I have a potentially fatal problem

Those ESU thermostats are only 30 bucks. Can you afford 60 bucks?

Those ESU and Alife "thermostats" are built very poorly and are really not even powerful enough to handle the 1000 watts they boast. I would trust a dimmer more than those. They also fluctuate VERY widely and are just not worth the money. For $70, he can get a Johnsons Controls or a Ranco, since he already has a dimmer, and he can set everything up that way. Digital thermostats are far superior in quality than those analog disasters.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Those ESU and Alife "thermostats" are built very poorly and are really not even powerful enough to handle the 1000 watts they boast. I would trust a dimmer more than those. They also fluctuate VERY widely and are just not worth the money. For $70, he can get a Johnsons Controls or a Ranco, since he already has a dimmer, and he can set everything up that way. Digital thermostats are far superior in quality than those analog disasters.

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I wouldn't. My dimmer was terrible. They're not the best, but if you can't go for the more expensive right away, they will get you through. I was just suggesting it because he said he couldn't afford two of those. Down boy.

definitely avoid the ESU, Alife and Zoomed thermostats and rheostats. they are total crap and you won't be able to keep a steady temp in your enclosure no matter how steady your room temperature is.

I'm not a boy??

Anyway.. The dimmer gets plugged into the thermostat, which prevents it from fluctuating(and even in the case of dimmer failure, the heat pad would only get up to the temps the Ball Python is at, no biggie). My temps in my juvie rack stay at 94/84 and don't budge. When I used one of those Alife pieces of junk, the temps fluctuated between 87 and 98... Wasn't going to work..

Lutron dimmers can be found at Home Depot, already wired and ready to plug in, for $10+ tax. Model name is Credenza, and they are normally white, grey or clear.

LOL I didn't say you were a boy it's a figure of speech.

What do you mean plug the dimmer into the thermostat. I'm just asking cuz I honestly hadn't heard of this.

You plug the heat pad into the dimmer and the dimmer into the thermostat. It will then regulate the pad at the lower power the dimmer is set at, and won't fluctuate. Even if the dimmer were to fail, the good quality thermostat would protect the animals from being burnt.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

Lutron dimmers can be found at Home Depot, already wired and ready to plug in, for $10+ tax. Model name is Credenza, and they are normally white, grey or clear.

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Becky, Thanks very much.

I currently have two thermostats one is a Ranco and the other is a zoomed. The zoomed is working just fine, but I like the dimmer idea much better -- it just sounds so much cleaner. Also it would mean that both flexxwat panels would react to the room temperature at the same time with the same increase or decrease.

great idea!

Thanks.

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

For a more economical temporary solution, you can get the thermostat for the Ball Python's heat mat, set the tstat so the temp is 93-94, then plug your dimmer INTO the thermostat's power strip, the same way you did your BP's heat mat. Then dial down the dimmer until the temp is perfect in the Leopard Gecko's enclosure. It shouldn't fluctuate when you do it that way

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that sounds like a damn good idea, I was thinking I like the helix tstat, can someone explain those a little more for me, like do they have plugs on them or something?

If you got a Ranco or Johnson controls thermostat you can plug both heat mats into it. I have done it with a tub and a 20 gallon tank, using two exo terra heat mats. Leopard geckos and Ball Pythons have the same heating requirements for the warm side. They both stayed at 92 degrees. Then I just used another thermostat for the ball pythons coolside heat pad. Leopard Geckos can actually have hotside temps upto 95 degrees without problems as long as they can thermoregulate. I actually bump their temps up to 95 if they stop eating and as long as they aren't sick they will start eating within 48 hours.

So If you go with one of those two thermostats you shouldn't have any trouble plugging the two in together as long as you are using the same heatmats.

Kristy