# Sticky  Home made incubators



## Greenphase

Ok here are 4 different incubators that i have built myself over the last couple of years.All work well and some better than others for different species.

I will start with my first polybox method

First go to your local aquatics shop and get a decent size poly box.Mine takes 3 large cadburies tubs which was adequate for corn snake eggs.

I placed a heat mat on the bottom of the tub and then used a couple of old glass runners in there to creat a shelf.









Then i placed the three tubs which were filled to two thirds height with damp vermiculite on the shelf and placed the probe and thermometer.









Then in the lid i cut three holes(one for each tub) and siliconed three cd covers over it to make veiwing windows.









As said this worked very well for corn snakes and hatched out many eggs with a success rate of around 99% incubating at 88 degrees i could expect hatchlings at 49 days.Total cost was around £40 as it is on a mat stat

The second poly box i set up for my wifesbearded dragon eggs.

I again went and got a poly box this time slightly deeper and fixed a heatmat to the lid of the box.









I then filled the poly box to around half full with damp vermiculite and placed the probe.









My wife has since hatched out 4 clutches of bearie eggs with a 100% hatch rate incubating at 86 degrees and hatchlings pipped at 55 days.Total cost around £35 as it is also a mat stat


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## Greenphase

The third incubator is an old fridge that was bought for £5 at the local tip.

I cut a hole in the front of the fridge with a grinder and then siliconed a sheet of perspex on the front and back of the door(basically double galzed it) then after ripping out all the internal cold pipes and elictics i placed three 36x6 heat strips inside and connected it to a pulse stat.This has now been running for around three months and the temps have not moved off 85.9 degrees.This is also set up for bearies eggs but takes seperate tubs(8 cheap tuperwares from Morrisons or 4 medium conticos)Total cost around £120 although i had the heat strips,Pulse stat and tubs laying around










the spray bottle hanging in the incubator ensures that there is a ready supply of the right temp water if a tub needs dampening down.

Lastly i converted an old bottle fridge whick i got from a friend after a pub clear out.
I placed a heat strip 36x12 on the back of it then a 17x11 heat mat on the bottom.These are connected to 2 pulse stats and i have run this for months and am able to keep a very stable 89 degrees in here.This incubator is ready for Burmese eggs when i get some at long last.It now holds 12 medium contico boxes and cost about £270 to fully kit it out


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## royalpython

Very nice! Loving that last one.
Looks like you've prepared and have the racking on the right to hold all these burms you're expecting :lol:


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## VieT

NICE ONE !!!

weve only made one... was roughtly same as first poly box one... but had a few problems controling humidity in the tubs,,, sorted that out at last minute and lsot most of our eggs 

weve been looking for a glass fronted fridge.. so we dnt have to open it to see in... never thought of cutting the front out of a normal fridge 

STICKY ??

peace

James


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## jamie-c

STICKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

NICE ONE :2thumb:


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## strongboW

STICKY!!!!

Grate Thread!


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## Shadow_Eyed

Good work and nice tips :no1:


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## beardymadmad

nice!


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## strongboW

Wahey been Stickyed 

Its Gr8 defo like the top one think al make that when i breed corns


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## Declan123

Heres my current home-made incubator... really simple to make..


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## evilangel

mmmm my work make wine cooler gonna ask if i can get hold of a faulty one and convert it


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## Philcw

Absolutely bloody terrific!


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## ilovegeckos

*incubator*

We have made our incubator but it cost alot of money. Would a bought one have been cheaper. It cost us £70 odd. The thermostat was £55 as we were told it had to be a constant temperature. The heat mat £14, pleased to say we were given the poly box!!!! Is our local reptile shop expensive??? :bash:


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## gopher

Its a bit pricey for a thermostat. A friend of mine got one from his local reptile shop and it only cost him £50, thermostat, heatmat, box, and thermometer.


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## ilovegeckos

*Thermostats*

I do think that these shops take advantage of novices. Let's hope my our gecko's hatch after that price.


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## cbmark

very good home builds :no1:


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## djangel

buy yeh my first attenpt to make one didnt go to good, but this time im gonan buy a thermistat ...

my snakes about to drop now


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## ScottGB

The second one is like the one i bulit. (well not really built) Have.


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## Pirate7

theyre awesome. I'm going to try the first one first.

should be cheaper for me 'cause i already have a mat-stat (taken it from my snake, as temps are all good now!!) just need to find a polybox and some wood to hold the tubs.


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## Woodyofcastle

I'm a newbie, and i have found this thread very helpfull...

any more pics of self builds welcome, my brain is doing overtime lol

this ought to be a sticky


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## Pete 2oo7

Really helped me :2thumb::notworthy:


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## Replika

mine couldn't be simpler

Ingredients
1 x poly box from shop £freeeeeee!
1 x aquarium thermostatically controlled heater £22
1 x thermometer with remote probe £4 e-bay
1 x ice cream tub £freeeeee!
1 x bag of vermiculite from garden centre £5


Method
half fill poly box with warm water
put in aquarium heater and set temp ( I set at 82 degress)
damp vermiculite in ice cream tub
temperature probe in ice cream tub
float tub in water
close poly box
monitor temps and adjust as necessary over a week
Temps stable put eggs in box and shut lid, check eggs weekly, temperature probe in at all times

Result
100% hatch rate for corns at 62 days on my first ever go, all babies big and strong


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## Lizard Loft

Replika said:


> mine couldn't be simpler
> 
> Ingredients
> 1 x poly box from shop £freeeeeee!
> 1 x aquarium thermostatically controlled heater £22
> 1 x thermometer with remote probe £4 e-bay
> 1 x ice cream tub £freeeeee!
> 1 x bag of vermiculite from garden centre £5
> 
> 
> Method
> half fill poly box with warm water
> put in aquarium heater and set temp ( I set at 82 degress)
> damp vermiculite in ice cream tub
> temperature probe in ice cream tub
> float tub in water
> close poly box
> monitor temps and adjust as necessary over a week
> Temps stable put eggs in box and shut lid, check eggs weekly, temperature probe in at all times
> 
> Result
> 100% hatch rate for corns at 62 days on my first ever go, all babies big and strong


Thats exactly what im making, i just got hold of 2 poly boxes the other day (for free) ive already turned one into a mat based incubator, now im trying the water based one as both are highly reccomended.

just one question, how do you control the humidity within the water based one??


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## funky1

Can i just ask - as I am in the process of building an incubator for my leos - is the second polybox method safe electrically wise? I`d love to try this method but am a bit concerned about the condensation settling on the heatmat - is this a problem? Thanks.


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## Greenphase

Funky i have had no problems with this setup at all with regards to the humidity and electrics.All the heatmats are held in sealed plastic so as long as you dont go cutting them down at all you shouldnt get any problems what-so-ever.

Hope this helps


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## kaimarion

This thread is brilliant ,kudos to the OP :mrgreen: .


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## dobbydragon

May sound like a silly question... but... what shops give you poly boxes? I have no idea what they are normally used for.


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## Woodyofcastle

dobbydragon said:


> May sound like a silly question... but... what shops give you poly boxes? I have no idea what they are normally used for.


most aquarium shops will be glad to get rid of them, but the tight one's will charge a small fee, i.e. 50p or a pound


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## coolfool

*hey*

you can buy a hobivator deliverd off ebay for 50 quid just incase anyon wants to no thanks.


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## wolves-stu

Woodyofcastle said:


> most aquarium shops will be glad to get rid of them, but the tight one's will charge a small fee, i.e. 50p or a pound


Like the aquarium place i used to work they charged people £5 for poly boxes


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## Fly

wolves-stu said:


> Like the aquarium place i used to work they charged people £5 for poly boxes


Or Emsworth Reptiles who charged me a fiver!!!!


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## Declan123

the ones i get say Free to Good home lol

I get them all


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## StuW247

I get mine free from work. We use them to pack brocolli and then put ice on them


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## Craig08

Those incubators are ruddy genious!

I must have a dozen of those polly boxes in the shed from years of marine fish keeping (fish & corals come in those boxes).

Does it make any difference how deep the eggs are in the vermiculite at all?
Is there any way to ensure most of your hatchlings are male or female by altering the depth, temp, humidity in the boxes at all?

Iv bred fish and there are LOTS of things you can do to ensure a primarily male/female batch.

