Thermostats

I am looking into getting one this weekend. I have found a couple and am wondering what everyone's opinions are, such as who used what and why its better??!!

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Rheostats

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752604

Here is one I could get IF still available!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Temperature-...ht_1410wt_1163

This one I am leaning towards the most to be honest!!!! (If the above one is gone of course)
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...ile+thermostat

I would go with the Hydrofarm. It has a good reputation and is reliable for an on/off thermostat :).

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Oh cant remember his name but he will post the same theromstat every time and i have to admit its really good, the member should show up soon for questions like this lol

Petsmart one is a no, I used it and threw it away. The one from Amazon is great, both of my tanks have this one.


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Originally Posted by HerpsForDerps

I would go with the Hydrofarm. It has a good reputation and is reliable for an on/off thermostat :).

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I have a Hydrofarm as well, it seems to work reliably but there's a couple things I don't like about it... One, it only has one plug, so you can only regulate one device at a time. It also has a variance of 2'F before it kicks in. Meaning if you set it at 96'F, it won't kick on until it reads 94'F. Maybe not a big deal, but I'd like something a little more consistent. It also makes a loud "CLICK!" when it turns on.

The other one I have is this one from Zoomed:

http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiT...ile+thermostat

It's annoying that it doesn't have a temperature setting (What exactly is a gradient supposed to tell me? Really?) so you have to keep a close eye on it when you set it up and match it with a reliable thermometer next to the probe. I use it to regulate the lamps since it can regulate two devices at once, and has a narrower on/off window. I.e. if you calibrate it to 84'F then if it drops below 84'F within half a degree it turns on.

The Thermostat is the most important piece of equipment you need. This is something you shouldn't cheap out on. Everything on your list except the Hydrofarm is not acceptable. The Hydrofarm is one of the lowest and cheapest accepted thermostat. Most here like to recommend the Herpstat or Vivarium Electronics. Both starting models begin at ~$99. Basically, what you pay is what you get. Cheap thermostats are unreliable, inaccurate, and more prone to failure. You can put your mind at ease with a higher end one. In the end , its your decision, but just think about it.

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Originally Posted by OmNomNom

I have a Hydrofarm as well, it seems to work reliably but there's a couple things I don't like about it... One, it only has one plug, so you can only regulate one device at a time. .

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You can plug a power strip into the one plug. And as long as all the heating units are identical, you can plug in multiple devices.

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Can I plug a power strip into the hyrdofarm? This is what I am going with for now, I need a thermostat right away and since you says its the only cheap one that should be used I would say its WAY better than nothin am I right? lol

i been using the hydrofarm for 3 months now with a power strip and so far its been good. on a budget that would be the one to use

good, I am also starting to save up to build a couple of my own vivariums for the house. Gonna be sweeeeet!!!!

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Originally Posted by satomi325

You can plug a power strip into the one plug. And as long as all the heating units are identical, you can plug in multiple devices.

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I was thinking about that....wasn't sure if it was in the realm of "good idea" or not...good to hear other people do it. Heh. I have the Hydrofarm regulating the UTH since that's the one I care the most about being reliable. The Zoomed one just regulates the lamps since they're only maintaining the ambient temperature and aren't as critical.

racks would be the way to go if you plan on getting more snakes.

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Originally Posted by hypnotixdmp

Can I plug a power strip into the hyrdofarm? This is what I am going with for now, I need a thermostat right away and since you says its the only cheap one that should be used I would say its WAY better than nothin am I right? lol

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Yes. You can use a powerstrip. And yes. It is definitely better than nothing. The Hydrofarm is good on a budget, but I would still save up for a better one. Hydrofarms are on/off thermostats, meaning they turn on and once they hit the target temp, they turn off. So basically the temperature goes up and down constantly. Herpstats are proportional, which regulate the amount of power going into the heat source to keep a constant steady temp. They don't turn on and off.

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That does make since, and believe me, once I get the money to build my own vivariums, I will def be upgrading EVERYTHING!!! Thinking of making it a 2 story so I can make it where they can actually climb up when they get bigger and chill. I dont plan on having any more than 2 snakes until I am comfy with them and then I want to maybe breed one day in the distant future!!!

I use and highly recommend a herpastat from spyder robotics.

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Originally Posted by hypnotixdmp

I am looking into getting one this weekend. I have found a couple and am wondering what everyone's opinions are, such as who used what and why its better??!!

http://www.bigappleherp.com/Rheostats

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752604

Here is one I could get IF still available!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Temperature-...ht_1410wt_1163

This one I am leaning towards the most to be honest!!!! (If the above one is gone of course)
http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...ile+thermostat

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Go with the hydrofarm. I have at leaset 15 of them that have been running for a couple of years without any problems at all.

ok, so it took an extra week....but I just order this overnight today, so I will have it Monday and get it all set up!!

http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...ile+thermostat

So, my next question, I have seen people hooking these up, do I need to place it directly in the middle of the heating pad UNDER the glass, or on top of the glass?? I would think since its glass I could place it inside directly in the middle of the heating pad??? If not PLEASE correct me!!!

anyone!?!?!? lol

Under the glass, over the uth

OK, so my UTH sticks to my tank on the bottom, should I peel it off to the middle and stick the probe in between there?? The pad came with legs, so it lifts my terrarium off of the stand so it wont sit awkward!!

Check out reptile basics - he has developed the end all be all of thermostats!
www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats
I have two - they're awesome!

Just received my Hydrofarm in the mail, yesterday. I don't plan on breeding snakes, just owning one.
I understand that when breeding, you should have an incredibly accurate t-stat, such as the acclaimed Herpstats, VE's, etc.
But, these H-farms have such raving reviews! Worrying about the 2 degree fluctuation, imo, is kinda silly. If your cage/tank/whatever isn't insulated enough to hold 2 extra degrees inside, for a minute or two, something must be wrong with your enclosure... Down the road I do intend on picking up a VE, and I'm fairly sure the H-farm will be one hell of a fail-safe! Got change for a nickel? There's my 2 cents. :salute:

The hydrofarms are specs at 2ºC. 4ºF up or down from accurate is possible. Then there is a 3ºC degree hysteresis. Then you get backlash as well. Personally I would only use one as a failsafe and nothing else due to the potential 6º over the set point that is possible. I would suggest an accurate thermometer but the sad fact is an accurate thermometer is more expensive than a better tstat.

Never trust the read out, make certain your thermometer is accurate as well better than average. That is the real catch here. Most digital ones are 2ºF up or down and some (popular ones) are 4ºF I believe every set up should have one temperature indication that is 1ºF of accurate or better.

http://images114.fotki.com/v1605/pho...CA_9509-vi.jpgHosted on Fotki

83.8-82.4-81.6 and accurate is 80.4 These are the 'new and improved accuracy' models (LOL) they are also all correct according to the manufacturer with in the 4ºF tolerance.

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Originally Posted by DrLew

Check out reptile basics - he has developed the end all be all of thermostats!
www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats
I have two - they're awesome!

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I would disagree, this they have failed to advance the state of the art and are behind every N american brand (proportional controllers) for features but helix which is 20 years old. I find it quite disappointing there was an opportunity to advance equipment and it was decided not to bother.