DIY Reptile Egg Incubator, cheap and easy incubation for success!

[@Ibaneddie76]

I know I already commented a while ago on this system but I feel I need to let anyone else who is building their first incubator know this is totally legit. I followed Garrett's instructions as he says in this video and it works great. So much easier and cheeper than other heat tape versions and it is a much better way to retain stable heat and humidity. Think about it, if you open the door to an incubator the whole system has to kick back on and try and level itself out again and there has to be hot and cold spots because you are dealing with air not water. I can't thank you enough for sharing this, it's one of the best pieces of advise I've gotten since starting this hobby.

[@reptiletailz108]

It absolutely is i can't wait to make this one i found this once my eggs were already in my incubator but i use the idea of not wetting my medium i add water to.imside incubator and allow the vermiculite to suck it up as it needs it keeps basically perfect humidity

[@reptiletailz108]

I have the zoo med incubator but i also added 2 full water bottles in there it's tight but it's nice it truly keeps my temps with only 1 to 2 degree drop when i open it to fuck around and whatnot

[@reptiletailz108]

I use this now for my bearded dragons pool I have a big one for them and the heater keeps the water at like a perfect temp

[@hatembenrais]

I'm not really sure how to get a constant temps, mine keep fluctuating from low 88.x to high 89.x and I don't know if this is safe for Ball Python eggs. If you have a trick I'd be more than grateful if you can share it.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I used just the smallest circulation pump I could find, I believe it was from Aqueon- but any aquarium pump will do. Humidity in this system always stays at or close to 100%, which is why you can use drier substrate and be fine. The temperature will depend on the species you are trying to incubate, and only needs to be monitored inside the egg chamber. For ball pythons, for example, that temperature should be around 88 degrees. It doesn’t matter what the water temperature is, or the air temperature in the rest of the cooler- the only one that matters is that egg box internal temperature. The heaters are adjusted slightly, then after a couple of hours the egg boxes are checked again, and so on until the correct temperature is reached. For this reason, I recommend setting the system up weeks in advance, and getting it all dialed in. Then you can feel free to unplug it until it is needed.

[@johannmichaesigagamao7949]

Can i still put water on to my substrate of perlite if I want to?

[@kennethrice4259]

Do you use an external thermostat for redundancy

[@dobermandude2522]

I had a friend back in the 80's who would put the egg boxes on top of a refrigerator for the heat that would rise. Funny as it sounds it did work. Now that is old school!

[@Ibaneddie76]

Haha that brings back memories, I had a few friends back in the day who did that, it worked out ok but they would sometimes forget to check the humidity levels and eggs would desiccate.

[@Ibaneddie76]

That is by far the best system I've seen yet, I was just about to go buy an old drinks cooler and convert it but I like this way better.

[@bloodmoonwolfpack3220]

That water heating system is genius! Thank you so much for this video!

[@JB-hp6up]

Been using this the last few years, couple different coolers as I had more clutches, works awesome, humidity is perfect, no mold, no worries, solid, thanks for the idea!

[@keithwalters3052]

I learn so much from you. Thank you for sharing all of you tips an tricks. Your a great teacher, an a cool guy.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Thanks Keith- if you ever have any suggestions for future topics to cover, let me know in the comments section.

[@Man_in_a_Van]

Dude that's genius! I love it.

[@beachside_Reptiles]

Finally a system I truly like.

[@keishapetfamily]

very nice tutorial video, greetings from Indonesia reptile lovers

[@ReachOutReptiles]

keishapet Terima Kasih! Dari mana?

[@breakingboardrooms1778]

Selamat from US!

[@sugarmuffin319]

This is incredibly helpful! Thank you.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

😎🤙 check the channel for more on reptile incubation as well.

[@crystaltripi6775]

You are brilliant, love this, if you buy a already made fancy incubator it will cost an arm and a leg, build one yourself with a whine cooler you have so much work this seems practically, and simple enough anyone can do it. Thank you so much for sharing and best wishes always..😊👍

[@michaelross5674]

Love the incubator idea 👍👍

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Thank you. Been running them like this for many years...

[@boamanexotics3165]

I love the old school ideas! Now to find me some big coolers!

[@FATTONYKAUAI]

Richard Bilbo sent me here. 🤙 mahalo

[@snakelady7489]

Nice. I've never seen an incubator like this. I may try something like this. thanks a lot for doing this vid.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

You're welcome! What other kinds of videos would you like to see?

