Oh yes more flexwatt questions.. HELP please

I'm pickin up flexwatt at a show coming up.. I use Cypress in my tanks ( they are glass ,gotta build racks ) will the flexwatt produce enough heat through the tank and substrate? Also what thermostat and dimmers are good to use ( i'm not trying to break the bank ) someone posted that they use some from home depot but I cant find the thread. thank you in advance


Cheers:gj:

In your situation, i would just buy an UltraTherm heat pad instead of flexwatt. Flexwatt is PERFECT for rack situations, but if left on a cheap thermostat or plugged into the wall, it can get up to 140 degrees, if not hotter and burn your snake. I would just get some Ultratherm heat pads and they almost never get above 110 when plugged in to the wall, so a dimmer switch is fine and is more than fine for a small setup. When you build a rack though, get either back heat with one huge strip of flexwatt or heat on each shelf and a really good thermostat, either Ranco, Johnson, Herpstat, or Helix.

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Originally Posted by steveboos

In your situation, i would just buy an UltraTherm heat pad instead of flexwatt. Flexwatt is PERFECT for rack situations, but if left on a cheap thermostat or plugged into the wall, it can get up to 140 degrees, if not hotter and burn your snake. I would just get some Ultratherm heat pads and they almost never get above 110 when plugged in to the wall, so a dimmer switch is fine and is more than fine for a small setup. When you build a rack though, get either back heat with one huge strip of flexwatt or heat on each shelf and a really good thermostat, either Ranco, Johnson, Herpstat, or Helix.

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I used flexwatt for years with nothing more than a homemade dimmer switch controller. It worked fine. I'm probably going to get roasted on this one, but the person with a small collection does not need to buy the expensive thermostat controller. I had my racks set up with one extra tub, set up just like the rest. I ran a a cheap thermometer into this tub to get an ambient temp. I set the flexwatt temps with the use of a homemade dimmer and everything was fine for years.

Sorry if I fly in the face of conventional wisedom, but you don't need the fancy, high dollar gadgets.

Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

I used flexwatt for years with nothing more than a homemade dimmer switch controller. It worked fine. I'm probably going to get roasted on this one, but the person with a small collection does not need to buy the expensive thermostat controller. I had my racks set up with one extra tub, set up just like the rest. I ran a a cheap thermometer into this tub to get an ambient temp. I set the flexwatt temps with the use of a homemade dimmer and everything was fine for years.

Sorry if I fly in the face of conventional wisedom, but you don't need the fancy, high dollar gadgets.

Jim Smith

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THANK YOU!! everyone says buy this and that and it turns out to cost an arm and a leg, well i'm not made of money.. what kind of dimmer do you use? if ya get roasted well then hell in there with ya.. thank you again...

Cheers:gj:

I'm sorry but i disagree with both of you. Go ahead spend $20 on a rheostat or Thermostat that only has 1 or 2 input outlets and then try attaching extensions to get more outlets. Or you can spend your money well, get a thermostat that has 6-8 input outlets and controls the temperature digitally by degree for $80. Seems like A LOT better idea buying something that is very easy to use and very quality with all the accuracy you would want. Call me skeptical, but when it comes to animals, really anything in life, you buy quality at first and you will never have to worry about it in the future.

See, that's what great about America. We both can do something differently, obtain the same results and both be happy. I raised hundreds of snakes using dimmers and never lost a snake. If your room has stable temps, a dimmer is just as relliable as an expensive Thermostat controller.

And you do realize that varying temps is not a bad thing? It happens all the time in the wild. A 5 degree swing in temps will never hurt a snake. I know how husbandry works and we all want ideals for our snakes, but I think we've gone a little too extreme on the temps side of the equation.


Flame Suit On,
Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

See, that's what great about America. We both can do something differently, obtain the same results and both be happy. I raised hundreds of snakes using dimmers and never lost a snake. If your room has stable temps, a dimmer is just as relliable as an expensive Thermostat controller.

And you do realize that varying temps is not a bad thing? It happens all the time in the wild. A 5 degree swing in temps will never hurt a snake. I know how husbandry works and we all want ideals for our snakes, but I think we've gone a little too extreme on the temps side of the equation.


Flame Suit On,
Jim Smith

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I could not agree more. I use $5 wall dimmers wired to the flexwatt and a wall plug and it works fine.

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Originally Posted by brainman1000

I could not agree more. I use $5 wall dimmers wired to the flexwatt and a wall plug and it works fine.

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That is the only thing I am using currently with no problems.

I bought my thermostat at petco. It's a Zilla brand I believe? I think it was between $30-40. It has two outlets on it, and controls the two strips of flexwatt for my 8 snakes with no problems at all.

I will say, when I build my rack this spring, I plan to investigate the more expensive thermostats very thoroughly, but for now, this is what I can afford and it works. Now, that doesn't mean I don't check at least 6 times a day just to make sure, but I'd do that anyway. It's a paranoid Mom thing.

