newbie help, maintaining heat

[tbowman]

Well then we have differing opinions based on experience because I've found 40 dollar thermostats to be very reliable.

If you have a stable ambient a dimmer can work great but most people don't have time to check temps every two hours.

[JoshSloane]

No need to check temps every two hours. If your ambients are relatively stable it wont change that much. Plus, with a 40$ on/off thermostat you are going to get temperature swings every time the unit flicks on and off. I would bet that a dimmer actually provides less fluctuations than an on/off thermostat. When I used the Zilla brand thermostats I would frequently monitor temp changes within one or two on off cycles. I noticed at least a 5-6 degree change.

[bpgal9315]

Get yourself a cheap temp reader for 7$ at your local pet store so you know the temp inside the tank. As long as your uth is under the entire tank and not in it and covered with a generous thick amount of bedding over top he should be okay. Repti carpet also helps over uth, that was if your snake moves the bedding it cant get to the heat source directly. If you can place your hand there and its not scolding hot you should be okay. If you feel safer waiting until you have the therm connected to it. You can wait on using the uth. Although they like their belly heat as long as his tank temps and humidity are good, hell be okay to hold off.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

[JoshSloane]

Get yourself a cheap temp reader for 7$ at your local pet store so you know the temp inside the tank. As long as your uth is under the entire tank and not in it and covered with a generous thick amount of bedding over top he should be okay. Repti carpet also helps over uth, that was if your snake moves the bedding it cant get to the heat source directly. If you can place your hand there and its not scolding hot you should be okay. If you feel safer waiting until you have the therm connected to it. You can wait on using the uth. Although they like their belly heat as long as his tank temps and humidity are good, hell be okay to hold off.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

Don't agree. Cheap thermometers at a pet shop are worthless. You need to know the temperature of your hot spot. A 7$ sticker thermometer isn't going to do anything. Order an infrared temp gun online, or go to Home depot and get one. Checking temps with your hand is NEVER advisable. Everyone has different heat tolerance and you wont even be in the ball park of what the actual temps are.

[Albert Clark]

Agreed. The single most important piece of equiptment for your husbandry and safety of your investment is a reliable , high quality thermostat. Safety of your reptiles also. Of course if you can afford it. If not, you should try and save up for one.

[bpgal9315]

Don't agree. Cheap thermometers at a pet shop are worthless. You need to know the temperature of your hot spot. A 7$ sticker thermometer isn't going to do anything. Order an infrared temp gun online, or go to Home depot and get one. Checking temps with your hand is NEVER advisable. Everyone has different heat tolerance and you wont even be in the ball park of what the actual temps are.

Well no there is better options but its better than not having one at all. As long as they have some reading of their temps to know where the tank is at and go from there. I know plenty of people who dont have uth right away or at all. So as long as proper humidity and heat is held then its not a big deal while they wait for the uth therm control.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

[bpgal9315]

Well no there is better options but its better than not having one at all. As long as they have some reading of their temps to know where the tank is at and go from there. I know plenty of people who dont have uth right away or at all. So as long as proper humidity and heat is held then its not a big deal while they wait for the uth therm control.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

My girl for a while went without uth and did fine she was nice and warm when I would take her out because my temps and humidity were right and I had a cave hide that held heat well.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

[CORBIN911]

You have to understand aswell, snakes are cold blooded, they 90% of the time will feel cool to the touch, they thermoregulate as needed, 70 is cool yes, but its not the end of the world, as i said dont expect to pick up your snake and have him feel warm, unless you came out from a cold winter day, the palm of your hand is often 90+ degrees especially after being active, which most snakes hot spot is 88-90 (meaning hell feel neutral if at all never warm)

[distaff]

I also really dislike when people say, "If you cant pay X, you shouldn't be in this hobby." Everything that we discuss on this forum are people's opinions. There are multiple different ways to achieve the same results, with highly variable price tags. Just requires different levels of participation.

Totally agree.
That argument can get really snarky.
Saw it all the time back when I worked a the pound and frequented a dog care forum. God forbid that someone living paycheck-to-paycheck should adopt a desperate puppy!

I'd say, know your equipment, anticipate the likely problems, and do the best you can with what you have. Attention to detail is a skill.

I'm not in this yet partly because I want the Herpstat $139 version. (That is more expensive then the snake I picked out, and she will probably be sold to someone else long before I'm ready. That's ok. There are others out there.) We have plenty of money - because we live by a very strict budget. I plan several months out. We don't just charge things.

[JoshSloane]

Well no there is better options but its better than not having one at all. As long as they have some reading of their temps to know where the tank is at and go from there. I know plenty of people who dont have uth right away or at all. So as long as proper humidity and heat is held then its not a big deal while they wait for the uth therm control.

Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk

What I am saying is that if you are budget restricted, go with the best option within your price range. Sure a zilla thermnostat will likely work ok for a while, but it needs constant monitoring, and will give you much wilder temp fluctuations in my experience, than a dimmer and a uth.