Sorry to go a little off topic but it would be useful to know if anyone has tried it


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## ladybird

Thanks for the info, I made the poly box one but with a little variation. I got the poly box and cut a round hole in the top so that a bulb holder can fit, with an infra red bulb for heating, connected to a dimmer stat. I also cut some triangular holes in the sides of the poly box and stuck perspex in with aquarium sealant for windows. So far it has worked perfectly, the temperature hasn't changed at all, not even 0.1 of a degree! I'll be using it for my crestie eggs that I should have soon from one of my gravid females. Hopefully it will hatch them out ok!


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## Sprocket

I have to make one of the fridge type ones, the hunt is on for the donor fridge !


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## billybilboa

Just get yourself down to the local tip, ours has a container just for fridges, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind you pinching one!

Billy


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## bEnNy THE BeArDeD

bice one you should try and sell some on the interet they look proffesnial too good job:2thumb:


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## Scaley

ive just made an incubator, 4got bout this thread tho!!! :bash:
mine is similar 2 the first 1 but ive got a heat strip/mat running all the way round the inside, same level as where the eggs will b, do u think this will b ok? ive got the stat probe on the mat then il b puttin a temp prope on the vermic wiv the eggs. it looks the bussiness, just hope it works!!! :2thumb:


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## Scaley

thought id put the pics up of my incubator, so u guys can tell me if ive done right or wrong?!!

a perspex window sealed on the inside, just gota get more aquarium sealent!

















excuse the cables!!! i had 2 get rid of them sum where!


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## Greenphase

Dont look to bad mate but i wouldnt attach the probe to the mat in an incubator as you do in a viv as you wnat the temps to be right over the eggs not on the mat if that makes sense


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## Scaley

Greenphase said:


> Dont look to bad mate but i wouldnt attach the probe to the mat in an incubator as you do in a viv as you wnat the temps to be right over the eggs not on the mat if that makes sense


well im goin 2 b puttin a digi thermo on the eggs and adjust the stat 2 suit that if it makes sense? because its only a mat stat, the flux in temps would b 2 much if the probe was 2 far away. it will just mean that i will go by the digi thermo instead of the dial on the stat. :2thumb:


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## _TREV_

*pic's of my incubators*

HI ALL
here's my incubator i made it out of wood its 30in by 15in by 15in
put a shelf in it and put plastic slidey doors on it and put a 20ft 
heat cable inside and set the temp at 86% it works great for me
had a 120 corn snake eggs in it this year & a 116 hatched out ok




















cheers TREV.


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## SlimBoy

Work TREV ???


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## neil08

can some one tell me at wot height they set there shelves above the heat mat when using the first poly box method plz ill be making one of these in near future for my leo eggs and want it perfect. thnx neil.


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## animal addict

Replika said:


> mine couldn't be simpler
> 
> Ingredients
> 1 x poly box from shop £freeeeeee!
> 1 x aquarium thermostatically controlled heater £22
> 1 x thermometer with remote probe £4 e-bay
> 1 x ice cream tub £freeeeee!
> 1 x bag of vermiculite from garden centre £5
> 
> 
> Method
> half fill poly box with warm water
> put in aquarium heater and set temp ( I set at 82 degress)
> damp vermiculite in ice cream tub
> temperature probe in ice cream tub
> float tub in water
> close poly box
> monitor temps and adjust as necessary over a week
> Temps stable put eggs in box and shut lid, check eggs weekly, temperature probe in at all times
> 
> Result
> 100% hatch rate for corns at 62 days on my first ever go, all babies big and strong


I think someone else asked this too - but how do you control the humidity in this??


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## alfie reptiles

thanks so much great help i was about to spend loads and loads


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## goodwin1234

Hi, 

This is slightly off topic sorry but maybe someone could answer my queery?

I was at my local rep shop today, and i bought a pulse stat from the owner for a fiver because the rubber around the end of the probe had a split in it. Would this still be useable for an incubator or would the temps fluctuate too much? Could it be bodged with a bit of electrical tape or something?

Excellent thread by the way! Was a great help! Thankyou

Cheers, Kieron


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## Lizard Loft

animal addict said:


> I think someone else asked this too - but how do you control the humidity in this??


Hi mate, i have recently made up one of these, and the humidity stays at 100% and trying to control it is very difficult and i have had no luck, i have no eggs in at the moment, 

but it does keep a really good constant temperature and is very!!! cheap to make. 

heres some pics of the 1 i recently made;




























Balloon stops boxing touching the heater : victory:,


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## Freehoustie

ok im making my incubator. got a few questions.

im using a ceramic bulb to heat it.. so 1st question is, where do i put this to ensure the same heat all around the fridge.

next kinda similar question to 1st. Where do i put the temp prob from the pulse stat? and will all eggs have to be the same distance from the bulb or do fridges generally keep the same heat circulation around them?

and i see spray bottle in there for spraying but i was wondering how often u can actually open the door to inc.?

John


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## Greenphase

Hi John.

Sorry i havnt replied to this earlier but i have been offline.

I have never used a CHE for heating an incubator as i would see this as a bit of overkill to be honest mate.For me you need to be able to adjust temps slowly to acclimatise eggs in the incubator rather than a CHE which would heat quickly but not cool very slowly.

The temps should be fairly static as the fridge is completely sealed and also insulated.The spray bottle is in there in case the tubs need dampening down which is rare to be honest.

I have opened the incubator once a day or once a week and found it doesnt really make much difference to the temps.

Hope this helps mate.


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## Jon2ooo8

hi im thinking about making a incubator out of my mini-fridge, its has a heating funtion on it and can get up to 42 degrees. what would be the best way of converting it/ lowering the temps. should i put it on a thermostat (if so which one)


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## rugbystar55

i was wondering i have a pollybox wit a aquerium heater but in a seperate tub there is vermiculite. 
do i need to put holes in top of the tub
also how often do i need to open the pollybox and the box with the eggs in


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## Greenphase

Jon2ooo8 said:


> hi im thinking about making a incubator out of my mini-fridge, its has a heating funtion on it and can get up to 42 degrees. what would be the best way of converting it/ lowering the temps. should i put it on a thermostat (if so which one)


Hello mate i have never used a mini fridge for incubating but if you can get 42 degrees from it i would set it to heat with a thermometer and set it once it reaches the desired temps.you should be able to heat it with the inbuilt stat but if not i would go for a 600 watt pulse stat as long as the fridge is not above this in wattage.



rugbystar55 said:


> i was wondering i have a pollybox wit a aquerium heater but in a seperate tub there is vermiculite.
> do i need to put holes in top of the tub
> also how often do i need to open the pollybox and the box with the eggs in


I would assume that you are using the aquarium heater in water in the bottom of the polybox mate and if this is the case i would put holes in the lid of the box with the vermiculite in it.I would then open the poly box a couple of times a week and the same with the eggs box firstly to allow a fresh airflow and secondly just to check on the eggs.


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## Joe1507

Some awsome incubators here


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## Jon2ooo8

ok cheers for the help mate :notworthy:


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## LauraandLee

*Havent tried it*

Read on internet bout using a poly box, 6 inches of water at the bottom, 2 bricks, wire mesh above water to place the tubs on and a tropical fish tank heater - (the site mentioned that they have internal stats in them). This would make it cheaper! As you wouldnt need a stat or heat mat!!!
Has anyone heard of doing it this way?
Or as anyone tired it?
Thanks


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## snickers

I've used an incubator similar to the first picture, and also converted 2' cube viv similar to the one pictured by Trev.

Putting water in the bottom of a polybox with eggs above is an accident waiting to happen IMO. One of the following is bound to happen sooner or later
- major leak
- eggbox falls into water
- hatchlings fall into water

If you want to use an aqarium heater and water, put the heater in a tupperware box and put the lid on. You will still get exactly the same heating effect.


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## Big Red One

Quick question - Is a pulse stat the best to use with the 2nd polybox setup (heatmat on lid..)?

Ta..


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## CTI_Perrin

This is a great thread!! Really useful! 

Thanks!

