Neon_xero

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So my tortoise egg popped yesterday out of no were when my mom was fixing out the water. We switched out the heat lamp but I don't know if the same thing can happen to the others. the egg that popped was kinda submerged in the dirt but to the point where half of the egg was sticking out. I am very new to the breeding community and my female Russian tortoise got pregnant twice over the span of 8 months from my male testudo tortoise which all eggs were fertile but the batch before didn't make it. This clutch I really want it to survive but I don't know if they will and they will pop like the other one. I don't have an incubator but created one by myself with a small fish tank organic dirt water and a cup of water and we spray the terrarium/fish tank with water in the morning and night every day. Please help me figure out if the others will survive. Please don't get angered at me due to my situation!
 

method89

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can you post pictures? your "incubator" sounds like it needs some work. Also you said "female Russian" and "male Testudo" is the male a Russian as well or is he another type of Testudo? Again, please post pictures
 

method89

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Search incubation on the forum and start making the necessary changes
 

Neon_xero

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can you post pictures? your "incubator" sounds like it needs some work. Also you said "female Russian" and "male Testudo" is the male a Russian as well or is he another type of Testudo? Again, please post pictures
My testudo I think is a Russian as well also I don't know if age has anything to do with it but there 2 years apart
 

Neon_xero

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can you post pictures? your "incubator" sounds like it needs some work. Also you said "female Russian" and "male Testudo" is the male a Russian as well or is he another type of Testudo? Again, please post pictures
Also, my room is very dry and it is really hard to keep the humidity but let me go take some pictures of it its not a good incubator because I had to transport them immediately
 

Neon_xero

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can you post pictures? your "incubator" sounds like it needs some work. Also you said "female Russian" and "male Testudo" is the male a Russian as well or is he another type of Testudo? Again, please post pictures

IMG_5253.jpg
 

method89

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Im no expert on incubation (or any subject for that matter) but I know have some major flaws in your setup. Your should have them on perlite. The substrate you are using is not good.. What are your Temps in the tank? Are you using lights on them? In nature they would be in the dark.
@Toddrickfl1 @Carol S might be able to offer help but I have a feeling its too late for this clutch.
 

Neon_xero

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Im no expert on incubation (or any subject for that matter) but I know have some major flaws in your setup. Your should have them on perlite. The substrate you are using is not good.. What are your Temps in the tank? Are you using lights on them? In nature they would be in the dark.
@Toddrickfl1 @Carol S might be able to offer help but I have a feeling its too late for this clutch.
No lights and I think the temps are 70-80 and the soil is a coconut organic soil that is supposed to keep that eggs warm but thank you for the help I will update you and they are supposed to come out this month or next month!
 

Neon_xero

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Have you candled them?
In that case yes I have and they are fertile my mom says the egg pop and she said there was the formation of the shell so i don't want to do much with the 2 left eggs in fear that they might pop when trying to pour water
 

method89

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Yes, like with a light, a flashlight specifically
 

Tom

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Im no expert on incubation (or any subject for that matter) but I know have some major flaws in your setup. Your should have them on perlite. The substrate you are using is not good.. What are your Temps in the tank? Are you using lights on them? In nature they would be in the dark.
@Toddrickfl1 @Carol S might be able to offer help but I have a feeling its too late for this clutch.
Torts should NEVER be incubated on Perlite. They eat it upon hatching and it lives their GI tract like sand. I have video of a little baby sticking its head out of the egg and eating substrate.
 

