Some husbandry questions.... (Mainly to do with temps)

Alright, cool. :D Thanks so much for the reply! I think I'll start with that thermostat.

The on off types do best in somewhat stable temps and with heavier bottom containers (like glass or heavy plastic) They also work well with indirect heat. I don't own a hydrofarm but I do own a Johnson, it is great in indirect heat (the heater does not touch the enclosure directly. like in many racks) heater applied directly to a tub can be problematic.

The 1 degree shut down range isn't too bad add a 2º+/- error possibility to the probe it starts looking not as good. (all the major proportional manufacturers are +/-0.5ºF) the next thing is how fast does the unit react to the probe input the sample rate. The rate is not very fast so it allows full power on the mat to run for a min or so before it makes an adjustment. This in cool room conditions can cause a huge swing up and down. The set point is just an average temperature of dead max and off during the cycle. I don't know what the cycle rate for a hydrofarm is but as it is designed to heat soil it doesn't need to be short.

.....So......... is it one I could try or not? My room is normally 75* I think and gets maybe 69* at night... Not sure...
so... I dunno what one I should get. It seems there are lots of positve reviews from snake owners on that one. I'm just a little confused on where to put the probe. If I just put it on the heat mat under the cage itself and put the probe from the thermometer on the heat spot on the inside so I can read the mat temps and the substrate temps, and so the snake doesn't wrap around the stat probe and cause the temps to shoot up and burn it.
???

Like all things it has its own pros and cons you have to understand how it works. thin plastic with no buffer between the heating element and the snake means while the t-stat is at 100% power it will heat the enclosure to that temp quickly. If the heating element is on something that doesn't heat as quickly that short burst of heat get absorbed by the enclosure. The question of how quickly it switches on and off come in, is it faster or slower than the time it takes for the tub to transmit heat (very fast). Cold rooms compound this issue as they make the enclosure cool faster than the element does so it drops quickly and then requires the keeper to raise the set point as it is degrees cooler than expected which means longer 'on' times.

There are ways around this, mounting the heating element to a piece of glass and having that under the tub. It will heat the glass then radiate to the tub. That high temp spike can be eaten up by the glass. I would never use a on off type with a plastic tub when the heating element is attached directly to the tub unless the room is very warm (80ºf constant) as then it does not require much on time to get to 90ºF. It is a tool and like all others is good for somethings and not so good for others.

Ahh, I understand now. :/ S'pose that means I'll have to get the herpstat anyway....

herpstats are very versatile. The on off systems work really well under regular conditions and with so thermal mass not so well with out any mass and really irregular systems. They can be made to work you could attach the uth to a bit of glass and place the tub on that. A herpstat doesn't care much it will handle what you toss at it, same for the other proportional units basically they are the same.

I think it might be easier to go with something like the herpstats. I know it will work with my plastic tub, so I think I should go with something I can trust, even for the extra price. More can be better in the long run.