Aimee


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## 4PY

i was going to be using the heated mat poly box for my royal eggs but im concernd that if i open the lid to check on boxes that the temps will go right down and the eggs will be buggerd basiclly like adding water to the vermiculate if you think its getting to dry how can you prevent that from happening without opening the box im kinda stuck :blush: help please
4PY


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## Grond

4PY said:


> i was going to be using the heated mat poly box for my royal eggs but im concernd that if i open the lid to check on boxes that the temps will go right down and the eggs will be buggerd basiclly like adding water to the vermiculate if you think its getting to dry how can you prevent that from happening without opening the box im kinda stuck :blush: help please
> 4PY


I open my incubator most days to check on eggs and find little fluctuation in temp. When adding water, let it reach at least room temp before adding, or preferably keep some spare water in the incubator so it's the right temp.


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## doherty-666

i was just wunderin how i cud purchase this item of u? tnxs mark


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## Janine00

Ok I'm female and somewhat pragmatic... just got a trio of leo's that I think at least one of the females is gravid... got polybox, stat, thermometer - can I just ask why i need to make a shelf effect with rods or similar, why can I not just put tupperware box with vermucellite strainght onto heatmat??.... thanks... J


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## xsmithx2

how much are the polystyrene boxes and were do you get them from?
and what is best heat cables or heat mats??

im breeding leos.. but there not quit ready yet thou


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## Greenphase

I find heat mats are the best to use but you could use heat cables in a larger box.Just make sure that the cable can not touch itself as it will short out.

The poly boxes i just get from either your local reptile,tropical or fish shop and they usually just give them away.Just give them a clean out with a 5% bleach solution and allow them to dry and they should be fine for use.


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## xsmithx2

were shell i put the probe the sensor probe?

on the heat mat?
or above it?
etc..


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## ninnipoo

I have see/heard all this, but would the poly box inside a vivarium suffice? we have a 5ft viv in which we could fit a box in.


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## Russ90

A Very Handy Thread!

I was considering shelling out for a new Hovabator but after realising i've got a spare stat and heat mat lurking about, all i really need is poly box and a bit of creativity!?

Thanks for the info most helpful!


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## kirsten

Janine00 said:


> Ok I'm female and somewhat pragmatic... just got a trio of leo's that I think at least one of the females is gravid... got polybox, stat, thermometer - can I just ask why i need to make a shelf effect with rods or similar, why can I not just put tupperware box with vermucellite strainght onto heatmat??.... thanks... J


because there needs to be a good air circulation around the tubs to ensure even temp throughout.



xsmithx2 said:


> were shell i put the probe the sensor probe?
> 
> on the heat mat?
> or above it?
> etc..


put the probe in with the eggs as this is the most important temperature, the temperature of the eggs.


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## Niki B

Greenphase said:


> Ok here are 4 different incubators that i have built myself over the last couple of years.All work well and some better than others for different species.
> 
> I will start with my first polybox method
> 
> First go to your local aquatics shop and get a decent size poly box.Mine takes 3 large cadburies tubs which was adequate for corn snake eggs.
> 
> I placed a heat mat on the bottom of the tub and then used a couple of old glass runners in there to creat a shelf.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then i placed the three tubs which were filled to two thirds height with damp vermiculite on the shelf and placed the probe and thermometer.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Then in the lid i cut three holes(one for each tub) and siliconed three cd covers over it to make veiwing windows.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As said this worked very well for corn snakes and hatched out many eggs with a success rate of around 99% incubating at 88 degrees i could expect hatchlings at 49 days.Total cost was around £40 as it is on a mat stat
> 
> The second poly box i set up for my wifesbearded dragon eggs.
> 
> I again went and got a poly box this time slightly deeper and fixed a heatmat to the lid of the box.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I then filled the poly box to around half full with damp vermiculite and placed the probe.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> My wife has since hatched out 4 clutches of bearie eggs with a 100% hatch rate incubating at 86 degrees and hatchlings pipped at 55 days.Total cost around £35 as it is also a mat stat


 
Where can you get these poly boxes from?


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## Horness

*Faunarium Incubator and hatchling tank*

Had a Blue Peter moment recently, and decided to construct the "nursery" to use as as incubator and hatchling tank.










The kit comprises of

Exo Terra Large Faunarium (46x30x17cm)
Exo Terra Small heat mat (20x20cm)
Habistat Pulse Proportional Thermostat
Lucky Reptile dual probe digital thermometer (In probe inside incubator, Out probe on hatchling mat)
Tuppaware container (Carte Dor ice cream tub!) for incubator + Perlite
Sun maid raisin tub for warm hide
Old Wax Worms tub for humid hide
5x Oasis bottle tops (2x feet for incubator tub, + calcium, water, worms)










I cut out a couple of the bars to take the probes and thermostat sensor, and the heat mat is stuck underneath covering about a third of both sections.

Once they out grow the hatchling side I can move them to the smallest tank in my stack.

Hope it works.

Horness


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## hubert_cumberdale

Where can u get the poly boxes from? i tried making one out of sheets of polystyrene but just ended up with a very novice looking blue peter type thing, and a big snow- polystyrene mess lol.
The end result worked, but didnt look very smart from the outside!
Im pretty jealous of everyone elses efforts


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## Niki B

hubert_cumberdale said:


> Where can u get the poly boxes from? i tried making one out of sheets of polystyrene but just ended up with a very novice looking blue peter type thing, and a big snow- polystyrene mess lol.
> The end result worked, but didnt look very smart from the outside!
> Im pretty jealous of everyone elses efforts


I just went into a Garden centre that sells fish, and was able to pick a poly box up for free  its what they deliver the live animals in.

( I did that today)


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## fran2491

hubert_cumberdale said:


> Where can u get the poly boxes from? i tried making one out of sheets of polystyrene but just ended up with a very novice looking blue peter type thing, and a big snow- polystyrene mess lol.
> The end result worked, but didnt look very smart from the outside!
> Im pretty jealous of everyone elses efforts


 
local pet shop hun any that sells fish or reptiles should give you them for free some charge hun not much tho:flrt:


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## Babycakes

My polystyrene box came from a lab technician in my dad's school - apparently he got some sort of delicate equipment delivered in it


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## scorpioleah

also if you know any fishermen they would have some.

my step dad is one and he uses polybox to put the fish in, thats where i got mine


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## crai

could i not incubate the eggs in a sweat box in my tank with geckos in it


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## melvin-killer

what sort of temps are you looking at getting and where is the best place to mesure it?

gr8 thread


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## Bex89

*Breeding bearded dragons*

Hi there,

I'm interested to know what's the ratio of vermiculite to water that you use?

Cheers


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## puffthebeardeddragon

i think its supposed to be the same weight. so say 50g vercumilite to 50g water.


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## artyt

*hi*

i am just started breeding BD and am making a home made incubator using a poly box and a heat mat is it all right to use a mat state help please thanks:notworthy:


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## VikkiGT4

right so basically all I need to do is get a poly boxs, put a heat mat in the bottom, skewers through the sides for the boxes to sit on, the egg boxes on top of that filled with either vermiculite or moss, the temp probe through so it's hanging in the middle, set temps to what I need them to, control it on a stat and then just put the lid on the poly box?

reason I'm asking is because hopefully I should be expecting cali eggs in a few weeks, my first ever clutch. Do I not need to put lids on the smaller tubs with the eggs in them? Just wondering in case they pip when I'm not there to watch them and move them to the hatching rack - didn't want them going straight onto the heatmat.


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## steve200

was going to start thread about the dos and donts of home made incubators. 
after reading this im not going to bother. 
good job, thanks to everyone!


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## iangreentree

VikkiGT4 said:


> right so basically all I need to do is get a poly boxs, put a heat mat in the bottom, skewers through the sides for the boxes to sit on, the egg boxes on top of that filled with either vermiculite or moss, the temp probe through so it's hanging in the middle, set temps to what I need them to, control it on a stat and then just put the lid on the poly box?
> 
> reason I'm asking is because hopefully I should be expecting cali eggs in a few weeks, my first ever clutch. Do I not need to put lids on the smaller tubs with the eggs in them? Just wondering in case they pip when I'm not there to watch them and move them to the hatching rack - didn't want them going straight onto the heatmat.


 spot on:2thumb: all i did extra is cut a hole in lid of box and nicked the clear lid of one of the exoterra plastic tanks and silicone it in place for a viewing window. works brill.: victory:


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## lee b

just a quick question.do the poly box need ventilation holes in or would lifting the lid daily for a few seconds be ok as mine has water drops on the roof(lid) or should it be like that?


