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#1796613
LandoB123
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Dragon Incubation Medium 
So I have my first clutch of beardie eggs. I’ve made my own incubator out of a styrafoam cooler, aquarium heater, etc. I have the eggs in a plastic sandwich container sitting atop two bricks in the incubator. I have been reading that perilite and vermiculite were ideal incubating substrates, but my eggs are in moist calcium sand, the same sand that was in the lay box. Will this suffice as an incubation medium? Eggs were layed on 7/11 and the few I have candled look good so far.
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07/15/08 05:41pm
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#1796727
Krusty
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Message To: LandoB123 In reference to Message Id: 1796613
Dragon Incubation Medium
Lots of media will work from sand to perlite,vermiculite to the suspension method. But Perlite and Vermiculite are superior as they retard mold growth and hold the moisture within the pellet, not on the surface creating a humid, but not wet environment. I’ve never tried using cacisand for a cage or to incubate.
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07/15/08 06:56pm
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#1796803
Wyvern
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Message To: LandoB123 In reference to Message Id: 1796613
Dragon Incubation Medium
I don’t know whether calcium sand works well as an incubation medium, but I am curious. Please let us know how that works for you.
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07/15/08 07:41pm
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#1796833
BeardiePal
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Message To: Wyvern In reference to Message Id: 1796803
Dragon Incubation Medium
You should use playsand sifted I do believe in your tanks for your beardies if you want to use sand. I have always used vermiculite for my eggs so I really cannot answer your question. My only thought is calcium absorption through the egg???? It may or may not happen and it may or may not be good...I wish you all the luck with your eggs...I will be curious to know about how it goes with your calcisand.
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07/15/08 08:03pm
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#1797124
Bama Beardies
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Message To: BeardiePal In reference to Message Id: 1796833
Dragon Incubation Medium
any sand holds moisture very poorly. only times i have seen people try to use sand it has dried out the eggs and killed them.
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07/15/08 10:46pm
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#1798480
LandoB123
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Message To: Bama Beardies In reference to Message Id: 1797124
Dragon Incubation Medium
I appreciate all the input. The sand seems to be holding moisture fine. The incubator stays quite humid. Now, what would be the best way to switch them over to vermiculite? Will it hurt the eggs for them to be transferred to a new substrate? My only worry is of the temperature of the sand they are in being a different temperature than the vermiculite would be. Would it be too drastic of a change for the eggs? I was thinking of filling another plastic container with damp vermiculite, placing it in the incubator next to the eggs for a few hours so as the vermiculite adjusts to the temperature in the incubator, and then carefully moving the eggs from the sand to the vermiculite. Think this would be safe? Thanks in advance.
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07/16/08 07:19pm
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#1798524
LandoB123
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Message To: LandoB123 In reference to Message Id: 1798480
Dragon Incubation Medium
Just for fun here are some picture of the pair/incubator set up
Male
Female
Incubator
Eggs
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07/16/08 07:55pm
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#1798578
Bama Beardies
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Message To: LandoB123 In reference to Message Id: 1798524
Dragon Incubation Medium
temporary change in temp that switching them will cause is really of no effect. You may think the sand is holding the moisture but its not holding it. Grains of sand can be wet, but they do not absorb moisture and hold it the way vermiculite and pearlite do.
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07/16/08 08:39pm
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