DIY Reptile Egg Incubator How To Build In 15 Minutes For $40 Or Less

Hatching Reptile eggs or even Bird eggs with a DIY egg incubator is cheap, easy and fast. I'll teach you how to build a successful egg incubator in less than 15 minutes for $40 or less!
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[@annanguyin7098]

Dude I Hate That You Don't Get The Views You Deserve. You The Number 1 Under Rated Reptile KZbinr

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

oh thanks so much for saying that! feel free to share with your friends :)

[@JesusChrist4ever]

Lambona

[@pewpewcat7679]

All those hatchlings were adorable. Such fragile little bebes Really informative, thanks!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad you enjoyed it! thanks for watching

[@taeviansworldofreptiles3828]

This was very helpful for my future breeding plants with my house snakes! Great video!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Great to hear!

[@Loganisbad]

@@WickensWickedReptiles is it possible to do it with a heat mat instead?

[@PlanetOReptiles]

Nice video! I remember the one from a couple months back! Cool that you found a less expensive way.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Thanks!

[@alangroves1176]

Adam thanks for this video. I made this box and from that i hatched 6 leopard gecko eggs last year

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Nice work!

[@brandieluna6459]

I'm 3 years away from breeding and I'll be a small breeder. So.. this was insanely helpful. Ty.

[@PlantyJess]

Thank you for this video, going to be following it for incubating my ball python eggs!

[@steviekyme9153]

Just love how many times you said clamps. I thought I was Futurama for a minute there!! Great video love you channel

[@rdnkenki]

I'm doing this! Thank you. wish I knew this in January

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

You're so welcome!

[@lesmiletics8952]

Great video Adam you know you can also buy plastic insulators that snap over the metal clips that cover the exposed metal clips that crimp on your heat tape. I was also told to run electrical tape over the cut end of the heat tape so you dont have exposed contacts on the unwired side of the heat tape. Again great video keep them comming.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Great tip! yes I should have mentioned that!

[@Insidious88]

Great video man helpful

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad you think so! thanks for watching

[@cincoyxungsmash5thst817]

I will be using this soon for my gecko and snake project

[@leejantze674]

The term you're looking for as to why to use water to retain the heat is specifc heat. It takes a lot of energy to change the temp of water 1 degree, so this is why is retains heat so well.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

well said!

[@ReptileRoad]

You make this look super easy, thank you! Going to try this soon rather than converting a mini fridge. How has it worked for you over time and how many ball python clutches are you able to fit?

[@NylaE-l4b]

This was such cool information ! Definitely gonna do it

[@doubledforge]

Great demo! Thanks for the information.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad it was helpful!

[@varanidguy]

Awesome guide, thanks for making this video!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@abrianarmour3657]

Yup I'll be doing this

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

wicked!

[@giuliacalleja8765]

instead of heat tape can you use heat mats ? by the way amazing video. i love your channel

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

maybe? never tried but it may work

[@lawrencepetrillose7303]

Love that we use the same thermostat

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

The best!

[@neoleyting5952]

That's so cool so creative

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

thanks!

[@JimBoulter108]

"Make sure no metal is not covered" is the correct way to use a double negative! Well done!😂

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

did I actually say that? I'm a language snob. No way I said it like that

[@JimBoulter108]

It was typed on screen as you were taping the contacts on the heat tape. It took me a second to process, I will admit, but once I did, it was absolutely right.😂

[@markdaniels9606]

This is priceless. Thanks for making this video!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

My pleasure!

[@awstonkelly4144]

As someone getting into breeding my ball pythons this is life changing. My male banana and his 3 gfs will definitely enjoy watching me try this out without electrocuting myself while using the multimeter to check cables.

[@ChaoticNeutralElf]

Thank you so much! My ex breeder ball python laid eggs this morning. I have her as a pet and I've never incubated eggs in my live. This is going to help me out so much, because I want to give them (the eggs) the best possible chance!!

[@cincoyxungsmash5thst817]

Thank you

[@wilkins_snakes9824]

great video going to order a massive cooler now :)

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Hope you enjoy it!

[@Rryan8065]

This definitely helped!!! Thanks!