Neon_xero

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Torts should NEVER be incubated on Perlite. They eat it upon hatching and it lives their GI tract like sand. I have video of a little baby sticking its head out of the egg and eating substrate.
So what should i put them in instead of the organic sand
 

Tom

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So my tortoise egg popped yesterday out of no were when my mom was fixing out the water. We switched out the heat lamp but I don't know if the same thing can happen to the others. the egg that popped was kinda submerged in the dirt but to the point where half of the egg was sticking out. I am very new to the breeding community and my female Russian tortoise got pregnant twice over the span of 8 months from my male testudo tortoise which all eggs were fertile but the batch before didn't make it. This clutch I really want it to survive but I don't know if they will and they will pop like the other one. I don't have an incubator but created one by myself with a small fish tank organic dirt water and a cup of water and we spray the terrarium/fish tank with water in the morning and night every day. Please help me figure out if the others will survive. Please don't get angered at me due to my situation!
They pop when they are rotten, or when they are over watered. Russian eggs need to be on dry media, but in a humid chamber.

Its not going to work with the eggs exposed like that. They need to be in a container of some sort. I use plastic shoe boxes, but little Tupperware containers can work for smaller eggs and smaller clutches. Have the eggs directly exposed to the heat sources is a bad idea.

70 is too cool. 70-80 is too great of a spread, and 80 is too cool too.

You can order a Hovabator online for about $60. You might find it even cheaper if you shop around a bit. http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...MIwLCqlc_O7QIVxyCtBh3iNwUrEAQYBCABEgL5K_D_BwE

Read this for more info:

How do you know they are fertile? What signs did you see when candling?
 

Neon_xero

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They pop when they are rotten, or when they are over watered. Russian eggs need to be on dry media, but in a humid chamber.

Its not going to work with the eggs exposed like that. They need to be in a container of some sort. I use plastic shoe boxes, but little Tupperware containers can work for smaller eggs and smaller clutches. Have the eggs directly exposed to the heat sources is a bad idea.

70 is too cool. 70-80 is too great of a spread, and 80 is too cool too.

You can order a Hovabator online for about $60. You might find it even cheaper if you shop around a bit. http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...MIwLCqlc_O7QIVxyCtBh3iNwUrEAQYBCABEgL5K_D_BwE

Read this for more info:

How do you know they are fertile? What signs did you see when candling?
So for the heat lamp, we had another one but it was 90 degrees and we thought It poped from that also for candeling they have chalking and since that other egged poped my mom saw the formation of the shell and she said there was flesh in the egg so the other ones look like that egg
 

Neon_xero

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They pop when they are rotten, or when they are over watered. Russian eggs need to be on dry media, but in a humid chamber.

Its not going to work with the eggs exposed like that. They need to be in a container of some sort. I use plastic shoe boxes, but little Tupperware containers can work for smaller eggs and smaller clutches. Have the eggs directly exposed to the heat sources is a bad idea.

70 is too cool. 70-80 is too great of a spread, and 80 is too cool too.

You can order a Hovabator online for about $60. You might find it even cheaper if you shop around a bit. http://www.lllreptile.com/products/...MIwLCqlc_O7QIVxyCtBh3iNwUrEAQYBCABEgL5K_D_BwE

Read this for more info:

How do you know they are fertile? What signs did you see when candling?
I will get the incubator but there due this month or next month so I will see if they survive but thank you very much for the advice I will take that into a note and I will try to keep ya updated.
 

method89

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Torts should NEVER be incubated on Perlite. They eat it upon hatching and it lives their GI tract like sand. I have video of a little baby sticking its head out of the egg and eating substrate.
Torts should NEVER be incubated on Perlite. They eat it upon hatching and it lives their GI tract like sand. I have video of a little baby sticking its head out of the egg and eating substrate.
I meant vermiculite... not sure why I said Perlite... Thanks Tom.
 

Tom

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So what should i put them in instead of the organic sand
I usually use vermiculite. I've also used sphagnum peat moss (the dirt-like kind, not the long fibered kind) and coco coir. I've also used the native dirt where they were laid.

I want to try using the SIMS method with no substrate, but haven't done that yet.

Just know that whatever media they are in will be eaten. I remove my hatchlings from the media and the incubators the moment they get out of their egg. After 7-10 days, they all poop out little flecks of vermiculite with their first bowel movements. This happens with or without a yolk sac.
 

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