Re: UTH with dimmer switch?
You could spend 20-30 bucks and get a zoo med or hydrofarm TStat so you wont have to constantly monitor and adjust your dimmer.
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Re: UTH with dimmer switch?
While they are cheap and I agree with KMG a vet bill is more than an expensive TSTAT i keep "cheap" ones as a backup for temp enclosures and havent had any issues with them...I will say i do check my reptiles twice a day at least just because. Maybe I havent had any issues because they arent in constant use either...
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Re: UTH with dimmer switch?
I've used a lamp dimmer, a heat pad and a cheap digital thermometer with a probe (I found one at Walmart for $12) for quarantining and temporary housing for unplanned snakes, like the time when my neighbor brought me an "albino boa" (turned out to be a big female snow corn) he found roaming around in his yard... [emoji13]
I wouldn't recommend it in the long term but it'll work in a pinch until you can upgrade your setup.
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Re: UTH with dimmer switch?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
RobertsKitty
The humidity is definitely difficult to keep up which is why I was wanting an UTH. I already check the temps when I walk by the tank (habit) so checking it frequently isn't really a problem. Right now my T8 is about to be divided so I can do some testing on the unoccupied side while my new ball is in quarantine.
Does anyone have recommendations on an UTH pad that is relatively cheap (preferably no more than 40ish) that would work well for a divided T8? What size pad am I after?
Forget heat pad, and this idea for now, And try to put 10$ a week away. (what you have now is ok! and if its worked dont fix what isn't broken, yes humidity is a pain but spraying 1-2 times a day is less worrysum then making sure temps rnt cooking snake) Dimmers have NO failsafes. and you cant look past that, when a mistake happens nothing is there to stop it if your not there, It takes less then an hour for a heat pad to get to its hottest point, and if your not there with a heat gun checking you'd never know? There's no noise/lights/dings to tell you.
But as i said try to save 10$ a day, And spend some time on your local reptile forum with classified section(over here in Canada its reptilescanada.com) Im sure in US you have something similar. On there you may be able to find Local breeders who are getting ride of herpstats or VE electronics thermostats!
You can usually pick some of them up for 80$ or less! With that look for or ask them for a Sheet of THG/Flexxwatt heat tape (12inch) and you can use 6inchs each side (for 2 snakes) or get 6inch and put it on the hot end. It is much cheaper then store bought heats pads (4-5$ vs $40.99) aswell much more stable and reliable.
You should never look for the cheap easy way for a pet, as mistakes DO happen and when they happen they arn't cheap. So best way to avoid any errors is do what your doing for now, and try to put 10$ a day in a piggy bank and in a couple weeks you can find yourself a new/used thermostat and heat tape =)