Beardy breeding question

[Nat]

I changed my substrate over to sand on Sunday and this morning noticed my girl had dug a large hole and was in the process of laying eggs, how long do I have to get them from their enclosure to an incubator before they are not viable? Didn't expect her to lay so quickly only got my pair 10 days ago

[doddle69]

i cant help ypu there but good luck

[Nat]

Thanks, lots of info on what 2 do with them once you get them but carnt seem to find info on the time frame. Maybe I'm having a mind fart moment!

[Insect Direct]

Congrats :bounce:

As soon as shes finishes laying you want to carefully transfer them to an incubator. Dont rotate them. Not sure exactly how long you would have before they go bad exactly, suspect same day if they get too cold. Anythings possible though, if they look good, its worth incubating.

[Nat]

Thanks for that, will let this lot go and be prepared better for next time I think.

[alanmin4304]

I think straight away as they will dry quickly in dry sand.

[acanthurus]

Do you have a tropical aquarium? If you do take them out and put them in a sealed container with a 50% water to vermiculite mixture by weight and float it in the aquarium until you get an incubator.

[Nat]

Thanks for the replys I got hold of a incubator it's on old one used in hospitals for pre babies bit of an overkill for 6 eggs

[alanmin4304]

Good luck--pretty exciting watching your first ones hatch. Better start culturing live food.

[Insect Direct]

Do you have a tropical aquarium? If you do take them out and put them in a sealed container with a 50% water to vermiculite mixture by weight and float it in the aquarium until you get an incubator.

50%?

i tried the 1:1 as mentioned elsewhere for beardie eggs.

so say 60grams verm + 60grams H2O

to me looks on the dry side? dug up some turtle eggs (not bds but still, same sort of deal?) to test this method, sure enough dimpled over a couple of days.

Being a bit casual I always use to just wet verm, let excess drain from container, plonk eggs in. Worked good as for red ears, but questionable for beardies.

Anyway, please can some one shed some light.

[alanmin4304]

I saturate the vermiculite then sqeeze the water out by hand and place in the container. Spray more water if it is drying out. With turtles I used to cover the eggs but with beardies half in and half out. Some cover with a moist paper towel.

[Insect Direct]

Thats pretty much what I've always done. Thought I would try to do it by weight (no/less room for error).

I wonder if vermiculite contains different moisture levels around the world.

I see atleast one site overseas mentions 2:1

[reptilenutt]

I use vermiculite ... use the scales .. put the container on and make it say

zero of the scales ..but the vermiculite in say up to 50g then x that by .666.

so 50g x .66 =33.3 .. Add this much water so all up it weigh 83.3 g.. give it a stir

Put the eggs and close the lid ..

[Insect Direct]

cheers, so even drier again :-?

i just use plastic take away containers, theyre not 100% airtight do you think thats my problem?

maybe better off with click clack type containers..

[alanmin4304]

I have used click clacks and also filled the whole incubator with vermiculite for turtles. Both work but you need to open the containers about once a week to provide O2 and to keep an eye on the humidity.

[repto]

i use individual continers for each batch,bugger having an incubator full of vermiculite,alan?icecream containers work fine for me and I think the reason is they re not completly irtight,but pretty much so?Those takeaway continers would be a bit the other way I think?As for the moisture level,turtles need a bit more moisture than beardies but less than boxies.torts are different again,and although drier I have a small open container of water as well.I am not as paranoid as I once was and just go by what I see and feel.One thing I think has helped alot is to use boiled water that has cooled down and keep your vermiculite as clean as you can.I used to wet it alot nd zap in the microwave but don`t bother with that these days.The worst hatchs I ever had were red ears in floating aquarium with heated water,embryos physically drowned and eggs even burst with osmotic pressure.I can tell from the dampness of the paper towel covering the eggs if the container is wetter or dryer than the last check.Weekly is not too much of a chore and depending what you are trying to hatch always worth doing.