Placing probe

[Cornylover2]

I finally found some vermiculite at a local hardware store and took my eggs out of the peat moss I had originally bought. I currently have the container on a heat mat which is on the underside of a glass aquarium. The temperature directly above the heatmat is about 89 degrees. The probe inside the egg container is measuring a steady 82 degrees. I've placed the probe on top of the vermic (measuring air temp) and also have dug it underneath a little bit just like the eggs are and the temperature varied by 1 or 2 degrees. The highest it went up was to 84 buried in the vermic. Am I placing the probe in the correct spot to measure temperature?

Also, the eggs have only been in incubation for 5 days and some of them have already developed these brownish yellow spots, not very big, just dotted on some eggs. Is this something to worry about? First time accidentally breeding and I find myself wanting to open the container when I come home from work to look at the eggs. Is it bad if they get too much air? Container has no air holes, so just wondering.

 

[dwyn127]

The eggs that are browning sound like they may be going bad. I like to check in on my eggs from time to time too. Just make sure the air exposure isn't leaving the medium to dry.

Regarding the probe, I put it in the middle of the eggs and bury the tip in the moss to get my reading.

 

[dwilliamsmms]

I use a homemade incubator too and I also use 2 thermometers. I bury the tip of one in the bottom of the spaghnum and have one buried as far down as the middle of the eggs. I check temperatures a couple of times a day and more often if the day is hot (even though I have air conditioning). I find my temperatures vary about 2 degrees top and bottom. I shoot for about 84 on the bottom and 82 on the top. The clutch I'm currently hatching has stayed very steady at these temperatures for the last 6 1/2 weeks.

I also raise my egg box off the floor of the aquarium by about 3 inches and wrap all 4 sides of the aquarium in insulation. I don't like the idea of placing the eggs directly on the heat source. I had a couple of heat spike scares a number of years ago when I hatched my 1st eggs. I use a screen lid on the aquarium with a piece of insulation cut to almost completely cover it. I can slide it around to let in more cool air or seal in the warm air more if the outside temp gets too cool.