I'd like to hear how everyone here sets up their ball python eggs. Like, what ratio water to vermiculite, whats size boxes etc.

I use 6 QT shoe boxes in a natures spirit bator. I use a mix of vermiculite and perlite. No special ratio, about 50/50 mix. I add water a little at a time and hand mix till it clumps but falls apart easily and if it feels right it's good!

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee135/Chico_Reptiles/Balls/002-18.jpg

I use 6 QT shoe boxes in a natures spirit bator. I use a mix of vermiculite and perlite. No special ratio, about 50/50 mix. I add water a little at a time and hand mix till it clumps but falls apart easily and if it feels right it's good!

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee135/Chico_Reptiles/Balls/002-18.jpg

Good looking Medium.

<------Vermiculite in 6qts and add a small amount of water until I can make a Vermiculite ball and maybe toss it at someone.

I mix it until it clumps, either one but personally I like perilite....going to try the light grates this season to see how that goes.

This is my first year and I'm using Vermiculite and adding water till it clumps and the light grates...Now I just need some eggs :)

I ues 6, 12, and now 15 qt shoe boxes in a Avey incubator that I gutted. *The 15 is because I couldn't find any 12 qt's this year... between W-Mart, Target, and Office Depot.* :machinegun: Really pisses me off...cause I can stack the 12's.

Anyway! :) I suspend over perlite and water using the lighting grid... sealed w/ press n seal. Works great for me! I lost some eggs the first year that I had them due to loss of humidity in vermiculite.. I didn't seal them well enough, so the suspension method was really appealing to me... works great so that's what I've stuck with!

I use 6qt sterlite shoeboxes filled with (4) 16oz deli scoops of vermiculite and about 6oz of water mixed in. When my substrate is mixed right it'll clump but only when you squeeze it really hard. It's pretty dry. You couldn't squeeze out a water drop if your life depended on it...lol

No holes in the tubs and all sealed up air tight with press n' seal. I'll open the tub and press n' seal once every 2 weeks for air exchange but I have sealed the boxes in the beginning and left them sealed throughout the whole incubation process and everything hatched fine...

Big clutches I use big containers, just stuff from wal-mart.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s189/Da-vault/2009%20Eggs/100_7044.jpg

Otherwise, I just use the large deli cups... clear and easy to see into.

http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s189/Da-vault/Hatching%20out/100_4187.jpg

The deli cups are pre-punched and I do have air holes in my other containers. Most start hatching on average in 57 days at 89F

I just make a slight indent into the vermiculite and sit the eggs in it, I don't bury them or anything like that.

More then one way to hatch a bp egg though.... :yessir:

Sealed containers, perlite / water mix based on weight 60/40 ratio

No hatchrite users? I use it for my cresteds and it works like a charm.

No hatchrite users? I use it for my cresteds and it works like a charm.

Too expensive, once you get past expecting more then a few clutches it's just not worth the expense imo, when you can get just as good a result from using vermiculite....

Sealed container - no holes - chunky vermiculite - lightly moist - one layer of dry vermiculite on top - small divot for eggs. I open for air exchange and candling once a week. Will have "egg box set up" pictures next week. :rockon:

:yessir:

Hatchrite is not cost effective for the amount of clutches I produce...

I use a 15 qt tub with lid. Press and seal under the lid. I use either a mix of vermiculite and perlite, about 50/50 mix. Or just plain chunky vermiculite. I am trying the finer stuff this year. It seams to be working out great so far. I then mix in water until it clumps,falls apart easy,and no water drips when I squeeze it. I open about once a week to check eggs, and candle.

I use a old upright freezer as an incubator with a helix thermostat. Probe hangs down to the middle of the incubator. I also put a thermometer probe in each tub. Probe goes in each tub through a whole drilled in the tub in the back side. Then its sealed with black tape or hot glue. Then the wires are taped or wire tied up, and thermometer is placed on top of the tub, or hot glued to the tub lid.

I also setup the incubator about 2 months or so before eggs are due. Just to make sure everything is dialed in. I also set up the tubs at that time. So if I do mix it to wet or dry. I can dry it out or ad water as needed. That way I don't have to try to do it with eggs in the tub.

Over the past 7 years I have only lost one egg during incubation. Ok I haven't produced hundreds of eggs. Maybe only about 50 or so. That one egg was not in the best shape when I found it. Anyways it has worked great for me. I don't really see myself changing anything about it. I couldn't find the chunky vermiculite like I used before. So that's why I had to go with the finer stuff,and mixed with some perlite so far had done just as good of a job as the other stuff.

Great info thanks everyone :yourock: