How moist should vermiculite be???

[Falcon70]

Hey everyone,

For my incubation medium about how much water should their be compared to vermiculite. I have read that it should be about 2:1 (verm. to water), but don't have a scale to measure it out. Is there is an easier way to make it?

Thanks,

Jake

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

50/50 is what I start with. 14 full cups and 1/2 gallon of water works perfect for us.

 

[CGKeith]

Just make it damp. If it is soupy or able to drip, it's too wet.

Be sure to check it through out the incubating process and make sure it doesn't totally dry out, add a little more water from time to time to keep it damp.

 

[Arizona Sulcata]

The best way I've found is that you want it to be roughly the texture of oatmeal. That's what always helps me. Good luck!

---

Oatmeal cookie dough that is... haha

 

[Tom]

Which species? This matters. Some need it wetter, some need it drier.

In my experience, this is pretty important. A little too wet and you'll pop the eggs. A little too dry and they can stop developing or get stuck in the eggs and die.

For my sulcatas and the the leopards that I have incubated I use a ratio of 1 : 1, by WEIGHT vermiculite to water. So 500 grams of vermiculite and 500 grams of water. When you see how little water this is, it might be surprising. You can get a simple kitchen scale at Walmart or Target. Such a cheap, easy thing to get to insure the survival of your eggs.

I set my plastic shoe box that I will use for incubation on my scale and then zero my scale. Then I add as much vermiculite as I want to have in there and note the weight. Then I remove this and place an empty tub on the scale and re-zero it. I pour water into this tub until I get to the same weight as I recorded for the vermiculite. Finally, I pour the water into the shoe box with the vermiculite and mix it all up. After placing the eggs in, I put the top on the shoe box and put it in the incubator. Using this method I rarely add any water throughout the 3 months of incubation.

 

[jackrat]

I also use equal parts by weight for my redfoots.In a closed plastic shoebox with ten 1/4" holes drilled in it,I get humidity in the low to mid 80's.

 

[Falcon70]

Thanks everyone,

I have Russians. As of right now I have about 3 cups of vermiculite to 5/8 water. After experimenting for a little I made a mixture where if I squeeze, it clumps together, but doesn't drip. I have read it is better for it to be dry than too wet. However, if I were to add another 1/8 cup of water, it would be moist enough to drip.

I have noticed the egg continually getting a whiter shade in bands, so I believe it is developing. Does this seem like an appropriate ratio?

Jake