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## Sunseaker

*Mini fridge?*

Mini fridge, can I use it as an incubator? I'v got a tiny 6 litre one which heats too, and it keeps pretty constant 28-29.5C, although I only tested it for a few hours. I'm just wondering if anyone has used them before? I'm thinking if I use a water bath/ large amout of incubation medium the slight changes in air temp should not affect the eggs. Only would the humidity affect the fridge? And how airtight are fridges? Because that would be bad. I'm not going to be incubating any time soon, but figured I may as well ask.


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## LiamRatSnake

Sunseaker said:


> Mini fridge, can I use it as an incubator? I'v got a tiny 6 litre one which heats too, and it keeps pretty constant 28-29.5C, although I only tested it for a few hours. I'm just wondering if anyone has used them before? I'm thinking if I use a water bath/ large amout of incubation medium the slight changes in air temp should not affect the eggs. Only would the humidity affect the fridge? And how airtight are fridges? Because that would be bad. I'm not going to be incubating any time soon, but figured I may as well ask.


If you have space in the fridge when you put your box in, stick a brick in it it will help keep the temps constant, or just fill any space.


----------



## oakelm

LiamRatSnake said:


> If you have space in the fridge when you put your box in, stick a brick in it it will help keep the temps constant, or just fill any space.


Or bottles or tubs of water, completely sealed so they dont affect humidity. Acts as a buffer on the temp.


----------



## ianb

:2thumb::2thumb::2thumb:


----------



## xsmithx2

now have 16 leopard gecko geckos cooking. and all females are gravid. and two are going to drop soon.

and 4 eggs are due any day now woop!


----------



## cdcfckb7

*cheers*

very helpfuyl info


----------



## nogatsira

VikkiGT4 said:


> right so basically all I need to do is get a poly boxs, put a heat mat in the bottom, skewers through the sides for the boxes to sit on, the egg boxes on top of that filled with either vermiculite or moss, the temp probe through so it's hanging in the middle, set temps to what I need them to, control it on a stat and then just put the lid on the poly box?


How do you set temps to what you need them to?
I've put in a heatmat from zoomed in my polybox but it's getting a bit too warm =/


----------



## red foot marg

you need a termostat,habistat pulse stats are the best


----------



## nogatsira

red foot marg said:


> you need a termostat,habistat pulse stats are the best


Ah k!
A thermostat is placed between the electricity thing in wall and the mat?

If you use a mat for lets say leopard geckos, do you need a thermostate as well then?


----------



## carciady

I got a polly box from my fish market, they throw them away.


----------



## deets

*My first crack at an incubator............*

Hi all.......recently I watched yet another Herp nursery from Lucky reptile break down and destroy several clutches of leo eggs. Same old same old main element failure.....out of warranty.....not economically worth the repair with costs for parts and labour prob over cost of a new one. So I sat down and had a think! How and could I make an incubator that was accurate and easy to operate and most importantly......Cheap to make!
I did the usual trawling through the web and was left feeling a tad daunted. The parts etc most were using were quite expensive to buy and finding a suitable 'casing' body was a worry. 
So I did the age old bloke thing...............blitzed through my shed for anything remotely looking like what I needed. Not very productive but I did have a good brainstorming session and found a 22 litre coolbox. 
So I have a case!!!! And a scruffy memory blue print of my design. 
I came up with a very simple idea of side mounted heat mats wired to a 'block' for single wires to output the other side. The blue and brown wires I had here were connected to a Drayton RTS1 room Thermostat with a fixed default range of 10 c to 30c. 
I wired the room stat as follows.........
*All blue (N) wires from mats and one from the mains cable lead I was going to use were bared and joined as one and placed in first block space. Next the brown wires (L) from the mats were bared and joined as one and placed into the next space.
On the block opposite the blue wires I place a single blue wire and a single brown next to it.
On the room stat backplate I placed the single blue wire into the terminal marked N. The brown wire from the mains lead was place at the next terminal marked L. Finally the single brown wire from the block was attatched at the stat backplate terminal marked 3. 
I screwed the backplate into position inside the cool box and attatched its facia and dial, and the wire block underneath safe and secure. The mats are taped to the sides horizontally.
Dial set to 30c put a plug and 3amp fuse onto the mains cable, plugged it in and hey presto!!! Working like a charm and my digi temp sensor is displaying an unwaivering 30c.*

I'm well happy with the result and it is proving to be way more stable and constant than the temps did in my herp nursery. They were constanly up and down in them, but this is bang on the temp I want. 
It cost me the price of the room stat....£8 because the fixing plugs/screws were missing from the pack!! Everything else I had already. 
My herp nurseries together cost me £238.!!!!!!! And both screwed up out of warranty (just).
So there you go..............if I can make one anyone can believe me. 
If I can help anyone with more info plz get in touch I'll even have a go at drawing up some how to bits if that would help.

_*Oh as a footnote.........my Tremper Giant Choc/Albino Fem has just laid 2 eggs!!!!! The dad is a huge giant blazing blizzard. 
Good job I made the incubator and what a relief its works so great too.
What a top day its been...lol!*_


----------



## Hants-snakes

*My Latest Incubator*

Here is my latest incubator. The wine cooler came off ebay as a spares or repair (BIG BONUS IT WORKS: victory A heatmat placed behind the shelves, connected to a stat and a min max thermometer.

all in it cost about £30. it holds temp to +/- 1deg. it helps as the room has AC so holds a steady temp.

OK, so it is not pretty, it does need some work, but most importantly, it works!:2thumb:


----------



## LiamRatSnake

My incubator was extremely simple. I couldn't get hold of a poly box on short notice (I was pesemistic about the whole thing and didn't really think my corn would actually lay). So I used a wilkos plastic fish tank, wrapped it in layers of news paper and cling film, popped in a spare fish tank heater and a brick and filled with water, I tested the water temp with a thermometer and ajusted the heater accordingly. Then I got a tupaware box and stuck some holes in the lid, put some stones in the bottom, to weight it down a bit so it sunk a little, and filled with damp vermiculite, popped in the eggs and covered in a peice of kitchen roll to stop the drips falling on the eggs and floated the box in the water. Et Voila, 100% hatch after 8 weeks exactly, believe it or not lol.


----------



## alan1

nothing hi-tech...

3' viv... raised shelf (or 2, depending on height)... full width heat mat on floor... pulse stat... 
will hold 4 or 8 royal clutches... 

easy as that...


----------



## Brett

awsome guide really helps :2thumb:


----------



## fatpat88

*Great Work*

Some really good ideas for Incubators. Im going to opt for the one below. seems a good bet for keeping temperature fluctuations to a minimum even when checking the eggs.

Ingredients
1 x poly box from shop £freeeeeee!
1 x aquarium thermostatically controlled heater £22
1 x thermometer with remote probe £4 e-bay
1 x ice cream tub £freeeeee!
1 x bag of vermiculite from garden centre £5

What im looking for is info on the thermostatically controlled heater, i have a poly box that is 25cm x 25cm and approx 6litres. Im wanting to know what wattage heater i would be looking for, and will it require to stick up out of the hood of the poly box

thanks in advance
Fraser


----------



## dazook

Declan123 said:


> Heres my current home-made incubator... really simple to make..
> 
> image
> image
> image



I am building a incubator similar to the one above and was wondering if the heat mat needed to be covered as I thought heat mats didnt heat the air...?


----------



## JRoss

Very useful thread. I will be posting one of my designs that is not a still-air incubator but fan operated. I'll have the pics up by next week


----------



## punisher

this is a lot of help 2 me as i did not no how 2 do 1 thanks 2 all of u now i no how thanks :2thumb:


----------



## skink-king

hi i am starting a royal breeding project and was wondering what one would be the best for royals


----------



## Captainmatt29

Well it entirely depends on how much your willing to spend to begin with


----------



## Chapster5

Has anyone got a Wiring Diagram for the thermostat, to control the termpratures of the heatmat/heat tape?

I want to build one of these so i can hatch my sisters bearded dragon eggs and leopard geko eggs. Also do Bearded Dragon and Leopard Geko eggs have to be at different tempratures?


Cheers
Nick


----------



## rogersspider2007

i keep my beardie eggs at 85 and have had 100% hatch.


