# anyone done a homemade incubator?



## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Im looking at the reptile incubators on ebay and they seem really basic.
Has anyone ever made one?
What did you use?
I have a spare thermostat and a big heat mat if a heat mat would be enough heat?
Then all I would need is a polystyrene box and.... anything else?

Any advice would be great, thanks alot.


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## damo (Jan 4, 2007)

Dito????


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## Beardies (Sep 30, 2006)

vermiculite (some people use moss) to put in the incubator i made one but somebody offered to incuabte my eggs for me instead lol which helped me out as i was hardly around at the time
But you need a bowl of water for humidity
thermometer and one for humididty i forget what they are called

i think thats what i had : victory:


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Is a heat mat enough to heat it? Do the eggs sit in the moss?

Thanks.


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

Beardies said:


> vermiculite (some people use moss) to put in the incubator i made one but somebody offered to incuabte my eggs for me instead lol which helped me out as i was hardly around at the time
> But you need a bowl of water for humidity
> thermometer and one for humididty i forget what they are called
> 
> i think thats what i had : victory:


Hygrometer-We spray our incubators daily at work to keep the humidity up
Ben


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## Beardies (Sep 30, 2006)

ah thats what they called lol i never remember :lol2:

The heat mat should heat it enough but i dunno if it depends on the size of your heatmat to incubator though maybe somebody else can answer that...........

The eggs sit in the vermiculite or moss


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

You leave the incubator in the viv of the breeding pair and if gravid, the female should lay in the box-usually just a couple of inches under the surface, it's a good idea to have some kind of hide on when the female is laying-afterwards take out and heat with heat mat (That's how we do it anyway...)
Ben


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## Beardies (Sep 30, 2006)

My corn had a laying box she laid them all in there except one (infertile) as i didnt know she was gravid (long story its on here somehwere) 
Then her eggs were put into the incubator : victory:


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

So, we could put a small polystyrene box in full of moss, leave until they have laid eggs. Take it out, put the lid on, put a thermostat on and a heatmat then just leave it? Spray every day for humidity. Does the box need any holes in for ventilation or anything? And have a temp and humidity gauge in there.

Thanks.


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

Have holes to prevent mould growing, alternitavely, just don't use a lid...
Ben


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## Beardies (Sep 30, 2006)

yep its pretty simple really 
good luck with your incubator : victory:


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Ok, thanks alot Ill let you know how it goes!


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## SnakeBreeder (Mar 11, 2007)

My incubator is a 4 foot long viv.
Heat is via a 120 watt heater on a pulse stat at 27-29oC.
I have a 12 volt fan runnng to prevent hot and cooler areas.
No real insulation as such apart from some bubble wrap in it.
The eggs go in plastic boxes with vermiculite and I just stack the boxes inside the heated viv.

Stephen


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Could a cricket tub work as a lay box? Then just take it out and put that on a heat mat with a stat? Without the lid on it?


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## shiva&kaa123 (Jul 20, 2007)

I would opt for something bigger and flatter personally...
Ben


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## Beardies (Sep 30, 2006)

As far as i know the lay box needs to be big enough for the snake to fit in so if the snake can fit in a cricket box then shes too small to breed lol

I used a small contico in the middle of the viv with a towel over it and moss inside it and the lid open about 4 inches so she could get in and out and she laid them in there no probs.
Aslong as its snug and cosey she will feel safe enough to lay her eggs


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## Catherine896 (Jul 27, 2007)

Its a crested gecko. Im getting a trio of them tonight and as they are laying want to have something there for them.
Thanks.


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## Muzz (Aug 3, 2007)

what i use is a:
large plastic fish tank
tropical fish water heater
small plastic fish (cricket) tank
and vermiculite
i damp the vermuculite into the cricket tank and fill the big tank half full with water then put the fish heater into the water to heat it up to 29 degrees 85 farenhight for leo eggs and then just let the small cricket tub float onto the water and add water to the vermiculite to keep it damp each week, it works fine for me.

and it all cost me about £34


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## tom1400 (Jan 21, 2007)

homemade ones are usually made out of polystyrene box's or old fridges.


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