500W or 1000W thermostat?

[sunshinenorcas]

I'm looking at buying a tstat for my second tank and its heat pad... does it matter if its a 1000watt or 500watt for an 8watt pad? Biggest difference I can see is that 1000 has two outlets for pad and lamp and 500 just has one.

[jclaiborne]

If you are just hooking it up to that one heat pad then all you need is the 500W even that is overkill.

[The Serpent Merchant]

The watts don't matter as long as the thermostat is rated higher than the heat source is. More watts doesn't equal better thermostat. You need to get a good quality thermostat though. A cheap poorly made thermostat is just an accident waiting to happen.

Here are some good thermostats:

Budget: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR.../dp/B000NZZG3S

Mid-Range: http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermos...stat-prewired/

Best: http://www.spyderrobotics.com/home/products.html (For a single heat source I would suggest the Herpstat intro + or the Herpstat 1

Get the best you can afford, a good thermostat is invaluable.

Stay away from the junk sold in big box pet stores.