(been breeding veileds since 1991)
No it is not common for a low survival rate on a first clutch.
Something is for sure wrong.
Can you outline your husbandry for us?
Temperatures- I keep my babies at same temps as my adults (old school I suppose- but I've never had problems so I see no reason to change). I think I've had babies down to the mid 40s at night before without problems- down to 50 has been very common for my babies in the spring and fall even right out of the egg. You should not need heat at night.
Without knowing your husbandry- mistakes I made in the early years-
Too cool day temps (here I disagree with forum guidelines. Room temp for babies in my past experience was a really good way to end up with problems in babies who couldn't get their metabolism up and bodies operating (think immune system and digestive system) the way instinct tells them to do).
Too damp- enclosures need to dry out completely between mistings for babies. Constant damp conditions will cause them to crash.
Too dry- babies dehydrate quickly. Especially in tubs (screen enclosures actually a little easier for me- I use 2 x 20 minute mistings for babies every day in screen enclosures or even 1 x 20. In tubs or aquaria- babies should be misted every few hours lightly- a haze not puddles on the floor, when tank is completely dry, mist again within an hour or so).
Not enough d3, not enough vit a. Both of these things can cause babies to crash. Both are easily corrected if you figure you have under supplemented. Babies take in nutrients quickly and metabolize quickly, so if you can get them to feed, a meal or two can turn things around.