[@sarahmiller2147]

You should do a diy snake rack😉😉

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

maybe soon

[@iwrath2196]

hell yeah thank you.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Rock on!

[@blntmanreptiles8800]

Love the video you should watch the reach out reptiles video he uses water in the bottom of a cooler like that with a circulation pump and two tank heaters so it keeps the humidity at all times to

[@krittercandyexotics]

Could you use a huge heat pad instead of heat tape?

[@patricknyhan7491]

Adorable oodles of noodle caboodles!

[@caseycruz6678]

Thank man you help me a lot

[@I_am_BiG_Al]

Even though I'm from the UK I've always used Fahrenheit for my reptiles for some reason

[@lew4925]

very helpful i plan to use this setup for ball python eggs in the future, would heat cable work instead of heat tape?

[@Aziara86]

Where do I get the A M P clamp? Can't find anything like that.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Dino Reptiles

[@ericxxx1287]

What percent of your python eggs hatch over ones that don’t with this setup?

[@bazzz1467]

So if I had a small box off eggs in a container where should the thermostat probe go in the container or the air ?

[@allenstafford8378]

could I do the same With A Stirafoame?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

sure

[@gshade12]

Gonna try today

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

nice!

[@johnnyvaladez2732]

5:28 ...that's what she said! Lol

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Michael Scott is laughing so hard right now

[@iwrath2196]

where is the ventilation in this incubator, is it the hole?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

there is none, I explain to just open it every few days

[@ItsAstroBoii]

yooo thanks man! you just saved me like 100 bucks

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad I could help!

[@cartermiller3807]

What are the clamps he used to connect the heat tape called?

[@treytondavison8858]

cool

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

thanks

[@Ubetsuforever]

nice

[@sarahmiller2147]

Thankyouuuuu

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

You're welcome 😊

[@NickRO1989]

what is the brand and name of the heating sheet that was used? this type of tape or sheet looks perfect for my application!

[@ryangonzales2524]

It's flex watt

[@reynaldcruz1128]

Thank you sir

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

All the best

[@surfpanther]

So what do you use for cooling? Some eggs need cooling....low temps...also make sure your ext cord is rated for the correct wattage or your in for trouble! You need a heavier guage for constant electrical load!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

what eggs need cooling? I live in Canada dawg, no need for coolers up here haha

[@surfpanther]

@@WickensWickedReptiles parsons need cooling...down to 64°F or 18° C

[@tyliful]

good idea.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Many many thanks

[@JMoreMagnet951]

Would this be good for hatching bearded dragons eggs we made a mistake thinking they were both girls but 1 was a boy and they ended up having 12 eggs so this is my first time hatching eggs and BTW what are the tools you used to make it and were can I get them to

[@praisetogaming8828]

Gonna have to do that when my hognose are ready for breeding

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

worked for me:)

[@blanchybaby]

Would this work for all reptiles? Especially tortoises.

[@TesseraCraft]

now, how do you make a brewmation chamber when you live in the south and it does not get much below 70 degrees?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

wine fridge... plug it in.... that's it. haha

[@TesseraCraft]

@@WickensWickedReptiles yeah that is what i am thinking

[@matthewardon6697]

I can’t seem to find the clamp link for the extension cord can you help me with that?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Dino Reptiles

[@matthewardon6697]

@@WickensWickedReptiles thank you

[@katsouza5856]

Do you know of what wattage the heat tape that you used is?? Does it matter what wattage it is??

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

usually 4" is 4w/foot

[@katsouza5856]

@@WickensWickedReptiles thank you so much 😊

[@charmando_1687]

Do you still use this method? I plan to breed ball pythons in the future so I just want to plan before.

[@BriDia3]

Wish I would've seen this before I just spent $125 on an incubator. It's tiny too and the temperature fluctuates with the room temperature

[@anbu94]

Good ole fashion death cable 😝

[@godzillav2890]

Can you re unite them with there mothers?

[@richardhenriques3948]

The same time as I

[@Avocetexotics]

How can we pruchase babh reptiles from you?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

any available animals will go on the website and I'll announce when they go up on here and socials

[@Red-357]

Not sure if this was asked but... wouldn’t the thermostat probe be better off taped directly to the heat tape?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

For a rack, yes, for an incubator, no. The idea is to get the ambient temp in the incubator to temp, not the surface of the heat tape.

