Incubation Media. Repashy - Super Hatch.

[Scout]

Has anyone used this? I'm using it for my Pygmy eggs but I want to know if others using this have had to re-wet it? I read that it dries out fairly quickly. What should the humidity in my Tupperware be at? 60-80% right?..

 

[frankpayne32]

Has anyone used this? I'm using it for my Pygmy eggs but I want to know if others using this have had to re-wet it? I read that it dries out fairly quickly. What should the humidity in my Tupperware be at? 60-80% right?..

I use it. I have several clutches of Furcifer lateralis eggs on it now that are half-way through their incubation. I have also successfully hatched Furcifer pardalis using it as well. You will likely need to re-wet it once or twice during a longer incubation. It's easy to tell as it turns from a darker rust color when hydrated to a light brown when dehydrated. Just don't add to much and flood the incubation container. How quickly it dehydrates will depend on how many ventilation holes you have in your container. I use just two 1/4" holes and I don't need to re-wet often.

 

[fluxlizard]

I don't use hatchright, but just wanted to point out that if your storage containers are a good brand and sealed tight and you don't put holes in the container, your moisture content and humidity will remain stable throughout incubation. I've incubated thousands of eggs successfully over many years this way and have no clue what my humidity percentages exactly are. You shouldn't need ventilation- there isn't much underground (said the research scientist studying lizard egg incubation at the university who chuckled at the pinholes poked in my containers 20 years ago, causing me to stop ventilating and I never looked back. I've successfully incubated now thousands of eggs from species with eggs both very large and very small and relatively short incubations of less than 2 months on up to 13 month incubations, only opening the containers if a bad egg needed to be removed occasionally- otherwise most containers remaining closed until babies are removed after hatching). It's a lot easier than the way I did it before- poking pinholes and weighing the containers and recording the weights and then adding water to bring the weights back up.

 

[Scout]

Thank you both for your replies! I made a few sloppy holes in my ziplock Tupperware. I'll start over with a new one and I won't put any holes this time. Thank you again for your help.

 

[frankpayne32]

I don't use hatchright, but just wanted to point out that if your storage containers are a good brand and sealed tight and you don't put holes in the container, your moisture content and humidity will remain stable throughout incubation. I've incubated thousands of eggs successfully over many years this way and have no clue what my humidity percentages exactly are. You shouldn't need ventilation- there isn't much underground (said the research scientist studying lizard egg incubation at the university who chuckled at the pinholes poked in my containers 20 years ago, causing me to stop ventilating and I never looked back. I've successfully incubated now thousands of eggs from species with eggs both very large and very small and relatively short incubations of less than 2 months on up to 13 month incubations, only opening the containers if a bad egg needed to be removed occasionally- otherwise most containers remaining closed until babies are removed after hatching). It's a lot easier than the way I did it before- poking pinholes and weighing the containers and recording the weights and then adding water to bring the weights back up.

That is good to know about the air holes. I always assumed their had to be some air percolating between and through soil particles but I've never done any research on it.

 

[Scout]

That is good to know about the air holes. I always assumed their had to be some air percolating between and through soil particles but I've never done any research on it.

It also got my brain turning. I changed containers and I poked the tiniest little hole in the container just because I won't be opening the container until they hatch. And I wanted some way for gases to exchange.

 

[fluxlizard]

I always assumed their had to be some air percolating between and through soil particles but I've never done any research on it.

Maybe there is some, maybe there isn't- I have no idea. But what I can tell you with great confidence from plenty of experience is that you certainly don't need any ventilation for very successful incubation.

It also got my brain turning. I changed containers and I poked the tiniest little hole in the container just because I won't be opening the container until they hatch. And I wanted some way for gases to exchange.

Back in the old days I used to poke a pinhole in the lid for each egg incubating. I would weigh the containers every week or two and add a little water to top off the container weights. That way the moisture content remained consistent. If you really want to have some ventilation, weighing your containers and recording the start weight so you can know how much to replace the evaporated water is the easiest way to do it.

But seriously- you really don't need to do that.

 

[Scout]

Maybe there is some, maybe there isn't- I have no idea. But what I can tell you with great confidence from plenty of experience is that you certainly don't need any ventilation for very successful incubation.



Back in the old days I used to poke a pinhole in the lid for each egg incubating. I would weigh the containers every week or two and add a little water to top off the container weights. That way the moisture content remained consistent. If you really want to have some ventilation, weighing your containers and recording the start weight so you can know how much to replace the evaporated water is the easiest way to do it.

But seriously- you really don't need to do that.

I'll listen to you good sir, and I won't add anymore holes, I'm just concerned about molding now lol. It's so easy to get this wrong, too little water too much water. There's a downfall to both sides.

 

[fluxlizard]

If the eggs are good, they shouldn't mold.

If you have too much moisture in the media then the eggs will "ooze" and drown and then mold will set in. Super hatch is pre-moistened I guess- I haven't used it. If so, then moisture content should be correct already.

2 other things will cause mold- if the eggs are infertile, they will eventually usually decompose and mold. And if you have organic matter on them (poop, yolk from a broken egg when digging them up, or maybe certain things in soil that are decomposing such as items of composte, that kind of thing) then sometimes that matter will mold and the mold will then attack the egg.

But normally, even with a bit of dirt on the eggs, if they are healthy and fertile, they will not mold.

 

[Scout]

If the eggs are good, they shouldn't mold.

If you have too much moisture in the media then the eggs will "ooze" and drown and then mold will set in. Super hatch is pre-moistened I guess- I haven't used it. If so, then moisture content should be correct already.

2 other things will cause mold- if the eggs are infertile, they will eventually usually decompose and mold. And if you have organic matter on them (poop, yolk from a broken egg when digging them up, or maybe certain things in soil that are decomposing such as items of composte, that kind of thing) then sometimes that matter will mold and the mold will then attack the egg.

But normally, even with a bit of dirt on the eggs, if they are healthy and fertile, they will not mold.

My eggs do have some dirt on them, should I remove this? And it's not hatch right it's super hatch. And I had to moisten it so I hope I didn't add too much.

 

[fluxlizard]

sorry I can't help you with how much moisture to add to super hatch as I have never used it.

Dirt- a little dirt is usually fine. It's the other stuff in the dirt sometimes that I mentioned that is the problem. You don't want to "scour" them clean or you can damage their protective outer layer. So a little dirt is not a problem.

 

[Scout]

sorry I can't help you with how much moisture to add to super hatch as I have never used it.

Dirt- a little dirt is usually fine. It's the other stuff in the dirt sometimes that I mentioned that is the problem. You don't want to "scour" them clean or you can damage their protective outer layer. So a little dirt is not a problem.

Thanks for clarifying, I'm thinking tops 3 months isn't very long of an incubation period so 1 time should be sufficient.

 

[frankpayne32]

The way I moisten super hatch is to just soak it in water for a few minutes then put it in a strainer and let it drain. Then it is good to go. I don't weigh it or anything like that. Just follow the directions on the bag, that's what I do.

 

[Scout]

The way I moisten super hatch is to just soak it in water for a few minutes then put it in a strainer and let it drain. Then it is good to go. I don't weigh it or anything like that. Just follow the directions on the bag, that's what I do.

I did this but the grains were so small I didn't want them to fall through my strainer, so I put them in a ziplock bag and poked a few tiny holes.. I think I'll be fine! I just hope these eggs are fertile.