Homemad Incubator

[crypticdragons]

So I am toying with the idea of building a custom cabinet styled incubator. I realize most on here probably use havobators, as do I currently, but I have just determined it would be so much nicer to have a "one stop shopping" area, so to speak, where all my eggs and egg containers are stored. I get the general idea behind it but its proving difficult to find good plans for one that will deffinately work. Anywho, I am basically asking if anyone on here may have plans for a good yet simple custom incubator.

 

[crypticdragons]

I will go ahead and apologize for the miss-spelled topic title as I apparently missed the E key and can not edit the post.

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Hi Bri,

I am in the same boat for my gex and I have searched and searched until i found a good resource on how to make a good home made incubator (from a well known gecko breeder no less lol)

Basic materials

One bar fridge (or fridge if you want grand scale), non-working as you only want the shell
Heat cord 2-4 meters in length depending on the size of the fridge
Digital probe thermometer
One reliable and accurate pulse proportional thermostat (most important item)
cord mounts, don't know what kind you guys exactly have/available but anything that will hold the heat cord on the fridfe wall will do.

So to make the incubator.

Step one: gut the fridge of all unnecessary compartments

Step two: Loop the heat cord around the inside walls of the fridge with the mounts in place.
Do this in a "S" snake pattern along the walls. You can either drill a hole on the side wall of the fridge
to feed the cord in or through the fridge seal on the door. Be careful when you drill a whole in the
fridge wall as the really old models may be lined with asbestos.

Cord mounting in "S"
____________________
l____________________
____________________l
l____________________
____________________l

Step three: Feed the probe from your thermostat into the fridge, do this from a different whole that you
placed the heat cord through as you don't want any interference in the readings by the cord heating
up the thermostat probe cord. You can place the thermometer cord through the same hole so you
can get accurate temps.

Step four: Mount the digital thermometer infront of the door as well as the probe so you can easily see
what temps the incubator is at.

Step five: Monitor and test the incubator for at least two weeks before actually putting any eggs in there
to ensure that it is holding the proper temps. A pulse proportional thermostat is a must as it's like a
dimmer thermostat rather than on on or off thermostat controling your incubator temps.

Article in reptiles Australia Magazine Vol 3 Issue 1
http://www.reptilesaustralia.com.au/index.php?page=cart&cart_section=product&cart_product_id=3389

Chhers mate,

 

[crypticdragons]

Francis

thanks a lot man. Thats quite similar to what I have been reading on my various searches. Far as mounting the heat tape, most posts I have seen suggested using metal tape to "mount" the tape up to the fridge. But awesome post. Im seriously planning to do this after the move. Having a ton of small sterofoam incubators is overly space consuming and it just seems like a far better idea to have a large bator that can hold em all. Thanks again

Brian

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Mate, the hardest part would be finding enough approtiate shelving if your going to do a full scale fridge incubator. Glass shelves are no good, you want an old ones with a lot of those wire shelves for better temp circulation around the eggs.

 

[crypticdragons]

Mate, the hardest part would be finding enough approtiate shelving if your going to do a full scale fridge incubator. Glass shelves are no good, you want an old ones with a lot of those wire shelves for better temp circulation around the eggs.

Yeah from the pictures I have seen their appears to be some metal wire type shelving that fits in the ridges on the side walls of the small refrigerators. The pictures I have found typically have 2 shelves in them and the door and bottom of the fridge are lined with water bottles to help stabalize temps when the door has to be opened, with a small computer fan at the top corner pointed down at a angle with the wide heat tape taped to the back of the fridge from top to bottm. Thermostat and probe therm mounted to the front. What would be real nice would be to find one of those small drink refrigerators, like the small red bull fridges and what not, as they already have wire shelving and glass doors (for looking in without opening)

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Yeah the drinks fridge with the glass doors would be perfect , I've also been trying to source broken down wine fridges with the racks in them (same things really).

 

[crypticdragons]

yeah I actually just found a small wine fridge available in new orleans for 50 bux. Im gonna email the guy and see if he will hang onto it for a month (i know wishful thinking)

 

[Red Ink AUS]

Ohh, I forgot flexwatt heat matts work just as well as cords if you want to go that route. Ignore light bulbs all together their unrealiable and burn out under constant humidity lol.

 

[crypticdragons]

Ohh, I forgot flexwatt heat matts work just as well as cords if you want to go that route. Ignore light bulbs all together their unrealiable and burn out under constant humidity lol.

Yeah the 11 inch wide flex watt heat tape seems to be the "standard" that most use.

 

[zebraflavencs]

I can't add to Francis information, but I do know that one breeder out west uses those fridge/incubators for his dragons...
Janie

 

[ladyknite]

;D
I love mine.

 

[northface75]

haha, I've gutted a few old fridges for scrap metals. Dont anymore, not worth the work for what you get, but fridges are EVERYWHERE friends. I guarantee you take a look on craigslist, or offer to take one from the local recycling center. you dont need to spend much to get an old junk fridge, trust me.

 

[zebraflavencs]

Around here... just drive the apartment complexes the week before the 1st of the month, and the week OF the 1st of the month
Janie

 

[northface75]

Dang! where do you get a pulse proportional thermostat from? The only ones I'm seeing are made specifically for ceramic heaters, made by habistat, but they are like 80 bucks and up!

 

[northface75]

oh, and if anyone is curious (as I was) as to how exactly that type of thermostat works, this explains it well.

http://www.equipyourreptile.com/proddetail.php?prod=CHT020-SpO

I can see why its the most important part