are helixs'/ thermostats a must in a snake rack?

i'm looking at purchasing a 5 bin rack for 120 ( does not come with bins) and the guy says it's fully wired and heated, i'm not sure if the thermostat would come with it or not, but if not, do i need one? or can i plug the heating system in and it's a go ?

EVERY HEAT SOURCE NEEDS A THERMOSTAT. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. So yes, you need a thermostat. Unregulated heat sources (whether it's a Zoo-Med UTH or THG heat tape) can and will burn your snakes. Temps have been known to reach 120*+.

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Originally Posted by Inarikins

EVERY HEAT SOURCE NEEDS A THERMOSTAT. IT IS NOT OPTIONAL. So yes, you need a thermostat. Unregulated heat sources (whether it's a Zoo-Med UTH or THG heat tape) can and will burn your snakes. Temps have been known to reach 120*+.

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x2

NOT OPTIONAL

oh my goodness, okay i didn't know things like that could happen.
thanks everyone!

are there any recommended thermostats?

Invest in a good thermostat. A Herpstat Basic is available for $115 USD + shipping and is perfect for a rack, but as long as your thermostat is proportional and not on/off, it doesn't really matter what brand. A proportional thermostat if set to, say, 90 degrees, will always heat the tape until the thermostat probe 'says' 90 degrees. An on/off thermostat, if set to 90 degrees will fall and rise, fluctuating a few degrees either way. So instead of staying steady 90 degrees it'll fall down to 88 before the tape gets turned back on full blask, heat up to say 92, then turn fully off again. This is much more rough on your heat tape than a proportional, which controls the amount of power getting into the tape, therefore controlling the heat that way.

EDIT: Well, I shouldn't say that you shouldn't use an on/off thermostat at all, just that most people here prefer and recommend proportionals.

Yes definitely a must to have a good thermostat on any heat source whether its heat tape or uth. I love my herpstat!

My top three would be the Helix DBS-1000, Vivarium, and SR Herpstats. All three are GREAT proportional thermostats and are an absolute must have for ANY kind of heat source.

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Originally Posted by Inarikins

So instead of staying steady 90 degrees it'll fall down to 88 before the tape gets turned back on full blask, heat up to say 92, then turn fully off again. This is much more rough on your heat tape than a proportional

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Is this true?

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Originally Posted by hig

Is this true?

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I have no idea, but it would make a lot of sense.