----------



## Chapster5

Thanks Roger, Ive heard Gekos are at 87 but the lower the templrature they are females. So maybe we will be hatching alot of females heheh

Nick

EDIT

Well i popped to my local pet shop yesterday and managed to pick up a beast of a polystyrene box! Its about 1ft in lenght, half a ft wide, and about 1ft deep. Started work on it to convert it to an incubator:










Inside looks like it has some notches of polystyrene in the corners and along the sides, looks like i can put a wire rack on that to hold the containers:










I put alot of glue around the window to make sure heat wouldnt escape:










So what do you ugys think so far 

Nick


----------



## lee b

Hants-snakes said:


> Here is my latest incubator. The wine cooler came off ebay as a spares or repair (BIG BONUS IT WORKS: victory A heatmat placed behind the shelves, connected to a stat and a min max thermometer.
> 
> all in it cost about £30. it holds temp to +/- 1deg. it helps as the room has AC so holds a steady temp.
> 
> OK, so it is not pretty, it does need some work, but most importantly, it works!:2thumb:
> 
> image


do the tubs in the fridge need venilation holes?


----------



## smart1

lee b said:


> do the tubs in the fridge need venilation holes?


 
you can go for vent holes or no holes .


----------



## oli_171

*nice*

that last one was amazing alot of money but well worth it at the moment i have one of those cooler box ones but by breeding season 2010 i will have a better one or two


----------



## skitz407

top thread!!!!


----------



## onewhite84

on the very first one how do you keep the humidity up


----------



## carlos 09

*poly boxes*

poly boxes,i get them free,veg man uses them for brocolli..big or small :2thumb:


----------



## geckoloverr

what temperature for pygmy chameleon and crestie eggs?


----------



## bruce_angie

Hi i wonder if you can give me some advice. My beardie has laid 26 eggs and I have them in a polystyrene incubator as per your instructions. They are keeping at a steady 29c the humidity seems to be ok the vermiculite/perlite still clumps when you squeeze it together. But when you open the box it smells very musty is this normal? The eggs are looking ok and can see blobs and blood vessels in them so fingers crossed will get some.


----------



## onewhite84

onewhite84 said:


> on the very first one how do you keep the humidity up


anyone know ?


----------



## Greenphase

The humidity is kept up with the moisture in the vermiculite or perlite.If it is starting to dry out then i keep i small bottle of water in all my incubators so i can dampen down the substrate again.You will get a musty smell from the substrate after using it for a while as it never gets to dry out.This is normal and nothing to worry about as long as the eggs are doing well.


----------



## 06baldwint

*???*

Do you have to incubate eggs from reps ??


----------



## onewhite84

Greenphase said:


> The humidity is kept up with the moisture in the vermiculite or perlite.If it is starting to dry out then i keep i small bottle of water in all my incubators so i can dampen down the substrate again.You will get a musty smell from the substrate after using it for a while as it never gets to dry out.This is normal and nothing to worry about as long as the eggs are doing well.


cheers mate :2thumb:


----------



## Burmese-Miles

Thanks for the awsome help mate!


----------



## FatTailGecko15

*Do you know of any cheap way to make fat tail gecko incubator =/ ???*

Hello i was wondering if there is a cheap way to make a home made fat tail incubator with maybe some stuff arround the house ??


----------



## geckoloverr

anyone know what temps to keep pygmy cham eggs at


----------



## HP Exotics

we've had 100% sucsess at 80


----------



## jordan .f.

looks fine id just move the stat sensor
to near the box and not on the mat
though but part from that it look great:2thumb:


----------



## Dotz

*My DIY Incubator*

Ingredients:

1 wine box = free (from parents)
1 or 2 sheets for polystyrene = free (packing from flat pack desk)
2 heat mats = £4 each
Pulse stat = £25
Sealant = £2
vent = a spare one but prob about £1
plastic for viewing hole = free (found round house)
Digital thermometer = £3




















:2thumb:


----------



## BRADLEY1978

fair play helps alot


----------



## karlh

Dotz said:


> Ingredients:
> 
> 1 wine box = free (from parents)
> 1 or 2 sheets for polystyrene = free (packing from flat pack desk)
> 2 heat mats = £4 each
> Pulse stat = £25
> Sealant = £2
> vent = a spare one but prob about £1
> plastic for viewing hole = free (found round house)
> Digital thermometer = £3
> 
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> :2thumb:


 
Thats a really good example :2thumb:


----------



## Dotz

karlh said:


> Thats a really good example :2thumb:


 
Thank you. : victory:


----------



## Big Red One

*Home Made - 20 quid all in !*

Hi Guys,

just thought I'd add my own effort on the thread..

5 pound fridge off fleabay - 15 quid pulse stat and freebie mat I got in a deal. 
Holding steady at a nice 83.7 to 84.3 now for a few days, looking good if I do say so myself !! 




























And normally I'm more a Pepsi boy - but at least it's RED !!!! :2thumb:


----------



## tonkaz0

Big Red One said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> just thought I'd add my own effort on the thread..
> 
> 5 pound fridge off fleabay - 15 quid pulse stat and freebie mat I got in a deal.
> Holding steady at a nice 83.7 to 84.3 now for a few days, looking good if I do say so myself !!
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And normally I'm more a Pepsi boy - but at least it's RED !!!! :2thumb:


 

Dude you should have used Diet coke that stuffs bad for them!:bash:,:lol2:.


----------



## ghostcornsnake

my incubator my female corn snake is about 8 days pregnant i can see on her some bits of her checker paterning on her side where shes geting a bit fater so in about 5-7 weeks she will be laying eggs so i tested my incubator for a couple of days and temp was going from 84-85 i checkt every hour and the humidity was 92 so all is good :2thumb:


----------



## divvydamo666

nice:2thumb:


----------



## ricardo1

*Hey everyone*

*just a note to say make sure the probe from the stat can not come out of the poly box/ fridge or what ever you use .... tie wrap it in or some thing lost 60 odd leo gecko eggs a few years back*

*cooked gecko eggs any one :lol2:*


----------



## ghostcornsnake

my stat probe is taped to the side of the box with the vermiculite in at the level of the vermiculit it is also tape on the outside os box to keep it there.


----------



## mack_snow

This is a brilliant thread! Im very impressed! Gna try my hand at making one


----------



## JRoss

Hey guys i've compiled a big pdf file of all the designs on here and accompanying design notes for everyone to have as a permanent resource. It will be finished on April 1st. Just inbox me!!


----------



## mokey28

how do we post pics on here off my computer


----------



## karlh

I will have to get some pictures up this weekend of an incubator I'm using right now for Hognose eggs. 

Just the good ol' fish tank method! An aquarium heater, reliable digital thermometer and small RUB - holds temps very well! 

Pictures to follow, along with my animals which I have been meaning to do for some time. :2thumb:


----------



## 4ftfreedom

i have just obtained an old beer fridge, its 2ft x 3ft x 1.5ft (whd) 

is this too big for an incubator?

if not, do i need to line it or strip it out?

it has a double glazed glass door whicj i wanted so i dont have to keep opening the door


----------



## mack_snow

Hi,
I just need a few questions answered:

- Do I leave the lids on the cricket boxes(with the eggs in) when there in the incubator? 

- I have made a polly box incubator with a matstat & Heatmat with a shelf and windows so i can see the eggs etc. do i need a computer fan to circulate the air? or is it ok air tight?

- While the eggs are cooking do i need to keep the vermiculite moist?

Thanks
Justine​


----------



## mack_snow

Anyone?


----------



## mokey28

hello mac snow um i keep the lids on my tubs while they r in the incubator but i put 2 little slits in the top so some of the moister can get out and dont make the eggs moldy and yeah you should cheack them bout once a week and maybe give um a little spry i keep the spray bottle in my incbator so it is the same temp as the eggs when i spray it in


----------



## mack_snow

Thank you Monkey28 :2thumb:


----------



## chanty

Is there any make thermometers and hygrometers that are more reliable/better to get for the polybox incubators?

