The Big Debate v3.0 lol

[KIBPLOVER]

Ok so we now know who has what thermostats and all.. some have over 300 bucks in one and some have 30 bucks in one.....

lets see who justs has them as pets and who is a breeder with the expensive thermostat...

[Kara]

If we're all here for the same purpose - i.e. to further our knowledge & better our herpkeeping experience - why does it matter who uses a $30 t-stat vs. a $300 t-stat?

Everyone uses what they feel is best according to budget & application, I'm sure.

K~

[KIBPLOVER]

exactly, but if you got 1 or 2 snakes, why would someone wanna suggest an expensive thermostat to them??? just trying to figure out who has the expensive ones..i'm sure most of the breeders have the expensive ones. but should the reg. pet owner need them????

[xdeus]

scare the heck out of the guy and say the 30 dollar one has a high failure rate and now he is panicing scrouging up money because a breeder suggested the poor 1 to 2 snake owner to get a 150 to 350 dollar thermostat..

Wow. Show me where a breeder (or anyone for that matter) suggested getting a $350 thermostat to the person that has one or two snakes??

Yes, there are some cheap thermostats that have a high failure rate or the inability to "turn off" in case of failure, but it has been stated by many people that the $60 or $70 thermostats would work fine. If you can't afford to "invest" in reliable equipment for your pet snake, perhaps you shouldn't be keeping them in the first place.

[slartibartfast]

exactly, but if you got 1 or 2 snakes, why would someone wanna suggest an expensive thermostat to them??? just trying to figure out who has the expensive ones..i'm sure most of the breeders have the expensive ones. but should the reg. pet owner need them????

Because the pricetag on an animal should be the least factor in regarding its safety and security.
I have reliable thermostats because none of my animals, regardless of their value, deserve to die in agony from excessive heat.
Perhaps a responsible keeper should do the research and figure out if they can afford the set-up before they get the animal? At the vet hospital where I work, we have the same folks buying $300 petshop puppies and then balking at vaccines and heartworm prevention, and you can guess the level of sympathy I have for them. Know what you're getting into and take responsibility for it, instead of jumping in and then whining that it's all too expensive.
Me, I think my animal's safety is worth it...whether I have one normal male, or a rack of thousand dollar morphs.

[JLC]

Because the pricetag on an animal should be the least factor in regarding its safety and security.
I have reliable thermostats because none of my animals, regardless of their value, deserve to die in agony from excessive heat.
Perhaps a responsible keeper should do the research and figure out if they can afford the set-up before they get the animal? At the vet hospital where I work, we have the same folks buying $300 petshop puppies and then balking at vaccines and heartworm prevention, and you can guess the level of sympathy I have for them. Know what you're getting into and take responsibility for it, instead of jumping in and then whining that it's all too expensive.
Me, I think my animal's safety is worth it...whether I have one normal male, or a rack of thousand dollar morphs.

Precisely.

And it all depends on how one defines "expensive." You can get a good, reliable t-stat for $60-$70...which doesn't seem expensive at all to me. You can get a basic model Helix or Herpstat for around $120-$130. Again...for the safety value, that doesn't seem very expensive at all to me. No one ever suggests a $350 t-stat with multiple temp settings and seasonal programming for someone who keeps one or two pets.

BUT...I will always suggest a good quality, reliable t-stat for ANY reptile enclosure that needs one...over some rinky-dink $30 t-stat that is as likely to cook your snake as it is to keep it healthy.

It doesn't matter if an animal is a $25 "normal" or a $10,000 morph....each and every one of them deserve the best care we can give them...and if we can't afford to give that care, we should not have them until we can.

[Nate]

Kudos to Jess n' Judy

[SnakeEyes]

I got my puppy at the humane society for $40 and then shots and adoption papers put her at like $120. When it comes to expenses, like the surgery she had to have to remove cancer, think we cut corners on it just cause she was cheap, hells no.

ill get a more reliable safer T-stat, when I have the ability to afford it. This make me a bad snake owner? I provide for all their needs, I provide a safe home for them, have all their needs taken care of, and am ready in case they become ill to do what is needed to get them better, does all that mean nothing all cause I got a $35 thermostat that so far has controlled my temps without any problems, therefor I am a bad snake owner? All cause I didn't get the safer one right off the bat? No, it doesn't, and to say otherwise is plan ignorant.

[rabernet]

exactly, but if you got 1 or 2 snakes, why would someone wanna suggest an expensive thermostat to them??? just trying to figure out who has the expensive ones..i'm sure most of the breeders have the expensive ones. but should the reg. pet owner need them????

I've been using Ranco since I had ONE snake as a pet. Why? Because it wasn't worth it to me to spend less on a product that doesn't have a great track record. You get what you pay for. For me, spending $75 on a quality thermostat that I can trust for an animal that's going to be in my care for 20+ years was worth the money paid.

Is $75 really THAT expensive compared to what might be spent at a veterinarian to treat a belly burn when a cheaper thermostat fails?

There's a huge difference in being thrifty (homemade hides) and being cheap (lower quality thermostat). I'm not willing to compromise the health and well being of my animals to save $40.

[rabernet]

If you can't afford to "invest" in reliable equipment for your pet snake, perhaps you shouldn't be keeping them in the first place.

Excellent point!