[@snakelady7489]

I find it fascinating to see how other breeders just do what they do, from how they keep their snakes, to how they keep records. I've learned a lot from just watching those kinds of videos. :)

[@hannashelperscleaningservi740]

@@ReachOutReptiles Do you have to replenish the water every few days?

[@sandyelliott3350]

As always, genius. Your videos are wonderful.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

thank you !

[@turkeysandwich421]

This is a great set up gonna be building one for sure!

[@juancordero3829]

I’m thinking about doing this for my first clutch. What kind of aquarium water heater should I be looking for?

[@SkateCantSkate]

what temperature do you keep them at?

[@asiabrown1011]

How much water do u put in the box with the eggs and also do you have to keep adding water to the egg box and the cooler also?

[@lfaulk36]

So how are you checking the egg temps inside of the actual egg boxes since thats counts most?

[@sherrim1988]

Fantastic info here! Thank you so much! Helped me a lot!

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Be sure to catch our other incubation video as well!

[@mirtilrodriguez7099]

On the aquarium heaters how many watts do they have to be? I got a 120qt Coleman cooler. Not sure if it would work the same way but thought it would be worth a shot

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I would go with 50 or 75 watt heaters. Be sure to watch our other video on incubation as well.

[@JakeMoorehead]

I'm thinking about doing a smaller version of this for fat-tailed gecko eggs. Are you sure there is no need to keep the substrate wet? This seems like a really cool method, but I want to make sure it'll work for my type of eggs.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

The idea is, you want to have the substrate JUST BARELY moist enough to prevent any dust from clogging the pores on the eggs. This set up runs at 99.9% humidity very easily, which is where eggs get their hydration from anyways, not from standing water or moist substrates. Good luck!!

[@JakeMoorehead]

Reach Out Reptiles Thanks so much! I'm definitely using your method.

[@silass3640]

This is such a cool idea! How do you prevent things like mold with such a high humidity though?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Eggs are naturally mold resistant, and perlite does not encourage mold growth.

[@terrylaz2086]

Hi bro. My name is Terrylaz from malaysia. Due to climate in malaysia is warm 30 to 32C. I need to know if i use vermiculite in the process of incubation ...do i have to dampen the vermiculite weekly during the incubation process? Some ppl do not make any hole in the container and some do...like airtight.

[@DCLEE-co3dj]

What temp do you set the thermostats at in the water Garett?

[@daniellenicole6116]

Thanks so much for this I'm getting ready to start breeding Beardie's and this helps me alot.

[@In_Theory47]

Hey, can I use gravel in aquariums instead of the prolite for the incubator

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I would stick to perilite or vermiculite, both are common items at plant nurseries and hardware stores.

[@In_Theory47]

Thanks

[@michaelhand8457]

I'm going to try that one out. Great job.

[@robertmoore1123]

I know this is an old video . But great non the less . This will be my first incubated .

[@tsivilay]

What has been your success rate with this method? I'm a new amateur hobbyist, breeding is going well and the excitement is super high. I only have one breeding pair, therefore, one clutch one. I'm just worried about reliability and need to rest assured that this is reliable.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Over 20 years into it, tried other methods, keep coming back due to the higher hatch rates than other methods. Be sure to watch my other video on how to incubate as well, which goes into a lot more detail as well. Good luck!

[@eastharlem1931]

Great DIY video question is this good for ball python eggs ?

[@Tarvares31]

What is that White substrate?? Like your idea!

[@ReachOutReptiles]

It's sifted and rinsed Perilite, like that from a garden supply store (but with no added chemicals. There are a couple of incubation updates on the channel you may want to check out. ;). And thank you!

[@HurstReptilesLLC]

do you put anything around it or in the lid? when they hatch will they push the lid up?

[@KuyangJ3h]

very nice, and practical incubator setup. how many watts is your aquarium heater?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I have a 50w, and 75w in there.

[@rj7324]

I wonder if this would work for leopard gecko eggs

[@theCAZX]

Hi I'm trying with bearded dragon eggs. I have the cooler and fishtank heater. However the container I have is much smaller then what you have your eggs in and I'm getting condensation on the roof of the egg Tupperware. Do I just need a bigger tupperware? I used soil for the current batch of eggs I have in there now, but I just bought vermiculite so I will use that with next batch. Thoughts

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Condensation will happen, be sure the substrate is not too wet- and simply wipe up the condensation with a paper towel from time to time. If it's dripping, you can prop up one side of the container laying a little pencil under it or something, and get that condensation to run down away from the eggs. Good luck!