Gale

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

See, that's what great about America. We both can do something differently, obtain the same results and both be happy. I raised hundreds of snakes using dimmers and never lost a snake. If your room has stable temps, a dimmer is just as relliable as an expensive Thermostat controller.

And you do realize that varying temps is not a bad thing? It happens all the time in the wild. A 5 degree swing in temps will never hurt a snake. I know how husbandry works and we all want ideals for our snakes, but I think we've gone a little too extreme on the temps side of the equation.


Flame Suit On,
Jim Smith

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I use Herpstat and Helix and BAH Herp Power thermostats, but I couldnt agree more. Go with what works for you. I didnt have stable temps in my room when I started, and at this point its too far now to turn back, but if I had a herp room then like I do now, then I mightve done it the dimmer way as well.

I would be the last to flame you Jim, having raised a Bumble bee with no thermostat at all. And, I once picked up a BP that lived it's entire life (five years) in a screen cage on the floor next to a clothes dryer with no heat at all!

But now that I have a little more invested and a lot less time to spend with them, I have the best thermostats money can buy.

I thank you all for your info and input.. BUT .. will the flexwatt give off enough heat to go through the glass bottom and the cypress ?

Cheers

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Originally Posted by zeke

I thank you all for your info and input.. BUT .. will the flexwatt give off enough heat to go through the glass bottom and the cypress ?

Cheers

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I'm not sure, I've never used it with a tank. I'm thinking it will be inefficient, but I can't speak with authority.

Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

I'm not sure, I've never used it with a tank. I'm thinking it will be inefficient, but I can't speak with authority.

Jim Smith

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Dang! well I'm gonna pick up a dimmner.. I guess I'll see how this thread goes.. thanks again.

Cheers:gj:

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Originally Posted by zeke

I thank you all for your info and input.. BUT .. will the flexwatt give off enough heat to go through the glass bottom and the cypress ?

Cheers

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I can't tell you for certain because I use it with tubs but in theory because it can get ridiculously hot, it should keep a hot spot in the glass aquarium.

If there were a problem with a glass tank, I would think it would be the lip on the bottom of the tank. Most tanks are made with a 1/2" or larger lip, so the flexwatt would not be in contact with the glass at all. That might make it inefficient for keeping temps where they need to be.

With a tub, the bottom of the tub is in direct contact with the flexwatt, and thus the temps are easy to maintain.

Gale

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Originally Posted by withonor

I can't tell you for certain because I use it with tubs but in theory because it can get ridiculously hot, it should keep a hot spot in the glass aquarium.

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thanks, 2 pages worth of thread and only 2 people answer my question.. hows your zeek doin by the way? my zeke is gettin ready to shed soon

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Originally Posted by angllady2

If there were a problem with a glass tank, I would think it would be the lip on the bottom of the tank. Most tanks are made with a 1/2" or larger lip, so the flexwatt would not be in contact with the glass at all. That might make it inefficient for keeping temps where they need to be.

With a tub, the bottom of the tub is in direct contact with the flexwatt, and thus the temps are easy to maintain.

Gale

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you use aluminum foil tape to put the Flex directly on the bottom of the tank on the outside.

OP, I would recommend something with a probe to regulate temps. Rehostat or thermostat. Flex is absolutely NOT recommended to be used without a professional quality thermostat but people here still use dimmers. If you have a large amount of substrate, you may want to take some of it out. The flex is going to need to heat through a lot of that and the temps at the glass can get very hot and even burn your snake.

Get a digital thermometer, Accurite is recommended, and use that to measure your temps to make sure nothing is to warm for your animal.

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Originally Posted by cinderbird

you use aluminum foil tape to put the Flex directly on the bottom of the tank on the outside.

OP, I would recommend something with a probe to regulate temps. Rehostat or thermostat. Flex is absolutely NOT recommended to be used without a professional quality thermostat but people here still use dimmers. If you have a large amount of substrate, you may want to take some of it out. The flex is going to need to heat through a lot of that and the temps at the glass can get very hot and even burn your snake.

Get a digital thermometer, Accurite is recommended, and use that to measure your temps to make sure nothing is to warm for your animal.

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I'll be pickin up a accurite soon, I'm switchin to flexwatt b/c my lights are killin the humidty.. the acurite I was lookin at has a probe to it already..

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Originally Posted by zeke

thanks, 2 pages worth of thread and only 2 people answer my question.. hows your zeek doin by the way? my zeke is gettin ready to shed soon

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My Zeek is doing great. With all the food he's eaten he should be in shed too. A virtual garbage disposal. I just attempted probing for the first time and I think he's a she(!).

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Originally Posted by withonor

My Zeek is doing great. With all the food he's eaten he should be in shed too. A virtual garbage disposal. I just attempted probing for the first time and I think he's a she(!).

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Nice, Yea my guy just ate today and he's lovin it! Oh boy I mean Girl. so you gonna change the name to zeekette? lol