Chantelle


----------



## lewisdark86

fab thread:2thumb:


----------



## deano955

i need to go make one of these as i think my agamas have been getting it on so big help :lol2::no1:


----------



## anna2008

*heating and humidity readings in a homemade incubator*























































i built my own incubator the other day and i put a digital thermostat and a digital hygrometer 


at the moment the digital hygrometer is reading at a steady 89%

and the thermostat is reading between 90-100f


is this the right temp for leopard gecko eggs?

ive read in a gevko care book it is but would rather have advice from someone on here


----------



## TEENY

No snazzy pics but just to say i am using one of the poly box ones at the moment and it seems to be working just fine so far. No real change in temps, humidity is great and eggs look fab


----------



## dazspark

for royals does cooking the eggs at a certain temp define whether they are male or female hatchlings 
if it does what are the temps ????
thanks for all the valued info


----------



## Burmtastic

*Freezer*

Ok this may sound like a daft qestion...but can you use and old freezer aswell as an old fridge??:whistling2:


----------



## schumi

this is the 2ND time Ive had success with the poly-box incubator.
Ive just hatched 26 beardies and 10 cwd today with 100% hatch rate I'm using a pulse stat which kept temps steady 
cant fault the good old poly-box incubator :2thumb:


----------



## dazspark

congrats m8 will have to get piccy up soon then so we can all share in your joy


----------



## schumi

thanks mate theirs piccys up on the breeding thread of my little dragons


----------



## Blackecho

Those that have built their own Poly Box incubators and have their heat mats on the side or lid, how do you attach the heat mats?

Cheers.


----------



## alan1

get the right size mat to hold itself in place?


----------



## Sziren

I used paper clips. Open them up, and then put them at an angle over the corners... push through the polybox... if that makes any sense...lol


----------



## Blackecho

alan1 said:


> get the right size mat to hold itself in place?


Its a big polybox.


----------



## Blackecho

Sziren said:


> I used paper clips. Open them up, and then put them at an angle over the corners... push through the polybox... if that makes any sense...lol


Yep, makes perfect sense, cheers.


----------



## Nodders

I built a poly box with pulse stat , used that silver tape , forget the name , used that to hold down the mat , shoved some bamboo cane through cut to the right size , made decent shelving . 

Over a period of 2 weeks to test it , it never gained or lost a half degree , was perfect .


----------



## shesha_royal

thanks hun this thread has been really helpful ! have you considered making them for people and selling them? ill need one for this season, was looking to spend 40/50 quid on one at xmas


----------



## Musquito

*incubator*

Hi
Did you make any hole in the incubator itself? Does your container with eggs also have holes in?

Thanks


----------



## sooty

bump: victory:


----------



## joe19

Greenphase said:


> Ok here are 4 different incubators that i have built myself over the last couple of years.All work well and some better than others for different species.
> 
> I will start with my first polybox method
> 
> First go to your local aquatics shop and get a decent size poly box.Mine takes 3 large cadburies tubs which was adequate for corn snake eggs.
> 
> I placed a heat mat on the bottom of the tub and then used a couple of old glass runners in there to creat a shelf.
> image
> 
> Then i placed the three tubs which were filled to two thirds height with damp vermiculite on the shelf and placed the probe and thermometer.
> image
> 
> Then in the lid i cut three holes(one for each tub) and siliconed three cd covers over it to make veiwing windows.
> image
> 
> As said this worked very well for corn snakes and hatched out many eggs with a success rate of around 99% incubating at 88 degrees i could expect hatchlings at 49 days.Total cost was around £40 as it is on a mat stat
> 
> The second poly box i set up for my wifesbearded dragon eggs.
> 
> I again went and got a poly box this time slightly deeper and fixed a heatmat to the lid of the box.
> image
> 
> I then filled the poly box to around half full with damp vermiculite and placed the probe.
> image
> 
> My wife has since hatched out 4 clutches of bearie eggs with a 100% hatch rate incubating at 86 degrees and hatchlings pipped at 55 days.Total cost around £35 as it is also a mat stat


Looking good!Nice one.:2thumb:


----------



## cagnaj96

would this be an ok thermostat for an incubator

Warrington Pets & Exotics - For All Your Pets And Their Needs


----------



## atnas666

Hi guys is a dimming stat useable for the 1st method as I have a spare of these does need to be pulse? And y?

Cheers guys


----------



## fcfighter

*probe*

Ive heard the probe should be inside the egg box within the polybox, my question would be how to put the probe in a box with a lid on and no holes in it?


----------



## Big Red One

atnas666 said:


> Hi guys is a dimming stat useable for the 1st method as I have a spare of these does need to be pulse? And y?
> 
> Cheers guys


Pulse is best by far ! :2thumb:



fcfighter said:


> Ive heard the probe should be inside the egg box within the polybox, my question would be how to put the probe in a box with a lid on and no holes in it?


erm, drill/heated drill bit ?
:lol2:

It will be fine just in the polybox though........


----------



## michellew

Can also use a soldering iron to make holes.
Our problem is humidity - any ideas on lowering it without losing heat?


----------



## smart1

Blackecho said:


> Yep, makes perfect sense, cheers.


try using aquarium sealent i use it and have had no problems:2thumb:


----------



## Lord Monty

so much easier to just sit on the eggs for a few months....:whistling2:


----------



## jrcash4321

Quik question... with the poly box incubators, does there need to be any holes in the actual incubator or just in the egg box? this is for royal eggs by the way. Cheers.


----------



## Nodders

jrcash4321 said:


> Quik question... with the poly box incubators, does there need to be any holes in the actual incubator or just in the egg box? this is for royal eggs by the way. Cheers.


The incubator has no holes in it , the lids make perfect seals .


----------



## jenbacher

Very helpful I have just built the first listed for my dragon eggs that are due soon do you think this will work ?? Xx


----------



## lusisticlee

wanted to ask, how did you connect 3 heat mats (mini fridge one) to one pulse stat?

just got a stella beer fridge took the pipping out ready for my 2nd clutch of eggs

1st egg maybe infertile its still not hardened up after a week


----------



## JRoss

Hey Guys,

More than a year ago i had compiled all of the info on this thread into an extensive pdf guide for everyone to refer to. A few people emailed me recently about obtaining a copy, but i do not have the document anymore. I have contacted a friend who I had sent to about a year ago and she is going to get back to me. However, i realised that the pdf is quite outdated as some very unique designs have been posted recently. I will continue to update this pdf and make it available online somewhere with 24/7 access in case my computer decides to give up on me again. Maybe reptileforums will host it for us. I'll be in touch shortly.


----------



## mattsdragons

i have just got the stuff for a poly box incubator ready for my honduran eggs, ill set it up once i notice her developing eggs and keep it running for a good couple of weeks to be sure its all ok


----------



## xxx-dztini-xxx

with the bearded dragon one, how humid does it have to be? do you have to keep spraying the vermiculite (and the eggs then as they will in the vermiculite?) is that right?


----------



## eddy

....but where do you get poly boxes from?







jus :censor: with ya, lol, how many pages did it take for people to stop askin that!?

mine is poly box - very much no frills, lots of gaffer tape, but for some reason my heatmat couldnt get close to the right temp, with or without a thermostat. seemingly i'm the only one on here who that's happened to, otherwise i guess someone would have asked, but just in case it crops up, i got round it using a light fitting from wilkinsons that's attached to a sprung clamp (because it was the only light fitting they had that wasnt for mains wiring) and i gaffer taped this to the floor, then put a little 10w pigmy bulb in. hooked up to the stat as usual, straight up to temp, & never fluctuates, just pops on & off, which is irritating if you try & sleep in teh spare room =D

(spare bulbs handy of course just in case - i just make sure to check the temps any time i go in & the light is off)


----------



## Ben86

I like the second incubator. When mixing vermiculite with water and placing this in the bottom of the box can the eggs go directly on the vermiculite or would you use tubs?? do you need to use lifs on tubs? will that hold the humidity throughout the incubation period?


----------



## Greenphase

Ben86 said:


> I like the second incubator. When mixing vermiculite with water and placing this in the bottom of the box can the eggs go directly on the vermiculite or would you use tubs?? do you need to use lifs on tubs? will that hold the humidity throughout the incubation period?


When using the second incubator i always used toplace the eggs directly onto the verviculite. Just make sure it is well mixed when you add the water and then squeeezed out properly or you willend up with water in the bottom of the tub.With the lid on and the humidity built up i found that i didnt have any problems with keeping it moist and because there was around 6 inches space from the lid to the eggs i didnt get any moisture build up on the lid due to the heat mat being above the eggs.


