simpleyork
New Member
the only stuff i could find around town is the fine vermiculite made from some place in Arizona
just wondering if it will be okay to incubate the eggs in?
just wondering if it will be okay to incubate the eggs in?
Is the fine vermiculite okay
- Thread starter simpleyork
- Start date
fluxlizard
Avid Member
I have quite a bit and it is OK.
The biggest problems I have found with it is that it sticks more to the hatchlings when they come out and it is easier for them to accidentally swallow it when hatching.
If you haven't check your local plant nurseries to see if you can get a bag of the coarse grade stuff there.
The biggest problems I have found with it is that it sticks more to the hatchlings when they come out and it is easier for them to accidentally swallow it when hatching.
If you haven't check your local plant nurseries to see if you can get a bag of the coarse grade stuff there.
simpleyork
New Member
thanks for the quick reply
its the therm-o-rock
as long as it should be okay thats great
just spent 36 bucks on it for 3.5 cubic feet
guess if i don't like it i can use it for my banana plant collection or for rock mixture for taxidermy
its the therm-o-rock
as long as it should be okay thats great
just spent 36 bucks on it for 3.5 cubic feet
guess if i don't like it i can use it for my banana plant collection or for rock mixture for taxidermy
simpleyork
New Member
is that the fine stuff in your pictures with the bearded gragon neonates?
mine seems to have verious sizes to it
mine seems to have verious sizes to it
fluxlizard
Avid Member
yes- that is the stuff. You can see it is very sticky. I have to rinse the hatchlings off as they come out of the incubator. 
I've had baby veileds hatching this week and even though they are tiny compared to the bearded dragons, I still have to rinse it off of them.
I got a big bag mid-summer of the coarse stuff at the nursery for cheap- I like it much better. Perlite is really my favorite though- doesn't stick and eggs are easy to see in it. Now it is hard to find perlite without miracle grow in it though...
I've had baby veileds hatching this week and even though they are tiny compared to the bearded dragons, I still have to rinse it off of them.
I got a big bag mid-summer of the coarse stuff at the nursery for cheap- I like it much better. Perlite is really my favorite though- doesn't stick and eggs are easy to see in it. Now it is hard to find perlite without miracle grow in it though...
summoner12
Avid Member
I have used the finer verm. before. I know a couple of local breeders use it. Another breeder who has been around for along time.... He said he mixes both the finer stuff and the more course grit.
Vermiculite
Vermiculite
simpleyork
New Member
As long as someone is having success i'll go for it, can't really afford to buy any more for a while anyway, have the Wasatch reptile expo next week and am looking to get some more chameleons(pygmy type) or a hognose snake why could she not wait forone more week when i'm off of work instead of when i'm working the whole week.
the only reptile egg i have hatched to date was a long nosed leopard lizard, got some of the more coarse vermiculite from a guy i've bought crested geckos and roaches from to incubate it on took 3 months. (not that i've tried any other reptile egg prior) If i had the time i'd run down to his place but no time due to work.
the only reptile egg i have hatched to date was a long nosed leopard lizard, got some of the more coarse vermiculite from a guy i've bought crested geckos and roaches from to incubate it on took 3 months. (not that i've tried any other reptile egg prior) If i had the time i'd run down to his place but no time due to work.
simpleyork
New Member
the anticipation . . . she was digging the hole when i left for work around 2 pm Tuesday 27th i'm still at work and don't get off till 2 am wed. 28th
going to keep the eggs in my closet with a electic bed matress warmer on low to keep the temps up during the winter worked really well with my turkistan roach colony
on her next batch i'll definately build an incubator till then 'll save some money for it
going to keep the eggs in my closet with a electic bed matress warmer on low to keep the temps up during the winter worked really well with my turkistan roach colony
on her next batch i'll definately build an incubator till then 'll save some money for it
MrGonzo12
Member
A reptie expert told me its ok to mix regular sand with Vermiculite
fluxlizard
Avid Member
I guess my question would be why would you want to?
All the vermiculite is there for is to create a way to provide slight dampness and humidity to the eggs. Vermiculite is nice because it is absorbant- so osmosis will keep the water content very even and equal throughout. Vermiculite also has fairly large size granules so you end up with a fair amount of air in the substrate which is good for the eggs.
One of the best lizard breeders of all time used sand only without vermiculite as his substrate. Worked fine for him. So sure, you could mix sand in with your vermiculite. But it probably isn't as absorbant as vermiculite, so is probably a little more difficult to keep a consistant moisture content thoughout a container. The grains are smaller so there will be less air content- also because it is less absorbant- probably water tends to sit between the grains in potential air spaces rather than sticking on the grains with air space between. So you get less air around the eggs. Sand is also heavier.
So my question is- why use sand when there is vermiculite?
Nothing wrong with it- what works, works. I even used slightly damp wadded up paper towels successfully before for black snake eggs. Provided the dampness, humidity and air space- which is all that eggs require in addition to correct temperature.
