Repti-Temp Rheostat Model RT10

I was wondering what everyone would think of about this item. I only have one cage, its a 20 gallon glass cage with a screen top, tin-foiled + duct taped in. There are two (almost) identical hides (soon to be replaced with better ones) and I am currently using newspaper for substrate. I'm currently using dial thermometers and humidity meteres but I plan on buying a digital thermomiter/humidity meter as soon as the next check comes in. I use one UTH as well as a Red-Bulb light. Would this item be able to support each of these, and would it turn them both on/off according to the tempatures? I looked for reviews and couldnt really find one.

Here are the 3 thermostats I was looking at. Would the first or second one be able to handle the two types of heaitng I'm use, or would I need the last one?

http://www.herpsupplies.com/product.cfm?id=SZMRT20
http://www.herpsupplies.com/product.cfm?id=SZMRT500R
http://www.herpsupplies.com/product.cfm?id=SZMRT10

I will eventually be getting one thats a little more expensive, but I'm looking for one to hold me over. Thanks!

go w/ the 2nd one...thats the one im planning to get when i get the money for it....

You get what you pay for with thermostats. I'd go with the cheap rheostat until you save up enough for a decent thermostat. You don't really need a "reptile" one, however, and could get by just as well with one from Home Depot or Lowes.

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Originally Posted by xdeus

You get what you pay for with thermostats. I'd go with the cheap rheostat until you save up enough for a decent thermostat. You don't really need a "reptile" one, however, and could get by just as well with one from Home Depot or Lowes.

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isnt that 2nd one a good one?

I was thinking of going with the 3rd one, since i found it somewhere for 20 bucks. Now do you have any good links at lowes or whatever, I went there and couldnt find one I could use!

If u going to use it for a uth and a heat lamp, i woulndt get the third one. The third one is like a dimmer and uth and heat lamps work differntly so i wouldnt get it if i were you. Go with something more like the second one.

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Originally Posted by rmune0750

isnt that 2nd one a good one?

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No. Cheap thermostats are notorious for breaking down. If one does malfunction, you run the risk that it won't control the current to the heat sources such as the UTH and it could potentially kill or burn your snake. I agree that rheostat probalby shouldn't be used to control two different heat sources such as an UTH an a light, but the worst that would happen is that the heat source would malfunction and stop working.

That's why I recommended a cheap rheostat until he could save up for a reliable thermostat such as a Helix, Herpstat, or even a Ranco or Johnson. However, as far as cheap thermostats go that Zoomed model is probably the best of the cheap ones. It would make a good backup thermostat, but I wouldn't rely on it working for years.

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Originally Posted by Holbeird

I was thinking of going with the 3rd one, since i found it somewhere for 20 bucks. Now do you have any good links at lowes or whatever, I went there and couldnt find one I could use!

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They're usually by the extension cords. Here's a link for the one I use.

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Originally Posted by xdeus

They're usually by the extension cords. Here's a link for the one I use.

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Those are what I currently use...and they're only $10 at Home Depot here!

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Originally Posted by xdeus

No. Cheap thermostats are notorious for breaking down. If one does malfunction, you run the risk that it won't control the current to the heat sources such as the UTH and it could potentially kill or burn your snake. I agree that rheostat probalby shouldn't be used to control two different heat sources such as an UTH an a light, but the worst that would happen is that the heat source would malfunction and stop working.

That's why I recommended a cheap rheostat until he could save up for a reliable thermostat such as a Helix, Herpstat, or even a Ranco or Johnson. However, as far as cheap thermostats go that Zoomed model is probably the best of the cheap ones. It would make a good backup thermostat, but I wouldn't rely on it working for years.

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how long do u think that 2nd one would last...like a yr??

or less? :confused:

THat lamp dimmer one wont actually turn off when it gets to a certain temp would it? Thats why I was thinking about the 3rd, I want one that will turn off/dim whenever it gets to the desired temp. I plan on getting the more expensive one, but right now car taxes came, and some other "once a year" bills so I'm a little stretched for cash


Also does it matter if the air temp on the hot side isnt 92-94, as long as the belly temp. I'm not sure if I have a cheap UTH but with my UTH my temp is showing 92-94 during the day, and about 90-93 at night, but the air temp isnt that hot though. I normally cycle the heat lamp on and off while I'm at home to keep the air temp up, but i rarly keep it on cause it makes the substrate temp too hot if i leave it on more then 15 min :-\

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Originally Posted by rmune0750

how long do u think that 2nd one would last...like a yr??

or less? :confused:

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The problem with the cheapies is that they're unreliable. It could last 10 or 15 years without a problem, or a couple of weeks. I couldn't begin to estimate the failure rate, but I still wouldn't feel comfortable trusting my snakes with something like that for longer than a couple of weeks as a backup until I got a more reliable one.

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Originally Posted by Holbeird

THat lamp dimmer one wont actually turn off when it gets to a certain temp would it? Thats why I was thinking about the 3rd, I want one that will turn off/dim whenever it gets to the desired temp. I plan on getting the more expensive one, but right now car taxes came, and some other "once a year" bills so I'm a little stretched for cash


Also does it matter if the air temp on the hot side isnt 92-94, as long as the belly temp. I'm not sure if I have a cheap UTH but with my UTH my temp is showing 92-94 during the day, and about 90-93 at night, but the air temp isnt that hot though. I normally cycle the heat lamp on and off while I'm at home to keep the air temp up, but i rarly keep it on cause it makes the substrate temp too hot if i leave it on more then 15 min :-\

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The lamp dimmer, just like any rheostat, can't adjust anything according to temperature. It just adusts the electrical current to the heat source. The description on the 3rd one is misleading because it states you can adjust the temperature, however they're probably basing it on one of their UTHs that are rated for a certain wattage. If you have a higher watt UTH, the dimmer would have to be turned lower to obtain the same temps.

