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Has anybody used a CO2 monitor in their incubator?

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Taco

Taco

In the Brooder
6 Years
Nov 21, 2013
23
4
24
Washington
Recently I purchased a CO2 monitor and placed it in my incubator. The first 10 days the levels stayed near the levels of the room I had the incubator in. But after that they slowly climbed and then dramatically jumped from the first pips through hatching. I controlled the levels by opening vents (watch your humidity) keeping the levels under 1,100 PPM (parts per million). My hatch started 3 1/2 days early because the temp was a little high (it's a new incubator so I'm working out the bugs). With the early arrivals I was expecting a poor hatch, but instead I was around :D90% with 81 out of 90 hatching.
If I wouldn't have had the CO2 monitor I would not have opened the vents near as much, and as of now I am attributing the great hatch to this.
Next time if I get the temp right I'm expecting 101 out of 100 LOL.::D
 
The oxygen is in there, it's the CO2 that the embryos and chicks make that is harmful. My Co2 meter was $100 on Ebay. I keep my vents as closed as possible for humidity control and use as little surface area of water as possible, but in the later stages when I saw the CO2 rising I started opening vents. It's the only way I am aware of to put fresh air in. I like your idea for an aquarium pump, especially in a still air incubator, but the CO2 monitor would still be nice cause knowing when and how much air to add is the key. Adding more air than needed could cause cold spots.
All air quality codes are determined by CO2 levels, building codes for homes, office buildings, stadiums, theaters, and MSHA checks CO2 levels in coal mines. Oxygen level are not checked.
 
I get it. I have a homemade forced air cabinet/separate hatcher combination. Plenty of ability to keep the heat and humidity up so I thought the air pump would be a simple/cheap alternative than actual measurement.
 
I would use the pump the last 5 to 7 days for sure, that's when my CO2 shot way up. If you were worried about pumping cold air in you could shine a warm light on the pump. Just the mechanical parts of the pump being warm would warm the air going thru. Also put the outlet of the air tube blowing on the bulb or spring of your thermometer for a while to see the incoming air temp.good idea with the aquarium pump. They pump clean air. I wouldn't recommend any other type of pump, unless it was designed for breathing air. Most other pumps lubricate with oil that vaporizes into the air that is pumped.
 
I have 6 Emu eggs in now. I'm on day 3 and CO2 levels are staying low (600 PPM) with vents closed. By the way, I'm using a GQF Sportsman 1502.
700
 
Not too worried, but I would start to open some vents. I recently had a New Years party at my house with 30 people and my co2 levels in the incubator went up to 2,200ppm just from the people being in the 4,000 sq ft house.
 

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