Higher quality thermostat is SO worth it

[mtag]

I used to have one of the cheaper hydro farm thermostats to control my snakes UTH. I decided to upgrade even though it seemed like a lot to a herpstat, and it was so worth it.

On the hydrofarm the warm side would go anywhere from 87-93 when the thermostat was set to 90, and the humidity would jump anywhere from 40 up to 80. With the herpstat my temperatures are staying within a degree of what is set, and the humidity is staying at 60-65. This is with the same set up, only difference is the herpstat.

This is saving me so much stress and frustration with trying to get my husbandry right as a new owner. I just wanted to share for those who are new to let you know that it really does make a difference, even if it is 50 bucks more it is so worth it in the long run. I regret not getting the better thermostat earlier!

[maskedburito]

100% agree, when I first got my snake I really didn't think or know I had to dish out so much for a thermostat, but looking at the lifespan of a snake... it made sense for the investment and I couldn't be happier with my herpstat2!

[tbowman]

Well that's understandable. The hydrofarm is an on/off style thermostat whereas the herpstat is proportional meaning it adjusts power output to match the temperature you select. The hydrofarm is going to turn off once it gets to a certain temperature and then turn back on once it gets to a certain temperature. That is exactly what it is designed to do. However there is no denying the quality of the Spyder Robotics thermostats. Glad you like it.

[tbowman]

Well that's understandable. The hydrofarm is an on/off style thermostat whereas the herpstat is proportional meaning it adjusts power output to match the temperature you select. The hydrofarm is going to turn off once it gets to a certain temperature and then turn back on once it gets to a certain temperature. That is exactly what it is designed to do. However there is no denying the quality of the Spyder Robotics thermostats. Glad you like it. I bought one of the original herpstats about 6 years ago. They have since been discontinued but mine is still working perfectly.

EDIT: not sure how this became a double post

[mtag]

I am very pleased with it! I understand why people go for the cheaper as I did, but it really isn't worth it. I check the cage maybe twice a day and everything is perfect instead of obcessing over it and checking it every 30 minutes and having to fiddle with things.

[tbowman]

You just have to understand that there are going to be some fluctuations with an on / off style thermo, and that doesn't mean it's terrible. Snake keeping is not an exact science. The important thing is that you have something there to regulate temperatures. I use both styles and haven't had problems.

[mtag]

My main issue was how often it was causing the humidity to get way too high or low. I used moss and different things to try and even it out, but it just wasn't working.

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My main issue was how often it was causing the humidity to get way too high or low. I used moss and different things to try and even it out, but it just wasn't working.

[Sauzo]

Not quite sure how going from an on/off T-stat to proportional/dimming T-stat would cause a swing in humidity. Temps, sure. I'm using a Hydrofarm on my BP cage atm and I have it set to 91F. It turns on at 88.8F and turns off at 91.0F but gets up to 91.7F which is understandable with an off/on T-stat. My humidity is stays at 56-60%. But like I said, since a UTH doesn't heat the air, I cant see how it would affect your humidity that much. I got a Herpstat 1 on my red tail cage and its the same. I wont argue though that they are really nice. I'm just debating whether I want another Herpstat 1 redline or regular or a Herpstat 2 redline or regular or just go for a Herpstat 4 to run both my boa and BP cage and have wiggle room for anything else later. Anyways grats on the Herpstat, they are really nice.