[@kattmoore941]

Vermiculite or fan you use perlite?

[@wilbertodiaz9983]

what temperature do the bearded dragon eggs have to be on?

[@Lauramussss]

How are your successes using this incubator? I'm planning to use your idea but with styro cooler since normal coolers here are so expensive. Thank you!

[@grisdale2007]

Hello there, how many holes did you drill out through out the cooler, Im currently making the same setup..bought a igloo cooler, aqueon circulation pump, really useful boxes, just need heaters and perlite.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I probably have about 20 1/4" holes. Probably overkill, since I open it and refresh the air every couple days.

[@grisdale2007]

Reach Out Reptiles awesome, thank you...

[@kodchapawnklangsikarin3814]

Thank you a lot, this looked really simple!

[@cphillips1958]

Awesome method...

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Chris Phillips works awesome for me, never fails!

[@toniblack4125]

Reach Out Reptiles can I use a styrofoam cooler instead?

[@zeming9342]

Hi can this use for crested gecko also? Tq

[@tiarasingh6517]

Can I use this method for my Indian Star tortoises eggs to successfully hatch them ?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I should think so- I have never bred that species, but reptile eggs all work in similar ways, just with different parameters by species.

[@fernandoalvarez3891]

Another question that I have should I spray the eggs with water or do I not want to spray them

[@kentjasonalmonicar3668]

great job..keep it up

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Thanks!

[@articeagle]

Im going to breed my western hognoses but is this good for the hognose eggs? Just making sure 😊

[@princehanz9792]

Posted 7 yrs ago and i just stumbled to it just now. 2024.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

We’ve done several updates since as well, check them out!

[@JimHerbertOutdoors]

Hey bud not sure if you still respond to comments but I brought a fox snake home from a spot it was going to be killed and now I have about 7 eggs. Right now they are next to my turtle heat lamp, inside a bin, with aspen packed around them lightly. I had no time to rig anything up before work. I might try your setup when I get home. Have you ever heard of people setting the bins on top of their water heaters? Do you think that would work ? What causes eggs to collapse? Ive seen a few people failed that way just wondering what causes that? thanks for any information

[@maxt8518]

Hi. Quick question on this. To get accurate stable temps inside the cooler I presume it would be better to have this situated in a different room to the heated snake room??

[@ReachOutReptiles]

That just depends on the room. In a warmer room, you simply will use less electricity with the heaters. Obviously, if you have the room temp set as high as incubation temp, there's no way to cool the eggs with this system if need be.

[@Simply-tre]

see i dont have a snake but im thinking about getting one so whats do these do for the eggs ? or is this how they gotta be hatched

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Yup.

[@SURFIN_D]

Hey man! Was working outside today doing a tree job. And cut the tree down to find there was 14 snake eggs that were almost crushed. So grabbed them out them in about 3 inches of molch and barely covered them up, also got them in a little plastic thing with a lid, tons and tons of air flow, what else should I do to make sure theses baby’s hatch and get put back into the wild ?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Ideally, a small cooler with a little water in the bottom, a cheap aquarium heater, and a brick or something to set the container you used should be good. Gotta keep those warm.

[@drthik1]

Do you still use this same setup to this day or have you found/built a more reliable method of incubation?

[@kristinawoodmansee2962]

my question is for incubation if albino red eared sliders and diamondback terrapin incubation, what temperature should I set the water thermometers for? would I set them at 78 degrees? that's the temp I want the incubator temp to be. I am incubating for male. I guess my question is is the inside temp the same temp that I set the water thermometers to be? or do u need to play with them temp wise to get that temp?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Great question. The egg boxes tend to run slightly higher once eggs are in them, so start by placing your thermostat in the egg box, and adjusting the heaters until you get them where you want. Once eggs are in the boxes, just keep a thermometer in there to see if any adjustments are needed.

