Heating pad incubator setup

[OctobersDusk]

I'm looking at breeding my leopard geckos (no eggs yet, they're both about 6 months so I don't expect any soon) but I want to make sure I'm prepared for when I do get eggs. Is it okay to use a heating pad underneath the incubator (on a thermostat of course) or does it need to be done another way?

 

[acpart]

It's kind of a question of what you mean by "incubator" if you're using a heating pad under it. Are you talking about a tank, a styrofoam box or something else? One thing about incubating leopard gecko eggs is that for best results, the temperatures need to be really steady. Otherwise you get not only poor hatch rates, but also the potential for birth defects. The most important function of the incubator and the heat is that it can provide and successfully contain the heat. The most important elements are the thermostat and the thermometer. For best results use a proportional thermostat. Also realize that a cheap incubator will only heat but not cool, so if the ambient temperature of the room gets higher than the incubation temperature, there is no way to keep the incubation temperature lower than that. Here are some Gecko Time articles that may give you some ideas:

A Tale of Three Incubators - Gecko Time

A working incubator is a crucial ingredient for a successful reptile breeding season. Eggs do hatch in the enclosure and in appropriately warm parts of the home but generally, the hatch rates are higher when the temperature can be carefully controlled. During my 10 years as a gecko breeder, I...

geckotime.com

Editor's Question Answered: Incubator Temperature Control - Gecko Time

Do you know how your incubator works? Does it matter? In the case where there's a choice about where to put the thermostat probe, it can matter a whole lot: More

geckotime.com

Aliza

 

[OctobersDusk]

Starting out I'm just doing this as a hobby, so I don't want to spend a lot of money on an actual incubator until I know I can successfully raise and sell the hatchlings. I have read that you can use a Tupperware dish with holes in the top, vermiculite substrate, kept damp, and of course the temperature needs to be kept where you want it depending on whether you want to get male or female hatchling, but none that I've read have actually detailed how they are heated. My house stays right around 68° and the thermostat I have can be configured down to the single degree, so the temperature should stay within 2-3 degrees of where I want it.

 

[acpart]

Some people leave a lay box with eco earth in the enclosure and when the female lays they let the egg stay there and hatch. Most likely the hatch rate isn't high and it's important to get to the offspring before they become dinner. A container with holes will more likely dry out. When I was using the incubator I used a container with no holes and would open it briefly once a week or so. I once took some eggs that someone gave me whose gecko had laid in the cage. I don't remember how long they had been there but they both hatched and both had significant deformities (here's an article about one of them: https://geckotime.com/sela-a-story-of-a-special-needs-gecko/). I'm not saying it always happens, but it can and then you have a bunch of special needs geckos to take care of. On the other hand, I know someone who kept his egg boxes on top of his hot water boiler and they hatched out fine. It's worth a try. If you want a slightly better and cheaper solution, google "do it yourself incubators" and make something. It usually involves using a styrofoam container or an aquarium (though here's another Gecko Time article about making one from a compact fridge - https://geckotime.com/do-it-yourself-incubator-from-a-compact-refrigerator/). Good luck.

Aliza

 

[OctobersDusk]

Thank you so much, hopefully this goes well!

 

[NearMeGeckos]

I would recommend waiting until over a year to breed females.