----------



## Greenphase

lusisticlee said:


> wanted to ask, how did you connect 3 heat mats (mini fridge one) to one pulse stat?
> 
> just got a stella beer fridge took the pipping out ready for my 2nd clutch of eggs
> 
> 1st egg maybe infertile its still not hardened up after a week


Sorry i have been offline for a while and didnt see your post. I use 600 watt pulse stats on all my incubators so its really just a case of connecting the cables together and running them of the one stat and moving the probe around until the incubator reaches the required temps.This is the reason that i always build my incubators when i pair animals up so that i am ready for any eggs that are laid. Better to be prepared than to be caught of gaurd.


----------



## Greenphase

xxx-dztini-xxx said:


> with the bearded dragon one, how humid does it have to be? do you have to keep spraying the vermiculite (and the eggs then as they will in the vermiculite?) is that right?


 if everything is set up correctly in the beginning then there should be no need to spray the vermiculite. I always had a bottle of water in the incubator in case but then if i needed it i sprayed around the edge of the tub. Never spray the eggs directly as this will damage them as all reptile eggs are porous


----------



## 0123456789

Bit of a noob, do you really need an incubator? doesn't the mother like to protect her eggs? In the wild how does the animal make an incunator?

as formentioned a noob


----------



## eightball

0123456789 said:


> Bit of a noob, do you really need an incubator? doesn't the mother like to protect her eggs? In the wild how does the animal make an incunator?
> 
> as formentioned a noob


you dont REALLY need one, but people have one for 2 main reasons

while the female is incubating the eggs herself, she wont eat during that period therefore she wont be building her weight back up (expecially if intentions for the breeder was to breed again the following year)

the other reason is that the hatch rate using an incubator is higher than what it would be if it was the female incubating the eggs

and in south africa, locals place incubators around the place and the snakes find it and lay there eggs there and come back 2 months later to collect :whistling2:


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## 0123456789

eightball said:


> you dont REALLY need one, but people have one for 2 main reasons
> 
> while the female is incubating the eggs herself, she wont eat during that period therefore she wont be building her weight back up (expecially if intentions for the breeder was to breed again the following year)
> 
> the other reason is that the hatch rate using an incubator is higher than what it would be if it was the female incubating the eggs
> 
> and in south africa, locals place incubators around the place and the snakes find it and lay there eggs there and come back 2 months later to collect :whistling2:


Ok understand now


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## Greenphase

Another reason for incubating the eggs yourself is that it has been known in the past for snakes to incubate maternally and eggs to go bad causing a serious health risk to the mother.

By taking the eggs away and artificially incubating them it removes the risk. In some cases even removing the eggs from the mother does not mean that she will feed again. My burmese wont eat until the first eggs pips.


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## rep-it

A lot of people seem to make them with the heat pad on the bottom, i tried it but had a problem with too much humidity building up on the inside of the lids of the tubs, (yes the tubs were raised above the pad) i moved the heat pad to the top facing down but then my eggs dented (to dry) i found the best place was to stick the heat mat to the back wall of the polybox and happy days.


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## snewchybewchy

Greenphase said:


> Ok here are 4 different incubators that i have built myself over the last couple of years.All work well and some better than others for different species.
> 
> I will start with my first polybox method
> 
> First go to your local aquatics shop and get a decent size poly box.Mine takes 3 large cadburies tubs which was adequate for corn snake eggs.
> 
> I placed a heat mat on the bottom of the tub and then used a couple of old glass runners in there to creat a shelf.
> image
> 
> Then i placed the three tubs which were filled to two thirds height with damp vermiculite on the shelf and placed the probe and thermometer.
> image
> 
> Then in the lid i cut three holes(one for each tub) and siliconed three cd covers over it to make veiwing windows.
> image
> 
> As said this worked very well for corn snakes and hatched out many eggs with a success rate of around 99% incubating at 88 degrees i could expect hatchlings at 49 days.Total cost was around £40 as it is on a mat stat
> 
> The second poly box i set up for my wifesbearded dragon eggs.
> 
> I again went and got a poly box this time slightly deeper and fixed a heatmat to the lid of the box.
> image
> 
> I then filled the poly box to around half full with damp vermiculite and placed the probe.
> image
> 
> My wife has since hatched out 4 clutches of bearie eggs with a 100% hatch rate incubating at 86 degrees and hatchlings pipped at 55 days.Total cost around £35 as it is also a mat stat


 
does this method work for royal pythons ?


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## rsklReptiles

Im going to buy a husky, am i right thinking i put a pc fan in the top blowing down with a heatmat on the back running off a pulse stat and a digi thermostat/ hygrometer in a test tub to make sure its all fine
Has anyone else used a husky and has pictures and details on the setup?


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## Sooty_

Can anyone tell me at what temperature to set at for my bearded dragon eggs to hatch as female?


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## chewy86

Using the polybox, mat on lid, eggs on vermiculite, wouldnt it be quite dry? Would filling the box a bit with water then having a tub of eggs sat on a rod shelf, as mentioned in the other design be better for humidity and steady temps?


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## bigwood32

I'm thinking of using a cooler box to make my incubator (the type you put beer in to keep it cold) as this would be a good insulator to keep the heat in. I think it would keep it humid too but my only concern is that it would be too humid possibly. What would be the best way to reduce humidity if it got too high?


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## Jasberfloob

INCUBATOR - BROODER - FAN ASSISTED - HOLDS -.25 EGGS - TEMP/HUM GAUGE INCLUDED! | eBay

Anyone had any experience of using an incubator from these guys?

Thought it might be easier to buy one for £45 instead of spending £40+ on all the materials


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## Jack W

Good thread. :2thumb:


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## benjaybo

Jack W said:


> Good thread. :2thumb:


it is matey should really be more people on here helping each other an such hopefully will get going better need more comments haha:2thumb:


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## niccky

superb. think my collareds are about to breed so looking at this now so can get it right before eggs arrive.

which is better mat on bottom or mat on top.

i have poly box and vermiculite on order and have a mat and mat stat hanging around.

is there anything else i would need


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## danbenb

just a quick (may make me look daft) question

ive not seen or heard anyone use any type of ventilation, is this not neccessary for clean air?

thanks


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## ItsExiled

danbenb said:


> just a quick (may make me look daft) question
> 
> ive not seen or heard anyone use any type of ventilation, is this not neccessary for clean air?
> 
> thanks


you just lift the lid of the tubs for a few seconds every week: victory:


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## StaneyWid

Id def like to see oppinions on this as well

Some reason ive had better results with home made incubators (Even a tool box with a brick in it,water and a fish tank heater) Than i have with the luck reptile incs etc in the more recent years

Altho keeping a right temp and air is alot more difficult spesh cos humidity is so touch and go :whistling2:


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## Jibjab

When using the digital thermometer probe where should the probe go, my first thought is ontop of the vermiculite so i know what temp the actuall eggs are at is this right ?
ta


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## Greenphase

I always work with 2 digital thermometers now. I place one on the substrate and the other i leave suspended in the air. This way i can adjust temps as and when i need to,


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## Jibjab

Fair enoughski, wont need it for a while but i want my plan perfect before i buy a single bit
thankyous


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## chaz1620

*re polly box*

hiya my beardy laid eggs on boxing day her first clutch. we didnt know she would be ready so soon but we have got them in a mini fridge at the moment which can be used hot and its keeping the egs at a controlled temp . but im not sure my other female isnt getting ready to lay also !!!! 
any way i have got a large polly box 15"x23" i had planned to get a large heat mat and some cooling racks to pop over it to put boxes with eggs on top and also a thermostat is this gonna do the job??
chaz


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## Hutchie91

awesome gonna try this idea! cheers


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## rsklReptiles

Mine is a old fridge with a window cut out the front then 2 sheets of 6mm glass sealed to make a double glazed front window

Iv got a 250watt ceramic heater on the bottom with a PC fan blowing it with 2 more PC fans on the top blowing back down to circulate warm air

Works brilliantly

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2


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## Liam17

For the poly box method. Where is it better to place the heat mat? Lid or bottom?


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## Stihl260

Next project.
I bought the below off ebay:
Bargain i thought and it even works perfectly as a fridge,lol
Because it a commercial display one that came out of a chip shop it has the strip light already built in.

CORNELIUS COUNTER TOP DISPLAY FRIDGE | eBay

What do you think?