[@deancollingbourne8669]

4 years later.....I'm building one of these for my bearded dragons 👍

[@ALLYBEAR_THEGAMINGBEAR]

So I just built this because I have a clutch of ball python eggs. I have almost everything set the same but my temperature won’t decrease even if I lower the water heaters, it keeps getting to 100 degrees but I need it at 88. I have the heaters set at 79 but it still seems pretty warm. Is there anything I can do to make the temperature lower? I’ve been playing with the heaters and the pump. The humidity is great it’s at 99% but my problem is the temperature

[@jimcampbell9845]

Old school. Love it.

[@chrisdensmore9155]

what temperature do you try and keep the water at?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

The water temp is irrelevant. Only the egg temps in the boxes matters at all.

[@blakeadam7171]

Do you have a email I can send some pics to in order to see if my set up like yours will work? I'm a first time breeder and really like your set up. Mine is the exact same but a smaller cooler cause I will only have 1 clutch at this point. My question is my tubeware I'm using does not have a lid but if I cut out a piece of plastic and set on top will it work?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Yes, I have also seen people have very good success with the Glad cling wrap that has the micro perforations in it to keeps vegetables fresh. email is [e-mail]

[@blakeadam7171]

@@ReachOutReptiles thank you I sent some pics over to your facebook

[@hatembenrais]

Great idea. A couple of questions: 1) Elec. wires: did you drill holes for them or just pass them under the lid? 2) Ventilation holes, are they required? And if so, do they go all the way through the lid and sides or are they only limited to the internal layer?

[@gadgetstorewholesalehydera5833]

How much temparature should be in side box 32 or 34

[@EvolEmerald]

Hey trying to build this incubator was wondering how u cut the cooler and how big the hole is video doesn't have view from side or do u have a walkthrough video of u doing the work?

[@EvolEmerald]

Looking to see how u did the wiring

[@ReachOutReptiles]

There is another video in greater detail on the channel as well: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppCVZ3irotKMftE

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I simply notched the top rim of the cooler for the wires with a saw to make room for the cords to run out- no wiring needed.

[@EvolEmerald]

Ok ty

[@An0n_Ym0us_79]

Out of curiosity, do you have to add water periodically? And if so, how often?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Yes, to the basin, but not to the egg substrate. Only enough to keep the pumps and heaters running

[@robertmoore1123]

Can you use this for gecko eggs and use dry miss instead of perlite?? Just curious thanksb

[@355PH]

Will this work for Russian/Horsefield tortoise 🐢???

[@makeitkate3240]

Smart!

[@seanreinicke5205]

i love this setup really MacGiver type stuff. i just wish a company would make larger 60 gallon tubs or larger clutches. .

[@victorinorattus7835]

Its okay for a ballpython eggs?

[@JEREMIELEE]

Good video

[@angelaferraro90]

Do you control the temp of the heaters just with the dial on them or are they plugged into a thermostat also? What do you use to monitor the temp and humidity inside the cooler? Just that point and shoot thermometer or is there a probe inside that keeps an eye on it also?

[@throw4ever]

I had the same question?!?!

[@joslinnick]

I'm assuming that you don't have some sort of redundant battery/generator backup because the cooler provides enough insulation so that temperatures will remain stable for a few hours or so during a power outage. I've heard stories of breeders losing entire clutches due to random power outages that caused the incubators to lose heat and thus their eggs.

[@reptiletailz108]

I love this vid but I'm looking for what to do when the eggs begin to hatch in the incubator do i leave them until they all hatch how long do they have to be with the egg or is it just until the yolk is gone? This is my first clutch ever ! Ahhhh

[@ev_ma_gev8292]

What if you need the humidity to be less than 100%? Would I just add less water?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

For every reptile egg I’ve ever hatched (including desert species), 100% humidity in the air, and fairly dry substrate is just what you want.

[@davidhalim9531]

Can this be used for chameleons?

[@nathanmccook133]

How often do u have to add water to the system? Ive been having trouble incubating my Kimberly Rock monitors in a traditional vertical style incubator so after watching this and ur other video on incubation I think I may try this. I was going to build a high tech vertical one with humidity and temp control but this seems easier if you think it'll work for Kim eggs plus I keep fish(350gallon tank of Amazon cichlids) so I have pretty much everything but a cooler

[@ReachOutReptiles]

My struggles incubating Odiatra (including Kimberly Rocks) was how I developed this system, so YES!!! It's a great system for them! You only add water to the bottom of the cooler as needed to keep the heaters covered. If you like, you can mark a desired water level and just maintain that. How often will depend on how much time you spend opening the top and going through your egg boxes. I usually checked on mine about once every 2 days, just to let a little fresh air in. So I only needed to add a little water maybe once a month.

