# Moss growing on eggs?



## hingeback (Jan 17, 2016)

I think there is moss growing on the first two eggs, recently the second too. I also just spotted the white stuff on the spaghnum moss



First egg



Second



Thanks!


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## hingeback (Jan 17, 2016)

How do I clean it? Is it moss or fungus growing?


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## wellington (Jan 17, 2016)

I don't think that's good. @Tom may be able to help


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## keepergale (Jan 17, 2016)

I am not sure what I am seeing in your photos. If that is a fungus or mold growing it isn't good news. I have successfully treated snake eggs with powdered "athletes foot" powder. The eggs developed normally and healthy babies hatched. I only treated the affected areas of the egg.


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## hingeback (Jan 17, 2016)

keepergale said:


> I am not sure what I am seeing in your photos. If that is a fungus or mold growing it isn't good news. I have successfully treated snake eggs with powdered "athletes foot" powder. The eggs developed normally and healthy babies hatched. I only treated the affected areas of the egg.





This is the side of the egg, there are the curly things.


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## Tom (Jan 18, 2016)

I think that is fungus. I've never used moss like that for incubation. I just use vermiculite and the only time I see stuff like that is after I've "incubated" and infertile egg for months.

I would very carefully wipe that stuff off, don't turn the egg at all, and put the egg back into vermiculite.

I would rather someone who has successfully incubated hinge backs give you some specific advice here. I have no hinge back experience at all. @Jacqui , have you hatched hinge back babies, and can you link in others who have?


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## Jacqui (Jan 19, 2016)

Huh, never had that show up on mine. I would do like Tom suggested and wipe and replace the moss. Might PM tortadise and the rest of the hingeback gang.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

Under good advice, I put mine in vermiculite then spaghnum moss around the eggs, kept as moist as possible.
I didn't have any moss growth. My moss was in the compact dry form that you add water too. 
Was this moss of yours dry when you bought it or was it live moss? If it was live moss, did you soak it in boiling water before using it?


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## Pearly (Jan 19, 2016)

Mold?


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> Under good advice, I put mine in vermiculite then spaghnum moss around the eggs, kept as moist as possible.
> I didn't have any moss growth. My moss was in the compact dry form that you add water too.
> Was this moss of yours dry when you bought it or was it live moss? If it was live moss, did you soak it in boiling water before using it?


Dried moss. I pushed mine slightly into the vermiculite and also put the moss around them. I wet the moss.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Dried moss. I pushed mine slightly into the vermiculite and also put the moss around them. I wet the moss.


Bang goes that theory. 
Although I think dried moss can be mixed with cold water, I still used boiling water. Not saying it did anything, just me being paranoid about killing anything off in the moss and not trusting the moss source.


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

I use this moss.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> I use this moss.
> View attachment 162855


Personally I would do as Tom suggested, I would also take the moss out soak it for 10 minutes in scalding water, let it cool and replace. Keep an eye on things. 
I don't know if mold can and already has grown on your vermiculite.


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> Personally I would do as Tom suggested, I would also take the moss out soak it for 10 minutes in scalding water, let it cool and replace. Keep an eye on things.
> I don't know if mold can and already has grown on your vermiculite.


Probably will also put the vermiculite to boil. Is it okay for the vermiculite?


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Probably will also put the vermiculite to boil. Is it okay for the vermiculite?


I don't know. Do you have any spare vermiculite?


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> I don't know. Do you have any spare vermiculite?


Very little left


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Is different ratio okay, because eventually in the incubator water could evaporate or the moisture could make the vermiculite wetter.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Is different ratio okay, because eventually in the incubator water could evaporate or the moisture could make the vermiculite wetter.


 This may be what is causing it, is your vermiculite ending up sodden? 
If I remember correctly you made a makeshift incubator, so your eggs are in a container above a warm pool of water. Is this correct?


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> This may be what is causing it, is your vermiculite ending up sodden?
> If I remember correctly you made a makeshift incubator, so your eggs are in a container above a warm pool of water. Is this correct?


Yes. The water is not warm, but the temps in the incubator is warm.


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

I cleared the old moss and tried to wipe the eggs. The first three smells rotten. Nothing from the fourth yet but I am very sad... Do I need to dispose them?


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> I cleared the old moss and tried to wipe the eggs. The first three smells rotten. Nothing from the fourth yet but I am very sad... Do I need to dispose them?


If the eggs smell rotten they are not fertile.
If the smell is from inside the egg.


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Is it the eggs or the thing that is growing on them? Just now I noticed only a little bit growing on the third one and it is the less smelly then the first two.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Is it the eggs or the thing that is growing on them? Just now I noticed only a little bit growing on the third one and it is the less smelly then the first two.


I don't know for sure.


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> I don't know for sure.


So I will continue incubating them.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> So I will continue incubating them.


 When all 5 of mine turned out duds, the 1st 3 popped and gave off a stink. The last 2 didn't smell until I broke them open. 
I don't know if they can smell rotten without the shell actually being broke. 
Hopefully someone else can answer that question.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

She will probably lay say more at some stage. Maybe a month away, maybe 10 month away. Don't be so disheartened, its all experience you learn from. 
I should get an incubator if you can for next time.


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> She will probably lay say more at some stage. Maybe a month away, maybe 10 month away. Don't be so disheartened, its all experience you learn from.
> I should get an incubator if you can for next time.


