Quote Originally Posted by SnakesNStangss22 View Post
thanks so much for replying... i will try that stuff out today, i will put the thermometer inside her lil enclosure and see what the humitity says then.

also where can i get a thermostat for the UTH at? thanks!!!

i will be poking holes and stuff in there too when it gets closer to getting her... any advice on how to poke holes?

and just to let everyone know, yesterday i had it set up with nothing at all on it for heat source. during the day it was reading 85 and after all night with nothing turned on it read 69.9.... how are those temps? and keep in mind that is with no heat source at all, that is just from the heat light below her for my ksb being on. as for a cold side, the cold side only temped out at around 82-83, so only like 2-3 degrees colder than hot side. how can i get the cold side down? should i maybe invest into a lil longer tub?

thanks!
I use a soldering iron (not soldering gun) to poke holes. You can get them at places like Wal-Mart, Lowes, and some auto parts stores will have them for about $10-$15. Some people use drills to make them and some people heat up the end of a Phillips screwdriver or icepick to make them...

For thermostats I recommend buying them online. Some pet stores do carry them, but they also have a nice retail mark-up. Thermostats basically come in three different styles and you can decide which one is right for you based on what features you need/want and cost.

1) Analog On/Off- I call them analog because I really don't know if there is a term for them. They usually have a dial that you use to set the temp. They operate on an On/Off principal. They turn on until the UTH reaches the target temp then shut-off until the UTH cools off a little, then they turn back on. There are a few brands on the market and I'll post some links of where to get them below. These will usually cost you about $25-$40. These usually require a little adjusting until you get the temp you want.

2) Digital On/Off- These are the next step up. The only two brands that I know of are Ranco and Johnson. They operate on the same On/Off principal except that they have a digital display and you program the temp you want. They also have a programmable differential, which means you can set the range you want it to work at. For example, if you set the target temp at 90F with a differential of 2, the thermostat will come on until the temp reaches 92, then shutoff until the temp reaches 88, then it will turn back on. These are basically industrial thermostats and come in two set-ups, pre-wired and un-wired. Pre-wired means that they have a power strip already connected to them. Un-wired means that they don't come with a power strip and you will need to do it yourself.These usually cost about $60 for an un-wired one and about $80 for a pre-wired version.

3) Proportional- These are considered more top line. You program in the temp you want and then the thermostat continually adjust the amount of electricity going to the UTH to maintain a constant temperature. The only brands that I know of for these are Helix and Herpstat.

Since you are planning on getting a BRB, I know that they have pretty specific temperature requirements, and I think the best choice would be either the Ranco, Johnson, Herpstat or Helix. Ultimately, the choice will be yours as to what you will need. I don't have a BRB so base your decision on what you will need from research. I hope this helps...

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/...ts-and-timers/

http://store.beanfarm.com/index.php?...2ae16e61fca6c6

http://www.bigappleherp.com/REPTILE-...ES/Thermostats

http://www.herpsupplies.com/subcategory.cfm?id=3&sub=48

http://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats/

http://www.spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat.html