Closet method or incubator????

[morhart]

Hey guys. In the next few weeks my female panther will hopefully be laying her eggs. She is gravid now. Just wondering what the best way to incubate them would be? Or should I try both ways with half eggs. I would like to know your exact methods. Thanks

 

[Dez]

Hey guys. In the next few weeks my female panther will hopefully be laying her eggs. She is gravid now. Just wondering what the best way to incubate them would be? Or should I try both ways with half eggs. I would like to know your exact methods. Thanks

I use the closet method with success... but I also live inf FL where the house doesn't get very cold... Where do you live?

 

[morhart]

I live in Canada. So it gets pretty cold. Now that it's winter. So that's why I was kind of leaning toward incubator. To keep constant temperature

 

[Dez]

Yes, I would go with the incubator then. I keep my eggs between 72 and 80 degree range with humidity about 85% They usually hatch in about 7 or 8 months.

 

[kinyonga]

I live in Ontario and for over 20 years I have used a home-made "incubator"...and have hatched several types of turtles, lots of geckos, coneheads, waterdragons, and of course chameleons....all on this "incubator". It consists of a human heating pad (the type that has 3 heat settings). I made a wooden form out of 2" x 2" wood pieces to fit over the heating pad and put screen on top of the wood frame to support the containers that I incubate the eggs in. Shims can be used to raise the frame to get the temperature in the right range (usually around 74F) in the incubation containers.

The temperature will fluctuate a couple of degrees during the day/night because the containers are not in a closed in space. It has not been a problem.

The containers I use are shoebox sized tupperware type containers that are half full of slightly moist coarse grained vermiculite. I punch two very very tiny holes in the lids...put the eggs in rows in the containers, spaced about 1" apart in all directions...and put the lids on. To test the vermiculite for moisture...when a handful of it is taken and squeezed, no more than a drop or two of water should come out of it. Moisture will form on the insides of the container walls and on the underside of the lid.

Hope this helps!

 

[morhart]

alright. ill try this out. i heard and read that if you increase the temp couple degrees every couple months this helps pass diapuase? does anyone know if this is true, sometimes eggs hatch in 5-7 months rather than 9-12

 

[kinyonga]

I've never increased (or decreased) the temperature intentionally.
With veileds, for instance, I've had close to 100% hatch rate of fertile eggs and about a 95% survival rate at 3 months of age...so I've never changed anything.

You don't want to push the egg hatching time too far or you may end up with baby chameleons that are not healthy.

 

[morhart]

ya. i dont wanna rush them. was just curious. longer the better, got to set them up a sweet new home in the mean time

 

[kinyonga]

I hate to say it but the longer the better isn't really true either...they need to fall within the parameters that they would hatch in when they are laid in the wild.

 

[morhart]

that is usually 7-10 months?

 

[diablocham]

if where u live the temperatures are cold,ill go for the incubator,but if the temperatures are like in between not to cold and not to hot,ill do the closet method,i live in ca,so there's no need of incubator,like someone said u dont need an expensive and fancy incubator if u have the temperatures already....

 

[KCcham]

I use the closet method and usually have around a 9 month wait. This year has been a bit different tho. I live in KC and this past summer it was well into the 100's with super high humidity. My brand new AC couldn't keep up and the temps in my house were pushing 90 for about a week. The eggs in the closet took over 12 months to hatch. By no means am I saying that this would always happen if the temps spike, it rather just a one time data point.

 

[yankfanthom]

I use the ExoTerra at a constant 74. So far so good.

 

[Beachbabies]

i used to be a huge incubator fan, but my new reptipro that i just bought in April crapped out 3 months ago. i believe all 247 eggs are no longer viable. since it can get really cold in canada, i would recomend a large cooler, kept in a warmer room in the house, upper 60s-low 70s would be ideal. thatway even the ambient temp would fluctueate, the cooler would help maintain a more consistant temp. just make sure you open it briefly
9w/ the lights off) once a week or so to allow for air exchange.

 

[imcurt]

I have had sucess with the closet method as well. In the winter our house drop to 62 at night and stays 70 during the day .in the summer time night temp is mid 60s, during the day our house stays under 75 due to AC. my spring hatch is between 8-9 months. my fall hatch is under 8 months for the most part. How ever I recently picked up a incuibator. I currently have eggs in both .

 

[mcleodschams]

i also live in canada i live in ontario and i have my first veild cluch in a honemade incubater in my room its just a styro box that they ship stuff in about an inch thick and cut a square out of the top put a groove around the edge and then cut a piece of plexi glass with silicone for aquariums i seeled the plexi over the square to slide i the groove and sealed again from the outside edge cut an oven rack to fit water in the bottom set my thermostat for 75-80 and i have had np with humidity or temps sometimes i have to opn the lid a bit during te day but i check them two or three times a day too lol but there are over 60 eggs in there from my girls first clutch with me but second of her life they are all still healthy 3 1/2 months in

 

[Undertow11]

My only advice is to use a separate thermometer and hygrometer. Do not rely on the thermostat in your house OR in your incubator. I have used several different types of incubators and I have found that the thermostat on the incubator is often off by at least a few degrees. With some observation, you can make the changes necessary to correct any variances (for example, I have an incubator that is consistently off by 4 degrees when it's set in the mid-70's... so I leave it set at 78 degrees to achieve an actual temp of 74 degrees, whereas if I were to set it to 74 degrees on the thermostat, I would achieve an actual temp of 70 degrees when measured by an independent thermometer). Also, some parts of my house are usually cooler or warmer than others, so I leave my thermostat at 70 - 72, but if I want to know the exact temp in my back closet, I refer to a digital thermometer placed in the closet. Regardless of which route you decide to go, I would strongly recommend buying a few inexpensive thermometers and hygrometers...