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DIY Project - Rubbermaid Incubator

DIY Projects - Plywood / EPMD Pondliner Tank & Nesting Box (90 & 150 gallon) - Flexible liner free form pond (540 gallon) - Biological Filters (5 gallon) - Rubbermaid Incubators

DIY - Rubbermaid Incubator This is the same incubator I have had running since 1997 and I've only had to replace the heater once. I am planning on trying a new homemade design this spring in addition to the current one and will update the page should it prove successful.

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This incubator design is quite simple. One large sweater storage container and two to four standard plastic shoe boxes. The shoe boxes are filled with a 1:1 play sand /peat moss mixture that is wetted down with water to the point that it clumps together when squeezed without water dripping out. The sides have 1/8" holes drilled near the top around the entire perimeter of the shoe box to allow for air exchange. The shoe boxes are raise above the water level using scrap pieces of ceramic tiles and a submersible aquarium heater is added. Temperatures are maintained at 28 C and realative humidity at 95 - 100 %. A standard aquarium thermometer is pressed into the substrate to monitor temperature as well a humidity guage. I strongly recommend using a digital thermometer & humidity guage every three days or so to get more precise readings as the dial type humidity guages are not reliable and I have since stopped using them. The lid on the sweater box is opened every other day to allow for an exchange of oxygen in the incubator and take readings. This incubator will accomodate up to four shoe box sized containers (stacked) and is fast to disassemble and clean.