# HatchRite Hack?



## Kapidolo Farms (May 16, 2017)

The HatchRite works well, I used it before and have no complaints. However it is $9/pound which is pricey in my opinion.

I am asking if anyone knows of the water crystal/perlite ratio or has made there own with a sorta qualitative recipe and would care to share that recipe or experience.

I'll run my own experiments soon enough, but some clue based on experience would be great.

I understand some folks have had issues with neonates ingesting incubation media, I've not had that problem.


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## Tom (May 16, 2017)

You knew I would chime in about the perlite!!! 

I'm always curious why anyone would use something potentially deadly, when there are other options that are cheaper and known to be safe? I got my last 2.0 cubic foot bag of vermiculite at Home Depot for $8 plus tax.


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## Kapidolo Farms (May 16, 2017)

Tom said:


> You knew I would chime in about the perlite!!!
> 
> I'm always curious why anyone would use something potentially deadly, when there are other options that are cheaper and known to be safe? I got my last 2.0 cubic foot bag of vermiculite at Home Depot for $8 plus tax.


I recall you have had issue with both. Perlite is no more or less "poison" than vermiculite. They key is to watch the incubator. I do not think any incubation media is safe if the neonates are just going to eat away at it when they emerge. Might be a 'sulcata thing'. I've not hatched sulcata in a media, when I hatched them out long ago, the eggs sat on hard wire cloth.

Thanks for the thread bump Tom even if you have no experience relative the the question, to share.


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## Kapidolo Farms (May 17, 2017)

Tom said:


> You knew I would chime in about the perlite!!!
> 
> I'm always curious why anyone would use something potentially deadly, when there are other options that are cheaper and known to be safe? I got my last 2.0 cubic foot bag of vermiculite at Home Depot for $8 plus tax.


http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/vermiculite-ingestion-in-neonates.141488/#post-1321801

I do read your posts buddy.


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## Kapidolo Farms (Jun 10, 2017)

So back to the hack.

Fresh out of the bag 100 gms of hatchrite dries down to 66 grams. (250F for one hour)

My reverse of that is

5-7 grams of 'bag dry' crystals with 50 to 70 mls or grams of water. 1:10 ratio

Let sit until the water disappears.

Mix in 100 grams of 'bag dry' perlite. Then add 45-50 more grams or mls of water and mix.

Out of the bag Hatchrite weighs about 85 grams for 500 ml volume. My mix weighs 87 grams for the same volume.

Cost is much better if you buy the crystals and perlite in larger quantities. Mix as you go, no worries about the Hatchrite drying out.

BTW one gram of water is one milliliter or ml of water.


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