Thermostat questions.

I'm sure these questions pop up quite frequently, but here they are.
I'm getting an Animal plastics model T10 with flex-watt+ misc. other additions
with said cage, and I'm in the market for a thermostat, more specifically a spyder robotics Herpstat. What model of the herpstat would be acceptable for the aforementioned enclosure? would I need to wire the flex-watt myself? Should I even get a thermostat at all :P ?

I'm very open to advice & opinions :)

A thermostat is 100% necessary. I have that exact same set up and without a thermostat the floor of the cage will hit 107 degrees easy.

If you only have 1 cage the Herpstat 1 will be perfect.

The flexwatt from AP comes completely wired and ready to go. You do have to assemble the cage itself though (which is super easy)

Do you think I'll need a radiant heat panel also?

That depends. How cold does the room the cage will be in get? If it gets and stays under 68 for any extended period then a radiant heat panel will be necessary.

If you need a heat panel then you will need to get a Herpstat 2 instead of the Herpstat 1

in the cold winter months it hits high 50's low 60's at night.

Then a heat panel will be necessary.

This heat panel will work great:

http://www.reptilebasics.com/40-watt-radiant-heat-panel

The lower height of the T8 will also help (cheaper and will ship much faster as well)

And finally as I said the Herpstat 2 will be necessary.

You will want the heat panel to be mounted centered on the ceiling (if you have the panel shipped to AP they will mount/drill a hole for the power cord for you)

The heat panel will be set to 80 degrees, and the flexwatt will create the basking spot of 90 degrees.

Would the second probe of the Herpstat 2 be mounted to the floor centered in the cage then?

That is one way to do it.

You could also attach the probe to the surface of the heat panel or suspend the probe under the heat panel with something link this:

(computer model I made, the real thing would be made of 1/2" PVC pipe and fittings)

http://i1186.photobucket.com/albums/...t/3dd76d39.jpg

Another way that you could do it is, when you install the heat panel, you are either going to have to run the power cord through the vent slots if possible, or drill a hole in the top of the back panel. If you drill a 3/8" or 7/16" hole, the power cord and probe should fit through. Then, run the thermostat probe about 2/3 the way down the wall under the heat panel. You can let it hang there, or secure it to the wall.

I would not bother with a radiant heat panel. the issue is simple the ambient air temp remains basically the same. I have tested radiant heat panels and found that they really are a true radiant source.


CONDUCTION: Conduction is direct heat flow through matter.
CONVECTION. Convection is the transfer of heat within the air.
RADIANT: Radiant is the transmission of electromagnetic rays through space. These rays have no temperature, only energy.

"This Infrared Heat tends to heat objects more than the air, much like the natural sunlight outdoors. This type of heat mimics real sunlight both in the direction it comes from and its penetration into the muscle tissue. IR heat has been shown to have a therapeutic effect on sick and injured animals as well. Your reptiles will spend less time basking and receive a much greater benefit from it." -reptile basics info exerp.

I found them difficult to regulate in a confined space they are ideal for vertical gradients (I have two one is used this way one my test panel the vertical one is perfect) I would suggest a second UTH (much cheaper) to regulate the cool side surface temps and a simple fluorescent light and deep blue led light both inside the enclosure the fluorescent light is a convection source of heat it does not get as hot as a radiant heat panel but still puts out 100º surface temp. This will heat the AIR. The led produces low heat but the build in transformer produces a fair bit this helps hold over night temps a little added insulation and you have perfect temps. The cool end range is controlled and warm end range is also controlled. The ambient air temps have a large acceptable range 76-85 so some variation there is fine. It requires the least precise control. the added cost is less than half of the panel and the results are actually better in the case of horizontal gradients.