worried about ball python temp. and safety =/

[kitedemon]

If safety is something you really believe in there is one addition that has not been mentioned. A failsafe t-stat. The issue is with a probed t-stat if the probe fails the unit fails or the probe moves (accidents do and have happened) the system can and often will over heat a failsafe prevents this. I personally do not have any heat system for my animals that does not have a fail safe.

Thermostats can get very expensive and with only one snake in a tank i wouldn't suggest spending over $100 on anything proportional.

Even the best thermostats are off a few degrees here and there.

The number one cause (indirect or direct) of health issues in reptiles is incorrect temps. The primary control for temps is the thermostat if you have the money buy the best you can get. Rheostats work well in places where the ambient room temps do not change or where exact temps are not critical. On/off work well in places where the heat is not directly connected to the enclosure (racks for example) or with great thermal mass (glass) they also do better and tend to produce more stable temps when in places where the ambient room temp is not too cool (around 80º) Proportional units will deal with any and all of these plus low thermal mass (tubs) with direct heat in cool environments they are the most versatile of the lot.

I calibrate instruments professionally. I have 13 herpstats and all of them are less than 0.6ºF from true and all read with in 0.4ºF of each other. The method they use is similar to helix and VE ecozone controllers I would surmise that they too have this level of accuracy.

hydrofarms are ok as a controller the issue is the probes are simply not accurate and MUST not be trusted. I have tested 3 units now (new version improved accuracy) The best of them was 1.6ºF high and the worst over 3ºF. With out getting too detailed the probes design lends its self to over and under shooting as well. The Johnson I have tests 1.7º low on the probe so it too is closer but not great either. I do not have a ranco but as all three use the same system I would expect to see errors maybe not as much a hydrofarm but some.

I am not going to start on accurites and other cheap digital thermometers but read the specs and plan for the error it likely has. 90% of the under 50$ units are +/-2ºF for accuracy. Just plan for it to be incorrect. Or buy multiples and check them against each other. Accurites are no better than any other they are all about the same.