[@gsorestes9933]

0 dislikes heck yeah

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

well that lasted long.... haha

[@gsorestes9933]

@@WickensWickedReptiles oh dangit

[@caterscarrots3407]

I might have to do this if I get a female bearded dragon. Because I know that bearded dragons can go through parthenogenesis and I wouldn’t want to like freeze in a ziplock and throw away any fertile eggs. And even though it’s often possible to tell if the eggs are fertile like on the day they are laid, sometimes it takes a few days of incubation to know if they are fertile or not. At the same time though, I'd be like "Oh my god, what am I going to do with all these babies? The heat, the UV, it’s expensive, and I don’t have the space to keep them to adults or even decently sized juveniles, especially if I get like a 30 egg clutch. But I would rather hatch them than freeze them. Will my neighbors want these babies? Are they willing to buy everything that they need for an adult bearded dragon? Do they have the money to buy everything that they need?" And even though it’s not as common in bearded dragons as in say monitor lizards or even geckos, it still happens and I’d want to be prepared for if and when it happens.

[@takuyamatsuda7214]

Just don’t breed them?

[@caterscarrots3407]

Takuya Matsuda I won’t, but even a parthenogenic clutch might happen and that would become hard once they hatch.

[@nadia9410]

I would say talk to your local reptile store or smaller pet store (Not PetSmart or Petco) and ask if they'd be willing to take babies from you. Typically they want to know about the parent(s). You will probably have to be okay with just giving them to the store as they probably won't BUY the babies from you or if they do, it won't be for nearly as much as you would get if you sold them yourself. If they say no, look into what it takes to sell on a site like Morph Market and worst-case scenario, Craigslist.

[@kodavulpedrius6712]

All these conformists. At least theres a useful vid on the internet now.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

thanks man

[@loganwall601]

take a shot every time he says he's not an electrician lol But seriously great video! this will come in handy down the road when I decide to breed :)))

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

hahaha, just want to be very clear about how I am unqualified to do anything but talk to a camera in my basement.

[@AuroraExotics]

Very helpful! I've seen this done with water in the bottom and heated with an aquarium heater as well. The eggs do okay with no air exchange? Or do you open the top periodically?

[@predatorking3131]

Should definitely have some ventilation of some form...

[@varanidguy]

You either want to poke some very small ventilation holes in the containers the eggs are in, or once a week open them up and allow for some good gas exchange.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

right! do not ventilate the cooler at all ever! just exchange air every few days.

[@jdulmes]

@@WickensWickedReptiles How???

[@misskestrel78]

@@jdulmes Like they said above: either have some tiny holes in the egg boxes, or open the egg box lid once a week so the eggs can get fresh air.

[@taingo1355]

WHY ARE YOU SSSOOOOOOO UNDERRATED IT IS CRAZZY

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

thanks! hey feel free to share with you friends

[@Blahaja]

There's an Amazon product that is a reptile grade heating pad with a built in thermometer. Would that work just as well as the heat tape?

[@theadventuresofremiblaq5324]

That’s awesome. Thanks Adam. Can’t wait to start breeding leopard geckos. Building my own incubator would be awesome.

[@donnadoes4757]

Super helpful! Not sure if the wiring stuff will transfer over to the UK, will definitely check it out though!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

should translate, the male and female end look a bit different but everything else is the same. thanks for watching :)

[@Avocetexotics]

Definitely will be using this when I finally start my breeding projects! I was wondering if you could just use a heat mat instead of heat tape if you already have one laying around.

[@JesusChrist4ever]

U can’t

[@Loganisbad]

@@JesusChrist4ever dang:(

[@evonwhenperishing]

Really nice, cheap, and easy design! Man, I wish i had to worry about keeping my reptile eggs heated - I unfortunately live in Arizona, so more than anything I have to worry about cooling mine down! Thanks for all the info anyways, really valuable if I ever end up living somewhere with a bit more reasonable of temperatures lol.

