Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 747

1 members and 746 guests
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,905
Threads: 249,102
Posts: 2,572,091
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, Pattyhud
Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 22
  1. #1
    Registered User
    Join Date
    07-10-2017
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    18
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts

    Is a thermostat necessary

    a lot of you I've noticed say thermostats are helpful for the heating mat. I'm on a budget, so I'm wondering if they are necessary, and if so what is a good cheap one?
    Last edited by Floppysnake; 07-13-2017 at 12:46 PM.

  2. #2
    BPnet Royalty KMG's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-09-2012
    Location
    Tx
    Posts
    5,633
    Thanks
    1,032
    Thanked 2,944 Times in 1,958 Posts
    Images: 55
    Yes. Absolutely!

    Buy cheap, get cheap. I tried a cheap one once and it failed in the on position in a couple months. So I always suggest Herpstats. The Intro model is in the $100 range.

    You may think a tstat is expensive but that is only because you haven't seen the exotic vet bill for treating a burn.



    You should unplug the uth until you get a controller for it. It's not the best choice but a $10 dimmer from the hardware store is better than nothing.
    Last edited by KMG; 07-13-2017 at 12:51 PM.
    KMG
    0.1 BP 1.1 Blood Python 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa 1.0 Aru Green Tree Python
    0.1 Emerald Tree Boa 0.1 Dumeril Boa 0.1 Carpet Python 0.1 Central American Boa
    0.1 Brooks Kingsnake 0.1 Speckled Kingsnake 1.0 Western Hognose
    0.1 Blonde Madagascar Hognose 1.0 Columbian Boa

    1.1 Olde English Bulldogge 1.0 Pit Bull

  3. The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to KMG For This Useful Post:

    Alicia (07-13-2017),GoingPostal (07-13-2017),Jeanne (07-13-2017),JodanOrNoDan (07-13-2017)

  4. #3
    BPnet Senior Member JodanOrNoDan's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-23-2015
    Location
    Everglades
    Posts
    3,042
    Thanks
    2,017
    Thanked 2,853 Times in 1,575 Posts
    Images: 77
    Yes a thermostat is necessary and it is a lot cheaper than a vet bill for a burn. I don't use cheap thermostats. Expect to pay between 50 - $100 for one.

    KMG beat me. You are going to see a lot of the same reply.
    Last edited by JodanOrNoDan; 07-13-2017 at 12:50 PM.

  5. The Following User Says Thank You to JodanOrNoDan For This Useful Post:

    Jeanne (07-13-2017)

  6. #4
    Registered User
    Join Date
    07-10-2017
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    18
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts
    Ok thank you. I don't have anything yet, I am only planning on getting one in the next few months. Thanks for the advice!

  7. #5
    Sometimes It Hurts... PitOnTheProwl's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-21-2010
    Location
    San Antonio, TX
    Posts
    12,050
    Thanks
    6,313
    Thanked 6,985 Times in 4,274 Posts
    Images: 3
    Nope..... Not if you run overhead heat and use a dimmer.

    Do not use any UTHing if you cannot properly regulate it.

  8. #6
    Registered User
    Join Date
    07-10-2017
    Location
    Northern California
    Posts
    18
    Thanks
    1
    Thanked 6 Times in 3 Posts
    Would you recommend overhead heat or heat mat?

  9. #7
    BPnet Royalty EL-Ziggy's Avatar
    Join Date
    11-05-2014
    Location
    GA
    Posts
    4,224
    Thanks
    5,090
    Thanked 5,533 Times in 2,710 Posts

    Re: Is a thermostat necessary

    As other members have stated a thermostat is a vital piece of equipment. I've used several Hydrofarm thermostats for the last 5 years without any issues. They're inexpensive but they've been very reliable for me.

    https://www.amazon.com/MTPRTC-Contro...arm+thermostat
    3.0 Carpet Pythons, 1.1 Bullsnakes
    1.0 Olive Python 1.0 Scrub Python,
    1.0 BI, 0.1 BCO

  10. #8
    BPnet Veteran BPGator's Avatar
    Join Date
    06-25-2016
    Posts
    766
    Thanks
    330
    Thanked 462 Times in 274 Posts
    Images: 15

    Re: Is a thermostat necessary

    I'm with Ziggy - the Hydrofarm is good for the price. I'd use that until you can save up for better equipment.

    As to whether overhead is better than UTH, it all depends on the specific setup and the temperature of the room the snake is kept in. The goal is simply to provide the animal a place to warm itself. If you've already got the UTH, just get the thermostat and stick with that.

  11. #9
    BPnet Veteran Miranda2's Avatar
    Join Date
    03-04-2014
    Location
    Midwest
    Posts
    303
    Thanks
    193
    Thanked 72 Times in 49 Posts
    I have the hydrofarm thermostats and they work pretty good.Ive had them for a few years with no problems..But they dont compare to the herpstat(Ilove love love my herpstat).
    Ive used dimmers as well..The problem with dimmers is you have to stay on top of the temps constantly, if they get bumped it can be disastrous.

  12. #10
    BPnet Veteran Booper's Avatar
    Join Date
    09-27-2016
    Location
    Somerset, England
    Posts
    426
    Thanks
    409
    Thanked 241 Times in 144 Posts
    Images: 2
    Have a look at the photos on this thread (graphic): https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...highlight=burn
    Granted those burns were caused by a heat rock, but burns like this is the sort of thing you can expect by using any heat source without a tstat. There are things you can save on with snake, like hides, water bowls, using paper for bedding, but tstats are NOT one of them.
    1.1 Humans (Dom & Cait)
    0.1 Normal Ball (Wanda 'Booper') 0.1 Pastel Ball (Peaches)
    1.0 Spider Ball (Cinnamon) 1.0 Caramel Ball (Mars Bar) 1.0 Butter Sucker (Orion)
    0.1 Leopard Gecko (Hecate)
    0.3 Cats (Loki, Meg and Maisy)
    0.0.2 Goldfish (Sushi and Spot)
    0.2 Chickens (Lottie and Tiffany)


  13. The Following User Says Thank You to Booper For This Useful Post:

    tttaylorrr (07-13-2017)

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1