This next weekend, I'm starting a reptile room project with my dad. My parents came to me with the idea (sweet I know! ) because heating my three leopard gecko enclosures as well as my ball python enclosures in my basement, where the temp stays at about 65F year round, is making us have a ridiculous electricity bill.

So we figured that if we insulate our spare room in our basement which measures 24'x8'x8' (old workshop) and get a space heater run on a thermostat to keep the room at +/- 80F will be a lot more economical, and then my balls, leos and cresties won't need lamps or UTH, just flexwatt. And they both know that after this is done it will help me get a jump start on my breeding programs as well as starting online retail...hopefully.

As well as insulating and sheet rocking the room we've decided to build some rack systems to line the walls. Everything imaginable...hatchling racks, junvenile racks, and adult racks, as well as some nice and roomy cages for my first two BPs.

Anyways, to get to the point...I've seen so many thermostats out there RANCO, Johnson, Herpstat I & II, Helix, and lord knows what else, I have no idea which one to pick, I've never used anything but a cheapy ZooMed Rheo. Since I'm looking at investing money in livestock I'm not willing to take a risk or fire, or frying my animals. I want to know which thermostat is best efficiency-wise, as well as some pros and cons.

Also, if anyone with a herp room could post some pictures, I wouldn't mind getting some ideas of some existing setups.

Thanks everyone.

~Jason Knudson