Newbie experimenting w/incubator

[govikes96]

I'm a newbie to all this and i was trying to find a cheap way to heat an incubator. I was gonna use a rubber made tub and just put a space heater on it, but I saw somewhere that someone had used the cpu router in his entertainment center as a source of heat. I decided to use a large cooler and run the cords out the drain. At least It wouldn't run as loud as the space heater!! I'll try to post back with the temps.

[NHMI]

just get a reptile heater and put it under your incubation chamber, they are $30 at petco

[govikes96]

I could do that. But then that requires that I spend money lol!! I have a couple old routers laying around and it seemed to work. I'm keeping them in my basement and it's only about 62-65 degrees F down there and the incubator was at around 75 degrees...so it seems to be working!!!

[NineInchNails]

I recently made an incubator out of a FREE upright refrigerator/freezer. Most local appliance repair shops have them. They have no use for them so they will just give them to you. The most expensive portion of this is the thermostat and the heater.

I took MANY photos while I was making mine, but I couldn’t post them being that this is my first post here. I’ll put up the pics very soon (once I get more than 14 posts).

Materials Needed:Squirt Foam – 1 can … a few bucks
Silicone Caulk – at least 1 tube … approx $5.00
Basic Tools
11” Wide FlexWatt – 2’ to 4’ approx $3.60/ft
Heat Controller/Thermostat $39.95
1 or 2 PC fans (I prefer 2)

I started out by cleaning the interior thoroughly.
I then used white silicone to seal EVERY seam
I filled the voids in the vents with squirt foam. Once dry do any trimming necessary.
I drilled a hole through the back of the refrigerator in the upper left corner to run the temp probe through.

Installing the FlexWatt. FlexWatt is REAL simple to wire up since there’s only 2 connections. You simply use a 2 prong cord (most already have them) strip the ends, and solder them on. Before you solder the connections you first have to scrape the plastic film away from the connection. Quick connectors can be purchased so you don’t’ have to do any soldering. I ran the cord through the hole and used adhesive Velcro to hold the FlexWatt to the back of the incubator. This makes for easy removal for cleaning, etc… Just plug the FlexWatt into your heat controller/thermostat.

I plugged one fan into the thermostat so that it kicks on with the heater. I also placed this fan inside the incubator so that it points at the FlexWatt. I plugged another fan in so that it runs 24/7.

Once all wires were run into the incubator (through the hole) I applied silicone to seal around the wires from the interior.

It’s REAL nice, maintains temp flawlessly, and is a lot better than a ‘tote in tote’ incubator.

I’ll post pics soon.

[NineInchNails]

Oops ... double post.

[NHMI]

nice:D :D:D:D:D:D

[DopeMushroomMoFo]

um... Incubators are usually made with a heat bomb (fish tank heater inside of container), but I have seen ones that are simply 2 dark Rubbermaid's one inside the other with a light bulb on the inside of the outer most Rubbermaid, but that really only raises the temp a few degrees, and is honestly garbage. But if you only need it up a few degrees, and you don't want to buy anything you can find a light bulb any ware. I don't need an incubator, I had to make an ice AC unit to keep temps DOWN. lol how I'm gonna fruit at 90+? Why is it 90+ in my house? It's not, just my grow room. Y? IDK...

[GirlsHateMe]

Mushrooms are fine at 65F...stop freaking out, they might slow down but you wont get contams...if you got it up to 75 leave it alone, your jars are going to be a few degrees higher inside than they are outside...

again i say...stop freaking out, its fine...

[NHMI]

65 is way too cold, wtf are you talking about...it wont kill them but they wont grow for shit at 65. 72-83 is perfect.

[GirlsHateMe]

Im talking about in jars...during incubation...if the jars are 65 they are WARMER inside, so even if he gets it up to a little over 70 its fine...but yeah man I shouldnt have said 65 is FINE, i was off on that...

Anything over 80 is asking for contams...83 is just way to high...I mean if they have to be that hot whatever, but I never liked to let mine get over 77-80, only becasue at 80, they are probably 81-83 inside already, so getting them to 83 is like 85-87 inside, way to hot...

[ziggy5thstreet]

easy im poor lol

unplug a fridge or freezer that has at least 3 levals

get a bunch of leaf bags for colecting leaves in the fall you kno those

get an inexpensif desk lamp that is flexible

then you put the bags on the second shelf

fill up a bunch of sprite bottles with boiling hot water

and put them on top of the bags so they stay

then put the lamp on the bottom turn it on for 12 hrs and then turn it off for 12 hrs its cheep and easy to find around the house lol

[cnwholesale]

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[NineInchNails]

SPAM huh? Just what every forum needs.

[Effmesilly]

hahaha what NHMI said..
i keep em incubated at around 78ish degrees.. 65 wont do shit bro..

u have to germinate the spores, not freeze em

[Creepy John]

I built my incubator out of a bar fridge I found buried in the garage.
I wired it with a ceramic lamp fixture and a zoomed reptitemp 500r thermostat, I use a 30w ceramic heat emitter. I usually have mine at 83, it incubates my Bearded dragon eggs and jars. Never seen more that 2 degrees of difference between the incubator temp and inside the jars. But I am still kinda new to this.