[@nathanmccook133]

Reach Out Reptiles awesome thanks. Was the hatch rate better then for them after switching?

[@AbbyNormalLife]

Thank you for the video! This is very helpful! I am scrambling to save some gecko eggs thati found in my wall: landlord will want to call an exterminator and get rid of them! I have a friend that has a tropical paradise in his backyard and will never get exterminated!!

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Good luck!

[@anthonyspanos6161]

What should be the humidity percentage for Mediterranean tortoise eggs within the perlite>?Thank you in advance

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I’ve never done them, But if you keep your substrate fairly dry, in the air humidity quite high it will regulate pretty easily for you

[@Chihayamoon]

Woke up this morning at 12 and found out that my one corn snake was not a male but a female I really hope this self-made incubator work for me but my question is how do you keep the Heat going

[@ayamander7840]

I have this set up, but my problem is mold, constantly. I have to wipe the eggs down pretty much daily, even with an anti fungal powder, any advice?

[@girunit1387]

Hopefully you still the comments section of this video. My question is, does this system work for bearded dragons as well? Ive been doing my research and found they need 75% humidity and I'm worried about excess humidity.

[@ReachOutReptiles]

It works great for them (was actually developed around my Australian dwarf monitors, with similar requirements). The secret is very dry perlite. Good luck!

[@robinsinger86]

My extremely gravid beardie thanks you for this video lol

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Haha, tell her I said she's welcome. Good luck!

[@kingcuda3190]

nice bro.. i dig ur set up..

[@azazelthefallen1386]

No separate thermostat? Just the built in thermostats on the aquarium heaters?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

The aquarium heater do the heavy lifting, but can (should) be run into another thermostat set a bit higher for redundancy

[@azazelthefallen1386]

@@ReachOutReptiles ok that's what I figured thank you for the clarification

[@azazelthefallen1386]

@@ReachOutReptiles only perlite I can find is Miracle-Gro which is enriched with Miracle-Gro plant food

[@mlk5204]

This is the best diy incubater but instead of using circulation pump can you use a fan like how some breeders do for wine cooler and think you I whack both incubation vids this is what I’m going to use for my first ball phthon pairing 😀🤝👍🏾

[@zyo6400]

Where can i find the same heater because i don't want to buy something and have to buy a second part to go with it.

[@christianmalacat471]

Hi , will this work for leopard gecko eggs?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Yes, it sure will- but I would probably use much smaller egg boxes.

[@christianmalacat471]

@@ReachOutReptiles Thanks for this. I'll try this one with smaller boxes :)

[@mattbaldi9571]

How’s it bro after lots of research i seem to gravitate towards your incubator..... I’m from South Africa and I’m doing my first ball python clutch ..... may I ask what temp I would set the submerged aquarium heaters at and what heat would I want it to be inside the incubator

[@mattbaldi9571]

Thank you so much any information would be appreciated

[@lfaulk36]

Can u link your circulation pump?

[@waragainstmyself1159]

You are cool af man thank you

[@ReachOutReptiles]

You're very welcome, hope this comes in handy for you someday!

[@mikeratcliffe7378]

Could this be done with something like a polystyrene box or even a large R. U. B instead of the cooler?

[@dksengineeringx2174]

Is there a specific temperature you set?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

dksengineering x That will differ by species- for Retics The water temp is set to 87, which gives me an egg box temp of 88.5.

[@tragicboy9991]

Will this work for lace monitor lizards ? Or asian water monitors ?

[@rishabhrajput990]

What is the ideal temperature to incubate snake eggs?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

each species require different temperatures

[@josettetaylor5176]

THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I was going to recommend you watch the newer one, but I see you already did!

[@bigblue8986]

Does the water ever evaporate and you need to add more?

[@ReachOutReptiles]

Only VERY little, as it's a closed system.

[@blahhhh424]

I don't have an incubator for my star tortoise eggs! Can they hatch without an incubator or should i take them somewhere else to incubate them? I live in India

[@ReachOutReptiles]

I would imagine you would have a good chance of natural incubation there. But to be honest, I don't know- and it would also depend on many other factors. Please also watch our other incubation video

[@karapannell7811]

Can I use this system on not only my geckos, but also my BIRDS???