Oh yes more flexwatt questions.. HELP please

[zeke]

I'm pickin up flexwatt at a show coming up.. I use Cypress in my tanks ( they are glass ,gotta build racks ) will the flexwatt produce enough heat through the tank and substrate? Also what thermostat and dimmers are good to use ( i'm not trying to break the bank ) someone posted that they use some from home depot but I cant find the thread. thank you in advance


Cheers

[steveboos]

In your situation, i would just buy an UltraTherm heat pad instead of flexwatt. Flexwatt is PERFECT for rack situations, but if left on a cheap thermostat or plugged into the wall, it can get up to 140 degrees, if not hotter and burn your snake. I would just get some Ultratherm heat pads and they almost never get above 110 when plugged in to the wall, so a dimmer switch is fine and is more than fine for a small setup. When you build a rack though, get either back heat with one huge strip of flexwatt or heat on each shelf and a really good thermostat, either Ranco, Johnson, Herpstat, or Helix.

[j_h_smith]

In your situation, i would just buy an UltraTherm heat pad instead of flexwatt. Flexwatt is PERFECT for rack situations, but if left on a cheap thermostat or plugged into the wall, it can get up to 140 degrees, if not hotter and burn your snake. I would just get some Ultratherm heat pads and they almost never get above 110 when plugged in to the wall, so a dimmer switch is fine and is more than fine for a small setup. When you build a rack though, get either back heat with one huge strip of flexwatt or heat on each shelf and a really good thermostat, either Ranco, Johnson, Herpstat, or Helix.

I used flexwatt for years with nothing more than a homemade dimmer switch controller. It worked fine. I'm probably going to get roasted on this one, but the person with a small collection does not need to buy the expensive thermostat controller. I had my racks set up with one extra tub, set up just like the rest. I ran a a cheap thermometer into this tub to get an ambient temp. I set the flexwatt temps with the use of a homemade dimmer and everything was fine for years.

Sorry if I fly in the face of conventional wisedom, but you don't need the fancy, high dollar gadgets.

Jim Smith

[zeke]

I used flexwatt for years with nothing more than a homemade dimmer switch controller. It worked fine. I'm probably going to get roasted on this one, but the person with a small collection does not need to buy the expensive thermostat controller. I had my racks set up with one extra tub, set up just like the rest. I ran a a cheap thermometer into this tub to get an ambient temp. I set the flexwatt temps with the use of a homemade dimmer and everything was fine for years.

Sorry if I fly in the face of conventional wisedom, but you don't need the fancy, high dollar gadgets.

Jim Smith

THANK YOU!! everyone says buy this and that and it turns out to cost an arm and a leg, well i'm not made of money.. what kind of dimmer do you use? if ya get roasted well then hell in there with ya.. thank you again...

Cheers

[steveboos]

I'm sorry but i disagree with both of you. Go ahead spend $20 on a rheostat or Thermostat that only has 1 or 2 input outlets and then try attaching extensions to get more outlets. Or you can spend your money well, get a thermostat that has 6-8 input outlets and controls the temperature digitally by degree for $80. Seems like A LOT better idea buying something that is very easy to use and very quality with all the accuracy you would want. Call me skeptical, but when it comes to animals, really anything in life, you buy quality at first and you will never have to worry about it in the future.

[j_h_smith]

See, that's what great about America. We both can do something differently, obtain the same results and both be happy. I raised hundreds of snakes using dimmers and never lost a snake. If your room has stable temps, a dimmer is just as relliable as an expensive Thermostat controller.

And you do realize that varying temps is not a bad thing? It happens all the time in the wild. A 5 degree swing in temps will never hurt a snake. I know how husbandry works and we all want ideals for our snakes, but I think we've gone a little too extreme on the temps side of the equation.


Flame Suit On,
Jim Smith

[brainman1000]

See, that's what great about America. We both can do something differently, obtain the same results and both be happy. I raised hundreds of snakes using dimmers and never lost a snake. If your room has stable temps, a dimmer is just as relliable as an expensive Thermostat controller.

And you do realize that varying temps is not a bad thing? It happens all the time in the wild. A 5 degree swing in temps will never hurt a snake. I know how husbandry works and we all want ideals for our snakes, but I think we've gone a little too extreme on the temps side of the equation.


Flame Suit On,
Jim Smith

I could not agree more. I use $5 wall dimmers wired to the flexwatt and a wall plug and it works fine.

[derrabe]

I could not agree more. I use $5 wall dimmers wired to the flexwatt and a wall plug and it works fine.

That is the only thing I am using currently with no problems.

[angllady2]

I bought my thermostat at petco. It's a Zilla brand I believe? I think it was between $30-40. It has two outlets on it, and controls the two strips of flexwatt for my 8 snakes with no problems at all.

I will say, when I build my rack this spring, I plan to investigate the more expensive thermostats very thoroughly, but for now, this is what I can afford and it works. Now, that doesn't mean I don't check at least 6 times a day just to make sure, but I'd do that anyway. It's a paranoid Mom thing.

Gale

[pavlovk1025]

See, that's what great about America. We both can do something differently, obtain the same results and both be happy. I raised hundreds of snakes using dimmers and never lost a snake. If your room has stable temps, a dimmer is just as relliable as an expensive Thermostat controller.

And you do realize that varying temps is not a bad thing? It happens all the time in the wild. A 5 degree swing in temps will never hurt a snake. I know how husbandry works and we all want ideals for our snakes, but I think we've gone a little too extreme on the temps side of the equation.


Flame Suit On,
Jim Smith

I use Herpstat and Helix and BAH Herp Power thermostats, but I couldnt agree more. Go with what works for you. I didnt have stable temps in my room when I started, and at this point its too far now to turn back, but if I had a herp room then like I do now, then I mightve done it the dimmer way as well.