Questions on a thermostat?

[Crazy4Herps]

Hello. I am looking to buy thermostats for some of my snake enclosures; I have everything from plastic tubs with ZooMed heat mats to AP acrylics with flexwatt.

1. Can ZooMed heat mats be used with a thermostat?

2. If I got a Ranco thermostat wired for six outlets, could I set it to a different temperature for every outlet? (i.e. have one heat mat set at 80* and another at 90*, all plugged into the same thermostat?)

3. Can heat mats and flexwatt be plugged in to the same thermostat?

4. Can I set the thermostat to dip 10* at night?


Thanks much. I have always used rheostats, and I am getting tired of the fluctuations, especially with changing weather and cooler nights. I have never used a thermostat before and am a total newbie.

[cinderbird]

1. Can ZooMed heat mats be used with a thermostat? yes.

2. If I got a Ranco thermostat wired for six outlets, could I set it to a different temperature for every outlet? (i.e. have one heat mat set at 80* and another at 90*, all plugged into the same thermostat?)

No. The unit itself is set to 1 temperature, and then whatever is plugged into it is then at that temp.*** (this ONLY applies to heating devices that are ALL the same size and wattage: example: if you have one foot of 11'' flexxwatt and 4 feet of 4'' flexxwatt plugged into the same thermostat, they will be at different temps because they are different wattages. PS this is a fire hazard from what i understand).

3. Can heat mats and flexwatt be plugged in to the same thermostat? (see above and read below).
Only if you have a multi outlet thermostat like the Herpstat PRO i believe.. You can plug in up to 4 different devices and program them independently.

4. Can I set the thermostat to dip 10* at night?
if you have a thermostat that can do a night drop, i think the Herpstat ND will. A ranco will not.