The highest I've got is 41.4 and lowest is 28.4. I'm not sure about getting an incubator.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 19, 2016)

hingeback said:


> The highest I've got is 41.4 and lowest is 28.4. I'm not sure about getting an incubator.


What do you mean the highest is 41.4. ?


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## hingeback (Jan 19, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> What do you mean the highest is 41.4. ?


Sorry, it's 31.4


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## hingeback (Jan 25, 2016)

Very sad... They smelled rotten and the second one had cracked lines and was surely about to blow, so I had to dispose them  one more in the incubator, I have a feeling it also won't be fertile too.


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## Anyfoot (Jan 25, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Very sad... They smelled rotten and the second one had cracked lines and was surely about to blow, so I had to dispose them  one more in the incubator, I have a feeling it also won't be fertile too.
> View attachment 163420


 Oh dear, there will be many more chances in the future. Chin up.


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## hingeback (Jan 25, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> Oh dear, there will be many more chances in the future. Chin up.


You're right.


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## Yvonne G (Jan 25, 2016)

I have YF eggs in my incubator that are black and stinkin'. (and have been in there about 8 months) I don't ever toss eggs until they explode.


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## hingeback (Jan 25, 2016)

Yvonne G said:


> I have YF eggs in my incubator that are black and stinkin'. (and have been in there about 8 months) I don't ever toss eggs until they explode.


Oh, so I think I will be incubating the last one until it explodes, if it really happens...


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## hingeback (Mar 22, 2016)

The last egg also had too much stuff on it, but it doesn't look as bad as the first three. Still,  


Also what is the white bunch of stuff On top of the egg?


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## hingeback (Mar 22, 2016)

Now they are all gone, I'm very sad...


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## Anyfoot (Mar 22, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Now they are all gone, I'm very sad...


There will be more opportunities in the future. It's all one big learning curve. 
Have you learnt anything from this experience?


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## hingeback (Mar 22, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> There will be more opportunities in the future. It's all one big learning curve.
> Have you learnt anything from this experience?


Different things happened to different eggs, so I am not too sure. The first three were dark green and disgusting and ultra stinky, but it was only after two months. The fourth is already three months, but it isn't green and disgusting, but has the white and yellow, and another white chunk at the tip. I'm not sure whether the temps were too low, but it usually stays about 28.5-30 C. The thermometer was laggy after about a month later so I gave it to my brother for his frog. Magma lays one at a time, ranging from a few days to a bit more then a month. The first egg was bigger, the second looks a bit deformed, third and fourth looks the same, but all were oblong. Everything was too random though.


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## Anyfoot (Mar 22, 2016)

hingeback said:


> Different things happened to different eggs, so I am not too sure. The first three were dark green and disgusting and ultra stinky, but it was only after two months. The fourth is already three months, but it isn't green and disgusting, but has the white and yellow, and another white chunk at the tip. I'm not sure whether the temps were too low, but it usually stays about 28.5-30 C. The thermometer was laggy after about a month later so I gave it to my brother for his frog. Magma lays one at a time, ranging from a few days to a bit more then a month. The first egg was bigger, the second looks a bit deformed, third and fourth looks the same, but all were oblong. Everything was too random though.


 You need to make sure she has plenty of places in your new enclosure where she can nest. Deep substrate areas so she can dig. 
How's your enclosure coming on?


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## hingeback (Mar 22, 2016)

Anyfoot said:


> You need to make sure she has plenty of places in your new enclosure where she can nest. Deep substrate areas so she can dig.
> How's your enclosure coming on?


Not too good yet, the hill is eroding, so there is a lot of sand at the sides, the small rise area at the water dish too. Not enough plants but they are growing. Recently had another project, that's why have not been working on her enclosure too much. I am trying to plant vegetables here



The coco peat isn't deep. Too little, and you can see what the erosion created. Hopefully I could continue on the enclosure as soon as possible. I will be updating the old thread. How about your indoor enclosure? Didn't check in some time.


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## tortadise (Mar 22, 2016)

Couple questions. How wet is the medium? how sealed is the incubator? Good airflow and a balanced temperature setting shouldn't allow spores like this to grow, I've had it happen on some ova that were too wet and warm. I would lightly sponge it off and set up a new media formula. Should be just fine and hatch without issue. How long have these been incubating for?


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## hingeback (Mar 22, 2016)

tortadise said:


> Couple questions. How wet is the medium? how sealed is the incubator? Good airflow and a balanced temperature setting shouldn't allow spores like this to grow, I've had it happen on some ova that were too wet and warm. I would lightly sponge it off and set up a new media formula. Should be just fine and hatch without issue. How long have these been incubating for?


This is the setup. Water until the almost the brick level. 8 holes on top.



First three was incubating for about 2 months, 4th was about 3 months.


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## Tank'sMom (Apr 12, 2016)

I'm sorry to hear your eggs didn't make it. I'm having the exact same mold on my week old eggs. I noticed it 2 days ago. It's no better, no worse. 
I ordered new organic vermiculite and individual containers so I can separate the eggs, there's only 4, Sulcatas. 
Any advice? Did figure out the cause?


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## hingeback (Apr 12, 2016)

Tank'sMom said:


> I'm sorry to hear your eggs didn't make it. I'm having the exact same mold on my week old eggs. I noticed it 2 days ago. It's no better, no worse.
> I ordered new organic vermiculite and individual containers so I can separate the eggs, there's only 4, Sulcatas.
> Any advice? Did figure out the cause?
> View attachment 170172


Sorry, I haven't found the cause yet. Those on my eggs appeared when the were a few months.


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