hatchrite for egg icubation

[erik775]

has any one ever used this???http://www.hatchrite.com/ i saw it at a local pet store...or should i just use vermiculite...they told me that hatch rite is ready to go like it is u dont add water or any thing...it seemed kinda dry...

 

[suzi]

I have used it and you do have to add water, my eggs started to dent in the first time I used it and when I corrected it by adding water they plumped back up and hatched successfully.

 

[erik775]

I have used it and you do have to add water, my eggs started to dent in the first time I used it and when I corrected it by adding water they plumped back up and hatched successfully.

so should i use this or vermiculite for eggs?how much water would i have to add to it?

 

[VeiledChams]

Measure how much the container weighs with the vermiculite or hatchrite and the eggs. once a month, measure it again and add however many grams it has lost of water with a dropper. not on the eggs though.

I have used hatchrite and has worked perfectly with me. I added some water every few months and that was all.

 

[Olimpia]

It's just enough water so that it is evenly moist, correct? I don't know how much that is in mL but it should not be so wet that you can squeeze more than a single drop from it if you squish it in a fist. At least that's what I remember from my gecko days, I remember that being the rule.

 

[VeiledChams]

That's correct. But you can only do that before placing the eggs on the incubation media (be it vermiculite or hatchrite). After that, your best bet is using a gram scale a measuring the difference in weight of the containers. Unless you lose some of the incubation media for some reason, the only thing that should be coming out is moisture. So you just add one mL of water per gram lost.

 

[erik775]

cool got it...so which way am i supposed to place the eggs?is there any certain way im supposed to place the eggs?

 

[VeiledChams]

Exactly the way you took them out when you dug them out. After a few hours of them being laid, an air bubble forms on the top. If they are flipped, the egg can go bad. Though they are hardy, its best to be safe than sorry.

 

[Dez]

Measure how much the container weighs with the vermiculite or hatchrite and the eggs. once a month, measure it again and add however many grams it has lost of water with a dropper. not on the eggs though.

I have used hatchrite and has worked perfectly with me. I added some water every few months and that was all.

That is exactly how we do it and have hatched many babies successfully with this method.


The air pocket doesn't actually form until later in development so you can lay the eggs any which way in the container and not have to worry

 

[erik775]

cool thanks...what about diapause...how does that work?...

 

[VeiledChams]

You can hatch the eggs just fine without diapause. Some people keep the eggs at like 72 degrees for the first month, then cool them down to like 66 for another month or two, and then gradually make the temperature higher to about 74-76 for the rest of the incubation period. It is not necessary though. All my veiled eggs hatched fine at 9 months without diapause.

 

[yankfanthom]

I currently use Hatchrite now and so far so good. My eggs are growing nicely. I haven't put any water directly in because I seem to be having success using the Exoterra incubator and use the water tray to create a good humid environment.

 

[erik775]

You can hatch the eggs just fine without diapause. Some people keep the eggs at like 72 degrees for the first month, then cool them down to like 66 for another month or two, and then gradually make the temperature higher to about 74-76 for the rest of the incubation period. It is not necessary though. All my veiled eggs hatched fine at 9 months without diapause.

oh yeah i forgot to ask...if im not using and incubater do i have to put the eggs in a container apart from what there already in with a bit of water...and close that off?i saw it in a thread i saw here...in a video...

 

[VeiledChams]

I keep the eggs on the hatchrite inside tupperwear containers. Then I put the containers inside a rubbermaid box. I put about an inch of water in the box. This will help to keep temperatures constant as the oceans do here on earth. During the day, it'll absorb heat and at night, it will release it, thus making the difference of temperature smaller as opposed to not having the water.

 

[fluxlizard]

My way is a little simpler and works great as well.

I put the medium in tupperware containers. (I use vermiculite or perlite with equal amount water by weight). The containers seal tight and therefore water is not lost by evaporation during incubation, so I don't have to worry about weighing again. I then put the containers in a stack under the bathroom sink in the cupboard where it stays between 70 and 80 degrees year round. Anything in that range will hatch veiled or panther chameleon eggs.

Incubation time can be anywhere from 6 to 11 months depending on duration of diapause which is not controlled under the bathroom sink.

Temperature swings are not a problem for the eggs and may even be beneficial.

The fastest hatch times I have had for veileds were when I put my incubators on timers and kept the eggs 82-84 for 12hours during the days and 72-74 for 12 hours nights. Hatch time 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 months. That's as fast as the guys who heat then cool then heat over weeks get these days. (which I am trying with some eggs now...)

 

[javsto]

I thinking about getting a girlfriend for my lil bastard (pet chams name) and I was wondering about how to best control temps for proper egg incubation. My house gets pretty cold now in the winter so unless I use an under cage heater or direct heat from a lamp, what should the temps be kept at or should i use an incubator? Ive heard various different accounts concerning the exo terra incubator and im not sure about that one or the ones ive seen on the lllreptile site. does anyone have any reliable information on this one?
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...s/-/specialincubator-hatchrite-and-deli-cups/

 

[fluxlizard]

You can hatch the eggs just fine without diapause.

I just wanted to point out that they always go through diapause.

The trick is not making diapause happen but controlling the end of diapause so the development of the egg resumes. By controlling this, the period of incubation where development is paused (also known as diapause) can be shortened, which of course means the total incubation time is shortened.

You probably already knew this and what you meant to say was the eggs can be hatched just fine without controlling the duration of diapause. Which is very true. But I thought I should explain for the newbies.

 

[VeiledChams]

I just wanted to point out that they always go through diapause.

The trick is not making diapause happen but controlling the end of diapause so the development of the egg resumes. By controlling this, the period of incubation where development is paused (also known as diapause) can be shortened, which of course means the total incubation time is shortened.

You probably already knew this and what you meant to say was the eggs can be hatched just fine without controlling the duration of diapause. Which is very true. But I thought I should explain for the newbies.

Thank you, indeed it was what I meant to say

 

[erik775]

cool cool i got it...

 

[erik775]

hmmm...im pretty sure our female nosy be is prego we bred her with my cham champ...shes showing dark colors along with that pastel color...i will post pics of her later...