As far as the hot spot, the 92-94 recommended temps that you see are the temps of the substrate. The air temps aren't as much of a concern because if you have the recommended substrate gradient of low 80s to low 90s, the air temps will be fine. You should aso be measuring the temps from within the hide as the hide temps are often quite warmer than the substrate outside of the hide.

I haven't read the whole thread, but just because I feel like putting in my 2 cents, here it goes ...

All of those links are junk. Even if you picked up a ball python on the cheap, you spent twenty couple bucks for the snake, twenty couple for a tank, screen top, hides, thermometer, etc ... you'll spend potentially over one hundred dollars a year feeding the animal ... if you're just starting out with a pet store snake, you should at least do one vet visit and fecal to make sure everything is "OK", and that will run you at least forty couple dollars ... all that money that should be laid out, you at least owe it to your snake to pick up a Ranco or Johnsons for sixty couple dollars .... ( Helix would be better, but that's just me :twisted: ) ... you're going to have this snake for at least 20 years if you're doing it right ... even if you pay $80 for a decent t-stat, that's only $4.00 per year over the life of the snake … less than the cost of a number four at Wendys “Biggie Sized” ... an easy (and healthy) sacrifice to make for your new pet. :sweeet:

ROCK ON!

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

I haven't read the whole thread, but just because I feel like putting in my 2 cents, here it goes ...

All of those links are junk. Even if you picked up a ball python on the cheap, you spent twenty couple bucks for the snake, twenty couple for a tank, screen top, hides, thermometer, etc ... you'll spend potentially over one hundred dollars a year feeding the animal ... if you're just starting out with a pet store snake, you should at least do one vet visit and fecal to make sure everything is "OK", and that will run you at least forty couple dollars ... all that money that should be laid out, you at least owe it to your snake to pick up a Ranco or Johnsons for sixty couple dollars .... ( Helix would be better, but that's just me :twisted: ) ... you're going to have this snake for at least 20 years if you're doing it right ... even if you pay $80 for a decent t-stat, that's only $4.00 per year over the life of the snake … less than the cost of a number four at Wendys “Biggie Sized” ... an easy (and healthy) sacrifice to make for your new pet. :sweeet:

ROCK ON!

-adam

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thats REAL TALK. :sweeet:

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Originally Posted by rmune0750

thats REAL TALK. :sweeet:

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That's just how I roll. :cool:

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

That's just how I roll. :cool:

-adam

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:fest2:

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

All of those links are junk. Even if you picked up a ball python on the cheap, you spent twenty couple bucks for the snake, twenty couple for a tank, screen top, hides, thermometer, etc ... you'll spend potentially over one hundred dollars a year feeding the animal ... if you're just starting out with a pet store snake, you should at least do one vet visit and fecal to make sure everything is "OK", and that will run you at least forty couple dollars ... all that money that should be laid out, you at least owe it to your snake to pick up a Ranco or Johnsons for sixty couple dollars ....

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Well said, Adam, and I couldn't agree more... but... the reason I went on about rheostats was because I've seen too many people that pick up snakes as a spur-of-the-moment purchase. For some reason many of those people seem to be broke or don't foresee the expense beyond that of the $20 snake. This is why I went on to recommend a cheap rheostat instead of a cheap thermostat until they could pick up a decent one. Hopefully my roundabout ways didn't muddy up the issue as opposed to your straight-shooting ways. ;)

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Originally Posted by xdeus

Well said, Adam, and I couldn't agree more... but... the reason I went on about rheostats was because I've seen too many people that pick up snakes as a spur-of-the-moment purchase. For some reason many of those people seem to be broke or don't foresee the expense beyond that of the $20 snake. This is why I went on to recommend a cheap rheostat instead of a cheap thermostat until they could pick up a decent one. Hopefully my roundabout ways didn't muddy up the issue as opposed to your straight-shooting ways. ;)

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I didn't even read your post, but I would definitely agree ... even a lamp dimmer from Home Depot for $3.99 is something ... I just saw the original post and fired away blind ... we're on the same page. :sweeet:

-adam

Here's a way to save a couple of dollars, and have some fun at the same time.

Buy a "naked" Ranco controller, one that's not already connected to a plug-strip or extension cord. You can then go to Lowe's/Home Depot/Whatever and buy a plug strip with a circuit breaker, or an appliance exention cord, read the instructions and wire it up yourself.

I've wired 8 of these guys up, and have since outsourced all assembly starting with #9 to my wife.

You'll need some basic wiring tools, and a volt-meter wouldn't hurt.
If you're going to be serious out keeping herps of any stripe you'll end up with a few tools and learning a little hardware-store-type work.

Plus.. I trust the Ranco controllers and I trust my wiring skills, I just feel better about that than spending 19.99 for something that was built by g_d-knows-who

The Helix controllers are the slickest thing ever, you can also just spend money, buy the custom tool for the job and never EVER regret spending it.

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

we're on the same page. :sweeet:

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What, that's it?! :( I was just getting my talking points ready for the big Ranco vs. Johnson debate. Okay, so there's not much of a debate. That doesn't mean we can't create one. :blahblah: