I now reach out to you all....

[Zach Nasty]

Buy a Herpstat. Problem solved.

[Delco Baller]

I would like to thank everyone for the help and insight. My decision is going with a herpstat But which model do I go with? Is the cheapest model Good enough for 5 Balls? Does it come ready to hook up and plug in? I dont want my collection to suffer they, mean the world to me and just want it right.

thanks again......going Crazy

[WingedWolfPsion]

It really depends on A) how much you CAN spend, and B) what type of functionality you want from it.

I do not think a single herpstat is appropriate to control 5 different devices. I personally only run a single device from each probe.

However, the very MIMINUM for your setup I would think should be a Herpstat II. It will come with 2 thermostat probes and 2 cords that up to 3 devices can be connected to (if I remember correctly--I believe they have 3 outlets on each cord, but I have only ever used one apiece).

Setup is simple. READ THE DIRECTIONS, plug the probes into the devices and place them, plug the devices into the cords (make sure you plug them into the RIGHT cords, it's non-intuitive, so read the directions), and plug the Herpstat into the wall.
Then, using the directions, set your outputs to the temperatures you want, and give it a day to stabilize.

The Herpstat II also has adjustable high and low temperature alarms--always a good idea.

I use Herpstat Pros to control 4 racks apiece. They have 4 probes and 4 outlets for devices, as well as a ton of other bells and whistles.

With 5 individual snakes, you may want to consider purchasing a rack. It would make your life a LOT easier, and you would only need a single device to control it accurately.

[Delco Baller]

Thank you very much for the info......Now I'm lookin at rack systems the ones at reptile basics look pretty good and in a good price range....plus their prices include shipping, Tubs and Heat!!
Thank you everyone for all your help....

[WingedWolfPsion]

Animal Plastics also has great racks at killer prices (especially if you opt for economy racks with flexwatt)--they do not come with tubs, but the tubs can be purchased cheaply at Target.
I have mainly AP racks, and a couple of Boaphiles (I don't like the Boaphile hatchling bins very much, but I understand they've been discontinued anyhow).

[anatess]

I'm using Reptitemp 500R. Only 2 UTH's of the same size maximum plugged into 1 thermostat. I only have 4 snakes, so I got 3 Reptitemp 500R's because the hognose has different heat requirements.

No problem keeping 90-95 temps on all 3 bp tanks so far. I've had these thermostats running without problems for almost 2 years.