couple of questions (thermostat and terrarium related) from newbie

[ErinBBC]

I'm looking into getting my first ball python (I have had lizards in the past). Before, I used standard thermostats but I have been reading about the proportional thermostats, since a lot of the care sites say they work well with under tank heating. From what I understand, they keep the temps more stable because instead of cutting on or off when temps get too high or low, they pulse power to keep the temperatures where they are supposed to be. Is it your experience that they are worth the extra money to keep the heat more stable?

Also, I was planning on getting a Vision tank or using a plastic rubbermaid style tank, since some of my online research pointed out that they hold humidity better than glass terrariums with screen tops. Has anyone had any trouble heating these types of tanks with Flexwatt or similar under tank heating elements? I know I'd need to use spacers to lift the tank off the table top to provide ventilation under the tape.

Thanks so much for your time and help.

[Velrys]

Using flexwatt/heat pad to heat rubbermaid tubs works just fine.

Though I'm not sure what you mean about using spacing to provide ventilation under the tape. Racks typically have the heating element on a shelf with the tub right on top. Is ventilating the heating element a concern for some people?

You are correct about the thermostats. Progressive is definitely the way to go. They do NOT pulse on and off but rather provide more or less power to the heating element to increase the heat more or less.

Other thermostats turn on and off and based on their quality have a range of sensitivity that will result in a range of temp inside the enclosure.

I say progressive is definitely the way to go because in my opinion having a stable hotspot is the most important thing about an enclosure. You animal can sit in a water dish if humidity is low, go hide if it is too bright, and go sit in the water dish, again, if the ambient temp is too high. But there is nothing a snake can do if your hotspot is unreliable.

I use herpstat from spyder robotics. They are pricey but if you have one enclosure then I think it would be worth getting the most basic model (with progressive control) to have a good reliable hotspot.

[ErinBBC]

Thanks for the input...to clarify, I will have the plastic enclosure sitting on a wooden table and thought it might not be a good idea for the heat tape to be in contact with the wood, I don't think it would get too hot but after being married to a firefighter and hearing horror stories for 10 years I suppose I'm a bit paranoid lol. I was just going to affix rubber spacers to the bottom of the tank to set it up off the table a bit.

Again thanks for your input, I am happy to spend the extra money for a proportional thermostat if it will be better for the snake.