too messy and dont hold the water as well as perlite.. thats what i have found anyway... i suspect either are good tho


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## freekygeeky

personally i woudl be careful of perlite (not beacusei have used it (beacuaei havent)) but beacsue i have had a gecko VERY nearly choke (a couple actually) on vermiculite, and perlite is harder..
i would personally now use (if iwas breeding this season) vermiculite with paper towel on top.


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## georgieabc123

i forgot about them eating it :S


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## freekygeeky

georgieabc123 said:


> i forgot about them eating it :S


i think there was someone on the forum a little while ago whos crestie died eating it too, just after i had said on the thread becareful as mine nearly choked on it.. tis evil/


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## cornmorphs

my experience is based only with corns... so i cant say for anything else.. but itse been great for me


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## georgieabc123

cornmorphs said:


> my experience is based only with corns... so i cant say for anything else.. but itse been great for me


im gessing you mean perlite ???:blush:


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## cornmorphs

sorry, yeah


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