DIY pet store incubator

My local reptile shop breeds sulcata tortoises. When my Russians laid eggs. He told me how to make an incubator. He said take a plug in back heater, put it on level 5, put in 2 inches of vermiculite, bury the egg halfway, put cling wrap over the top and poke a hole in it. Would this work? He also said soak the vermiculite until it clumps together. What are your thoughts?

I made my own incubator. I used an old wine cooler, put heat tape from top to bottom, got a cheap inkbird thermostat, and a small computer fan. It works great and did not cost much to make. I don’t know if the one you are talking about will work but, russian eggs should not have wet vermiculite. What I do is use dry vermiculite and put two containers of water on the bottom of the incubator on top of the heat tape. This works great. I have three eggs about to hatch in the next week. If you get russian eggs to wet, they will crack.

It took me so long to figure out what a plug in back heater was. A heater with a plug in its back? Or a back heater that plugs-in. Anyways that could work but having it in an enclosure and a good way to measure temps would greatly increase your chances. There are lots of diy incubator ideas on the googles.

motero said:

It took me so long to figure out what a plug in back heater was. A heater with a plug in its back? Or a back heater that plugs-in. Anyways that could work but having it in an enclosure and a good way to measure temps would greatly increase your chances. There are lots of diy incubator ideas on the googles.

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Oh! I meant a plug in, human back heater. Sorry about that!

You can also use a small fish tank or cooler. You fill it up about with about 3-4 inches of water and put a fish tank heater in there set at the temperature you want it to be. Then place a couple bricks in the water so you have a platform and place your container with your eggs in it on top. Then you cover the tank with a piece of plexiglass, or if your using a cooler put the lid on it. The water will keep the humidity high and the whole thing will stay at whatever temperature you set the heater at.