I need some advice please.

[Austin S. Spears]

Gotta couple questions for everyone. First off I want to make it clear that all the gigas eggs never developed. humidity was kept perfect. The factor why they didnt make it could have been temperature. It was kept anywhere fro 74-78 deg. constantly. I believe this is too low for egg incubation. Thus, why they did not develope, most just turned black, some developed mold on them as well. I dirlled several dozen holes in the shoa box incubator (same settup Ryan (Talkenlate) and Brian S. use. Now the eggs just could have been bad from the start, or it could have been a problem when I pulled them too early, b/c I was uncertain when they were laid, the male could have been bad, etc. No one will really know when eggs go bad. But I would like to prevent this from happening again to the best of my ability. The chalcodes is digging like a crazed fool, as well as the parahybana, and the crawshayi has blocked herself in the burrow, I see nothing but silk. For you people who do breed and raise them in settups like this, how do you regulate temp.? I can't set me thermostat at 80-83 deg. all day, I cannot afford it as of right now. I'm working most of the day, so I'd be afraid to use space heaters and things of that nature b/c of a possible fire. What about heat pads? I've heard from some people they work well, and from some they do not. Would putting two on each side of the shoe box regulate the temp good enough for developement? What about my gravid T's as well. For the breeders, do you bump up the temps for the ONLY gravd T's? If so, how do you do it? Thanks guys, I really appreciate it.

[Phil Rea]

I can't and don't claim to be the world's most successful or prolific breeder, but for what I have bred, I put any incubator in exactly the same place as the mother's enclosure was without changing a thing. My personal reasoning is that if the sac has been laid in that position, then the spider must be happy that the conditions are right for it to develop correctly.

[Colin D Wilson]

I agree with Phil,
I'm not expert in any way either but i tend to incubate eggs as close to the original conditions if possible.
Although last year, in the house i'm in, i had little success compared to previous years where all the females were at a friends house and we had an abundance of viable's.
so far in 2008 i'm waiting on vagans, rosea (various forms) and sp. gigas (cameroon....whatever).
I hope my optimism is rewarded.