Vermiculite Vs. HatchRite Vs. Repashy SuperHatch

[bechsgaard]

Hello, I personally have used large grain vermiculite for all my breeding projects but im wondering your opinions on which is better and what are the advantages and disadvantages.

 

[JohnnyD]

I've heard that the large grain vermiculite is better than the small grain. I am using small grain vermiculite currently though with great success. A little off topic about vermiculite grain size but thought I'd chime in. A friend gave me a gigantic bag so I started using it and am very happy with the results.

 

[heartben]

i havent used any of them but i know the super hatch changes color when its damp/when it gets dry so i think thats a pretty sweet bonus. i have a store near me that sells the same stuff super hatch is made of (acrillite) so whenever i try my hand at breeding i will be using that.

 

[bechsgaard]

yes but ive heard superhatch doesn't hold enough water in it to be a good incubation material for anything that has a period of over 3 months

 

[heartben]

i've read it can absorb over twice as much water as perlite, i know you didnt list perlite but as far as i know hachrite is something like perlite with something added. idk.

also, you can boil and reuse super hatch/acrillite so thats a pretty big bonus.

 

[bechsgaard]

ive been experimenting with my designer cross eggs, i find puting them in a 6 foot tall by 4 by 4 plastic bin, filled with organic soil. I find, that if i put them 3 feet deep, and just leave them arround without incubator. my mortality rate in 25% lower. I think its best to keep it natural, and i dont think calcines clay is anything like what you would find in the wild. i think vermiculite is best

 

[BocaJan]

ive been experimenting with my designer cross eggs, i find puting them in a 6 foot tall by 4 by 4 plastic bin, filled with organic soil. I find, that if i put them 3 feet deep, and just leave them arround without incubator. my mortality rate in 25% lower. I think its best to keep it natural, and i dont think calcines clay is anything like what you would find in the wild. i think vermiculite is best

I like to keep my eyes on my eggs and couldn't stand not being able to see them, especially when they get close to hatching. I am assuming you keep them burried in the soil. I can't imagine those little things digging themselves out of soil and getting even a close to 100% hatch rate coming up out of the soil.

I haven't been able to find the large vermiculite or the pearlite that doesn't have fertilizer in it, so I stick to buying that huge bag of small vermiculite. It works just fine and I don't have to add water other then at the beginning.

I put 3 to 3 1/2" in the plastic shoe box with 2 thumb tack holes in the cover before putting the eggs into the vermiculite. I bury the eggs about 1/2 way and put them in the closet.

 

[bechsgaard]

Digging that far is what they do in nature. after 24 hours of the first guy coming out i willl slowly dig down and there will be 1 or 2 little dudes who are about 3/4s up. its natural and i dont have to deal with the sadness of losing babies, i do get attached to them after all, who wouldnt?