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Incubation temperatures
Killie24 at aol_com (???) wrote:
>
>I have N. rachovii eggs in peat from Jan.'97 that have been in temperatures
>into the low 60s F. I know that development is much slower at cool temps,
>but what is the temp where disaster strikes and death occurs? Does anyone
>know and have careful studies been conducted?
>
I am not aware of any rigorous studies that have been done to determine how low the storage temperature can be taken before Notho eggs start to die off. However, it is my opinion that storing Notho eggs at temperatures in the low 60s F is very definitely not to be recommended and you will be lucky if N. rachovii eggs develop at all at such temperatures. N. rachovii comes from the Beira area of Mozambique where the approximate average monthly temperature ranges from a low of about 70+ F in August (dry season) to about 85 F in February (wet season).
Although the development time for Notho eggs depends on numerous factors, temperature being only one, even storage temperatures in the low 70s F are probably too low. 75-76 F is probably best. Higher storage temperatures will work and do shorten the incubation time but, in my opinion, at the risk of a higher proportion of belly-slider fry.
Have you considered constructing an incubator ? If you are handy this can be done relatively easily.
Brian R. Watters
University of Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada
Ph: (306) 584-9161 (home); (306) 585-4663 (work)
Fax: (306) 585-5433; E-mail: bwatters at sk_sympatico.ca