temp/humidity question

[turtlelady80]

My incubator is at 86-87 degrees. Fluctuates only by 1 degree.
I have 64 eggs in the one incubator.
They are all in plastic containers with 50/50 vermiculite water ratio.
That makes my incubator go to 99% humidity for the first couple days until the Vermiculite dries out a bit. But even after 3 weeks, it's still at 90% humidity.
But when the Vermiculite dries out,( it really dries out) dont I need to re wet it?
I find myself changing the Vermiculite about every 3 weeks because it dries out and the eggs are just sitting in this crumbly dry vermiculite.
But if the humidity is at 80% inside the incubator and the Vermiculite is dry, do I need to re wet it? (50/50 ratio)

I've been incubating/hatching eggs for years so i think to myself "well, whatever I've been doing is working, then what's the issue!?" But this is the first time that I bought a really nice digital thermostat to put inside my incubators and now I'm thinking, huh, some advice on the matter wouldn't hurt lol.

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Truthfully, I have only incubated a few eggs...But I was told to keep the vermiculite damp....

 

[turtlelady80]

Yeah, that's what I've always done too...hmmmm but then again if the humidity and temperature is where you want it (87 degrees/80% humidity) and the Vermiculite is DRY, do you still need to mess with it? Because if i re wet the Vermiculite, the humidity goes up! (87 degrees/90%+ humidity)

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

lol what are you going to do with 64 babies!?

 

[turtlelady80]

Last year I had 137 eggs...I find great homes for them. Just like any other tortoise breeder. But the difference is, i actually love tortoises and don't just dump them off. And 64 eggs doesn't mean 64 babies lol...

 

[turtlelady80]

Last year I had 137 eggs...I find great homes for them. Just like any other tortoise breeder. But the difference is, i actually love tortoises and don't just dump them off. And 64 eggs doesn't mean 64 babies lol...

lol what are you going to do with 64 babies!?

 

[turtlelady80]

lol what are you going to do with 64 babies!?

soak daily, feed variety, clean up poo, fresh water, fresh bedding, buy bulbs, buy more bulbs, electric bill goes up, water bill goes up, 7 days a week morning, noon and night... taking care of tortoises.
waking up every single day knowing there are X amount of little creatures relying on me to care for them properly....no sick days lol.
Did i get it all Lol?;p Im sure im missing something
Aaaaahhhhh....I love my life

 

[russian/sulcata/tortoise]

soak daily, feed variety, clean up poo, fresh water, fresh bedding, buy bulbs, buy more bulbs, electric bill goes up, water bill goes up, 7 days a week morning, noon and night... taking care of tortoises.
waking up every single day knowing there are X amount of little creatures relying on me to care for them properly....no sick days lol.
Did i get it all Lol?;p Im sure im missing something
Aaaaahhhhh....I love my life

i would love if my life was like that

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I used to head-start clutches of Gopherus agassizii for my sister, and there's nothing I like more then getting a clutch or 2 of brand new hatchlings and having them for a year. Nothing like the scale you do, but I consistently had 15-20 or so hatchlings raised them for a year. I also had small, (8-10) groups of Sulcata....Such fun.. I miss doing that

 

[Maggie Cummings]

We'll get Yvonne to answer, she's incubated thousands of eggs....@YvonneG
I think that's what I was told to do...

 

[Yvonne G]

You did it right, Maggie, except you left off the space after 'Yvonne' and before the 'G'

I keep the perlite or vermiculite damp. I'm constantly pouring more water into the little tubs. But then, I don't measure the humidity inside the incubator. I just keep a little cup of water in there and add water to the perlite as needed.

 

[turtlelady80]

It's funny... today I opened up the incubator (it's at 88% humidity) to let in some fresh air. I did a quick check on most of the eggs and they are almost all chalked over with that nice dark round shadow ring on the tops sooooo....Yvonne G, I guess I'll stick to what I've been doing lol is exactly what you do. Keep the Vermiculite moist. So I guess I learned even if the humidity is up, it's OK

 

[treefrog010]

My incubator is at 86-87 degrees. Fluctuates only by 1 degree.
I have 64 eggs in the one incubator.
They are all in plastic containers with 50/50 vermiculite water ratio.
That makes my incubator go to 99% humidity for the first couple days until the Vermiculite dries out a bit. But even after 3 weeks, it's still at 90% humidity.
But when the Vermiculite dries out,( it really dries out) dont I need to re wet it?
I find myself changing the Vermiculite about every 3 weeks because it dries out and the eggs are just sitting in this crumbly dry vermiculite.
But if the humidity is at 80% inside the incubator and the Vermiculite is dry, do I need to re wet it? (50/50 ratio)

I've been incubating/hatching eggs for years so i think to myself "well, whatever I've been doing is working, then what's the issue!?" But this is the first time that I bought a really nice digital thermostat to put inside my incubators and now I'm thinking, huh, some advice on the matter wouldn't hurt lol.

I never rewet my vermiculite. When I didn't have auto humidity control I just added bowls of water till incubator was at desired humidity.

 

[turtlelady80]

="treefrog010, post: 977661, member: 37346"]I never rewet my vermiculite. When I didn't have auto humidity control I just added bowls of water till incubator was at desired humidity.[/QUOTE]

Interesting........ thanks for the info. So you let the Vermiculite get dried out? What did you hatch out from this method?