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## Stihl260

At the moment i have A clutch of Corn eggs in this off ebay:
INCUBATOR - BROODER - FAN ASSISTED - IDEAL FOR HATCHING BIRD EGGS & REPTILES ! | eBay

As i have no previous experience of incubators, i had about a week to get one sorted before she laid.
So the above was a simple solution.

Its pretty simple construction:
1 poly box, 
12 volt power supply.
12 volt bulb in a holder on the box roof as as heat source, with a stat on top and a computer case fan inside for air circulation.
simple hole already cut out with perspex viewing window.



All i added was a digital temp probe and readout , as i felt this was more accurate than the dial type they supplied. 

I already had a tub with a removable grid that i bought from asda years ago.
Half filled with damp vermiculite and sit the plastic grid on top.

I may be wrong, but because the eggs are sat on the grid and not directly on the Verm, maybe mould will be less of an issue?

Humidity is good in the tub and the incubator is holding between 82 and 83 degrees.

As this is my first time doing this only time will tell with results.

About 4 weeks left to go, will post results then.


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## rsklReptiles

Didnt think corns needed an incubator?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2


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## Stihl260

rosswaa said:


> Didnt think corns needed an incubator?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2


Certainly do , if you were to leave them in the viv you just would struggle with maintaining the optimum temp and humidity levels.

As the eggs are sitting at 82 to 83 degrees F in the incubator and the mother in her viv is sat at in the 70 range of F.

Plus the incubator is a far more controlled environment.

Your in Spalding Too, now it certainly is a small world,lol

What reps to you keep?


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## rsklReptiles

Stihl260 said:


> Certainly do , if you were to leave them in the viv you just would struggle with maintaining the optimum temp and humidity levels.
> 
> As the eggs are sitting at 82 to 83 degrees F in the incubator and the mother in her viv is sat at in the 70 range of F.
> 
> Plus the incubator is a far more controlled environment.
> 
> Your in Spalding Too, now it certainly is a small world,lol
> 
> What reps to you keep?


Ahhh thought they were to temp incubators
You from Spalding then I guess?
Iv got 11 royals with 11 eggs incubating, a bosc monitor, a ambilobe panther cham. And a load of multis to try and keep cost of feeding down lol

You?

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2


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## Stihl260

rosswaa said:


> Ahhh thought they were to temp incubators
> You from Spalding then I guess?
> Iv got 11 royals with 11 eggs incubating, a bosc monitor, a ambilobe panther cham. And a load of multis to try and keep cost of feeding down lol
> 
> You?
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2


Thats a good collection you have there, a bit of variety.

Yes i'm from Spalding Too, not far from Springfields and Jacks Chip shop.
I know what you mean regards to cost of feeding, i buy mine in bulk from Sherwood pets in Nottingham (mainly because i work out that way).
I ain't paying Baytree's prices,lol

They seem to be trying to get into Reps in a big way, but like most Pet places advice is questionable (depends who is on at the time) at best and they are just there to make money and try to sell you the most expensive stuff they can.

I only keep corns at the mo, 3 males and 1 female all different morphs.
15 eggs in the cooker at the mo.
Picking up another female this week.

I have scaled back a bit as we did get up to 9 at one point.

just trying to sort out future pairings and learning about the genetics side of things.

A Lot of help and advice from others along the way and i'm getting there.

Im going to Donny for the first time this year, so hopefully will come back with some more stock.

Toying with the idea of trying something different, like geckos as well as my corns.

Beardies are popular at the mo, but i like the different morphs that high end geckos breeders are producing .


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## rsklReptiles

Just picked this double glass fridge up I won on eBay for £20.










This will be my new little project. Will be fitting a light in there. Think I might stick with ceramic bulbs as the heating element , for some reason i just don't like heatmats lol


Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## Stihl260

rosswaa said:


> Just picked this double glass fridge up I won on eBay for £20.
> 
> image
> 
> This will be my new little project. Will be fitting a light in there. Think I might stick with ceramic bulbs as the heating element , for some reason i just don't like heat mats lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


Thats a real Bargain you got there mate, well done.
You could always try using heat wire, such as used in racking systems with a stat.
I just think that may give you a more even temp inside, where as ceramics will give you a hot spot, unless you going to use a fan to circulate the warm air for more even temp across the different levels in the incubator.


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## rsklReptiles

Never thought of that. In the on I have at the moment the air is circulated by fans. I'll look into the heat cable

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


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## Reptile Stef

Bought this of eBay a few weeks back and got it all set up and it holds temps perfectly..


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## tegrey2008

rsklReptiles said:


> Just picked this double glass fridge up I won on eBay for £20.
> 
> image
> 
> This will be my new little project. Will be fitting a light in there. Think I might stick with ceramic bulbs as the heating element , for some reason i just don't like heatmats lol
> 
> 
> Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta


i have the same fridge for an incubator and i have it running at 89 with a 2ft tube heater running on a 600w pulse stat and a computer fan to circulate the air.


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## craigy88

ok so im hoping to get my first clutch of eggs in the new year. pairing my royals atm so don't know what to expect to be honest. but I have a 3ft viv I was hoping to convert in to an incubator. so I spose I was hoping for some advice on the best way to convert it if it is plausible. I already have the viv with with ceramic bulb fitted although I do plan on moving it. I also have an on/off stat but im not certain this is best for the job ? if anyone could PM me with help that would be great

thanks craig


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## rsklReptiles

craigy88 said:


> ok so im hoping to get my first clutch of eggs in the new year. pairing my royals atm so don't know what to expect to be honest. but I have a 3ft viv I was hoping to convert in to an incubator. so I spose I was hoping for some advice on the best way to convert it if it is plausible. I already have the viv with with ceramic bulb fitted although I do plan on moving it. I also have an on/off stat but im not certain this is best for the job ? if anyone could PM me with help that would be great
> 
> thanks craig


You want a pulse stat or one of the digital habistat on/offs. They can keep temps to 0.1 degree. The normal on/offs are useless for incubators.
I'm not sure about converting though so done else will have to help, I only know fridges lol
Good luck with your pairings 

Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk


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## craigy88

thanks bud. I just found a habistat dimming stat. would that work ?


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## Iulia

what a great thread! was just pricing incubators (for the eggs I don't have yet) :lol2:

would the polybox method work with a RUB do you think? or would they not insulate enough?

Reason being I seem to have an endless amount of occasionally used rubs kicking around ...


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## wolfgirl246

hi, 

i have my poly box, heat mat is on order. 

but my question is -----

has anyone ever used the polychips as a layer ? I'm not sure I'm explaining it right


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## Leehamandcheese

For the first method do you have to make the vermiculite damp once and the. It stays damp or do you have to keep damping it thanks


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## Azastral

One of my bearded dragons has layed her first ever clutch, out of 12 eggs only three appeared fertile, and she layed them far earlier than expected so we hadnt managed to put an incubator together. (We thought we had three weeks yet, and i am guessing she had somehow managed to have a sneaky session with one of the boys when i have cleaned the vivariums out!)

I have got an old vivarium that i have cleaned out, and bought a plastic tub to go inside it, the plastic tub is about 3 inches deep with water and has an aquarium heater in it set to 85F, theres two stacks of tiles in the water on which is sat a plastic tub with vermiculite and the tub sits about inch into the water, the vermiculite is about two inches deep, damp (i was told get it wet till you can squeeze it and it sticks together, but doesnt pour out water).

Because of the levels of humidity, i havent closed the lids on the plastic tubs but instead left a centrimetre wide gap along the side to allow air flow, the vivarium doors are closed.

There is condensation on the inside of the large tub, and also out onto the vivarium doors, not really on the inner tub though. Surface temperature of the vermiculite is staying between 83.5 and 85.5F (the aquarium heater seems to be pretty accurate in holding the water temp within a few degrees F and i am using a heat gun to measure surface temperatures)

I know this isnt ideal, but it was the best i could put together at such short notice. What i am wondering, is will it do the job?
Should i be panicking and making a proper incubator or buying one asap?

With only three of the eggs being fertile to begin with i am really anxious about these its the first time i have had eggs to look after and its my females first ever clutch i feel quiet a lot of pressure over it!

I incubated the ones that were infertile, or i now believe were infertile (yellowish brown tint and sand stuck to them and wouldnt brush off, and were half the size of the white ones) but after three days there was no sign of improvement so i have put them in the freezer.


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