Need Help Selecting a Proportional Thermostat

Hi, i'm a new BP owner and i'm currently using the basic Zilla on/off type of thermostat, but i would like to eventually get a proportional thermostat. I have one BP now, and i may get another in a year or two, but i don't have any plans to breed them. I just want to take good care of my BP and give it a consistent environment to live in.

I read that Herpstat and Helix make high quality and dependable ones. I'm leaning towards a Herpstat because i've seen some breeders on youtube using them. I found this website that sells them: http://spyderrobotics.com/ , but i don't know which one to buy. Ideally, i'd like one that is easy to use right out of the box, relatively inexpensive, and will do a reliable job for my BP and maybe additional BPs in the future (i read that you can hook up multiple flexwatt tapes to one thermostat if they're running the same temp). For now, i plan to hook the thermostat up to my UTH, but i'm also open to using flexwatt instead.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

For only 2-3 snakes I would go with the Herpstat II. It is 2 separate thermostats in one unit. If you order it with the grounded plugs, that will allow you to use powerstrips to run more than one set-up on each thermostat as long as you are using similar set-ups on each power strip and don't exceed the wattage capacity of each thermostat...

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Originally Posted by Vypyrz

For only 2-3 snakes I would go with the Herpstat II. It is 2 separate thermostats in one unit. If you order it with the grounded plugs, that will allow you to use powerstrips to run more than one set-up on each thermostat as long as you are using similar set-ups on each power strip and don't exceed the wattage capacity of each thermostat...

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Thanks for the recommendation. It's more than i want to spend for now, but it will save me money in the long-term, so it will be a worthwhile purchase.

If you are every going to be running 2 racks, 2 different animals (bearded, leo or another snake) or have 2 glass tanks a Herpstat II or Pro will be needed. If your running 1 rack and no other animals besides ball pythons then a Herpstat or Helix is fine.
I have a Pro because 1 probe for non breeders, 1 probe for breeders, 1 for babies and 1 for the incubator

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Originally Posted by MitsuMike

If you are every going to be running 2 racks, 2 different animals (bearded, leo or another snake) or have 2 glass tanks a Herpstat II or Pro will be needed. If your running 1 rack and no other animals besides ball pythons then a Herpstat or Helix is fine.
I have a Pro because 1 probe for non breeders, 1 probe for breeders, 1 for babies and 1 for the incubator

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Ok thanks! Makes sense. I'll probably still go with the Herpstat II because i need to maintain 2 temps. One for basking and the other for the ambient temp because it can get down to 60 degrees in my room during the winter (we turn down our house heat during the day to save money on oil).

I run my snake racks off ranco on off thermostats....I enjoy my helix on my incubator... As far as living quarters for your critters they are not nearly as complex as some people seem to beleive,a simple on off is suffecient

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Originally Posted by jjmitchell

I run my snake racks off ranco on off thermostats....I enjoy my helix on my incubator... As far as living quarters for your critters they are not nearly as complex as some people seem to beleive,a simple on off is suffecient

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Thanks, i plan on using my current setup for a while to see how it works out. If my needs change then i'll eventually get a better thermostat.

nvm found my answer

I have both a Herpstat (with night drop) and a Helix...you really can't go wrong with either one. If I ever buy another one it'll probably be another Herpstat (probably the Pro, as I have multiple racks), since I like the features on that one slightly better than the Helix. They are definitely worth the money, although I will say that a good on/off like a Johnson or Ranco works well too. I use two Johnsons on my incubator since it has to run on an on/off thermostat, and have had no issues....

Hey guys, I have a question regarding herpstat that the OP may be interested in

Anyway, I have two UTH's in one herpstat, but one UTH is at 93 and the other is at 90. I set the herpstat to 92.

So why is one UTH higher than the other?

Thanks

Where is the probe in relation to the herpstat? Are they the same brand UTH? Same size? Variation is most likely due to setup.

To the OP. I'd recommend Herpstat every time, hands down. Great product, great service, great support. Can't go wrong.

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Originally Posted by Twisted Reptiles

Where is the probe in relation to the herpstat? Are they the same brand UTH? Same size? Variation is most likely due to setup.

To the OP. I'd recommend Herpstat every time, hands down. Great product, great service, great support. Can't go wrong.

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The rpboe is placed right in the middle of the heat pad

Both heat pads are the exact same size and brand

I heard though that it doesnt matter on the size of the UTH's unless they are going over the power limit of the thermostat?

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Originally Posted by MikeV

Hey guys, I have a question regarding herpstat that the OP may be interested in

Anyway, I have two UTH's in one herpstat, but one UTH is at 93 and the other is at 90. I set the herpstat to 92.

So why is one UTH higher than the other?

Thanks

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Are the two UTHs identical? Where is the probe? A proportional thermostat works by controlling the amount of power to the heat source. If the two UTHs and setups (enclosure size, ventilation, location, ect) aren't identical, then the temps won't be the same.

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Originally Posted by FireStorm

Are the two UTHs identical? Where is the probe? A proportional thermostat works by controlling the amount of power to the heat source. If the two UTHs and setups (enclosure size, ventilation, location, ect) aren't identical, then the temps won't be the same.

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Ah, this is my problem then

One tub is 3 foot, one is like 1.5 - 2 foot. One has ventilation on the top, one has ventilation on the top, one on the top and sides.

Other than that the two UTHs are the same size and same brand.

Oh well, Ill just adjust it so it stays good for both animals

thanks, sorry for hijacking lol

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Originally Posted by MikeV

The rpboe is placed right in the middle of the heat pad

Both heat pads are the exact same size and brand

I heard though that it doesnt matter on the size of the UTH's unless they are going over the power limit of the thermostat?

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When you say in the middle of the heat pad do you mean between the two of them or in the middle of one? If they are truly identical, I'd place it in the middle of one and the other should pretty much match it.

Heat and brand of the UTH definitely matters, as they are heating different amounts of space with the same amount of power and therefore going to heat faster/slower than one another.

Keep in mind also, proximity of items such as the water dish inside the tank may also affect heating efficiency slightly.

Oh, and what are you measuring your temps with?

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Originally Posted by Twisted Reptiles

When you say in the middle of the heat pad do you mean between the two of them or in the middle of one? If they are truly identical, I'd place it in the middle of one and the other should pretty much match it.

Heat and brand of the UTH definitely matters, as they are heating different amounts of space with the same amount of power and therefore going to heat faster/slower than one another.

Keep in mind also, proximity of items such as the water dish inside the tank may also affect heating efficiency slightly.

Oh, and what are you measuring your temps with?

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I have the probe in the middle of one UTH, not inbetween the UTH and the tub, its just taped on the UTH

I am measuring the heat in the tubs with digital thermometers

Its alright though, the temos are only off by liek a degree at most. so its fine. I just gotta buy another thermostat for when my boa gets huge

thanks