[@windserpent]

I was intimidated by the thought of fatally fudging up the heat tape, so I avoided making my own incubator until this year when I found a method I was far more familiar with. Instead of water bottles and heat tape, I use aquarium heaters and fill a small portion of the cooler with water a la Garrett's guide on Reach Out Reptiles. First time I've ever had such perfect humidity without fussing with the substrate at all. It could be worth covering this method for people who, like me, are still unsure of their ability to install tape. It also requires no duct tape, which--aside from my inclination to never allow tape within a 1 mile radius of bumbling hatchlings--will eventually unstick in a humid incubator.

[@windserpent]

I guess it would help if I read the other comments first lol. Seems I'm hardly the first to recommend Garrett's guide.

[@eviehankins8223]

I feel that. Heat tape has always made me a bit nervous so it was nice to see how he put it together.

[@twincreekprecision8727]

Really appreciate your passion and willingness to share reptile info with the community! Your content is amazing!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Thank you so much 👍

[@shikadragon]

This is fantastic! Thank you

[@TheRealEuthyphro]

Very good video. This was VERY helpful. An video idea I have is one I've mentioned in the past. It's a list of the top 5 most beautiful/amazing venomous snakes.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Great suggestion!

[@TheWarden69]

How do you set up the containers to incubate the eggs?

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

I explain in the breeding guides I've made :)

[@nataliesreptiles]

Was wondering why you made a 2nd DIY incubator video. Had to go back to the 1st one and saw it was already a pre-made one you were just explaining how to make, and this one you're actually building in the video. lol. But, more room for more eggs I suppose.

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

the other one is still full of eggs and at a lower temp

[@madwolf8399]

This is going to be soooooo helpful for my first ever breeding in 2 to 3 years and for my future project (5 or 6 years down the line) for an extremely bright sharp patterned snake. I dont wanna spoil it but potentially could be crazy! So excited!!

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

cool stuff

[@jacobtomlinson9219]

Wait what were those little metal things he put on the cord??

[@witchmedusa7995]

Yeah I’ve been trying to find them and can’t

[@thejerseyherper5320]

This is a great video, haven't finished it yet but it's very educational

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@thejerseyherper5320]

Wickens Wicked Reptiles yeah it was great, I'll definitely use this, thanks for the video

[@richardmanga3447]

Yooo sick

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

thanks

[@absoluteslut4you]

I love all ur videos I have 2 Leopard geckos and starting to research on breeding your video's have helps me so much with reptiles I was going to get and finding out they wasn't right for me now my geckos are spoiled brats lol

[@PeterKocman]

Like how do you keep humidity in there for leopard geckos am just curious i would like to try breed my pupies xD maybe next video about the proces how often you open it how often you spray down to keep it humid enought great vid keep it up :)

[@Eabreptiles]

how many Ball Python eggs could that incubator hold

[@hammad3180]

Would this work for turtle eggs

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

I imagine but I have never done it

[@hammad3180]

@@WickensWickedReptiles oh thanks for the reply. I dont have any eggs though but ill try some day.

[@blobblox4402]

which cages brand do you use?

[@CurioCraving]

Can a heat mat work

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

likely

[@CurioCraving]

@@WickensWickedReptiles thankyou so much for replying to my comment you are the best reptile youtuber ever

[@nexrole884]

Honestly, I'd just stick a heating pad or something in a foam box and call it an incubator. Not sure if it'd work though. But seems plausible. Although where I'm at, I would need an incubator that brings down temps rather than an incubator that raises temps.

[@grownman1017]

Ok so to piggy back off of my other comment, of saving me a tremendous amount of money, for that, thank you. So I built it only. I installed the Heat tape on the bottom vice the top. BUT, all of my eggs got firm, like a cheeseburger firm....so I cut 1 to check, and it was terrible. So my question is what am I doing wrong and could you help me please

[@timothy440]

I’m 3 years late to this but did this setup work well for your ball python clutch?

[@Miss_Nyx]

What about humidity?

[@lostcauseracing1131]

What about humidity?

[@Scales13]

Thats the same thermostat I use

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

it's a great stat

[@goodiegoat6923]

Can you make it from them styrofoam boxes??

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

you could yes

[@kearstinnekenerson6676]

That was really helpful and looks supper easy going to save a good amout of money on that

[@WickensWickedReptiles]

Glad it helped