"However, look at the manual that comes with flex watt heating, it says for use with PROPORTIONAL thermostats only!"



Never used flex-watt so I cannot say anything about it.



"The on-off type causes a spike in temperature when it goes on, and when off can drop considerably for a short time."



I do not know what kind of thermostat you are talking about when you say this. I use Ranco and Johnson Controls. Never had a problem. I have it set at 90, at 90 it goes off, at 88 it comes back on. I use a non-contact infrared thermometer and have verified my temps. There is no spike and considerably drop in temperature.





"However, when keeping other subspecies for example amarali when you need exact and perfect temperatures it is better to use a more reliable source."



I do not believe that even amarali would be affected by a 2-degree difference over many minutes. In nature the temps stay constant? No. What happens to them in nature when they are hanging in a tree and the wind starts to blow and the temp drops a couple of degrees? Then the wind stops. They don’t continually move back and forth hundreds of times a day. A more reliable source? The Ranco and Johnson Controls are made for industrial HVAC applications and can handle 1500 watts.



"I have heard of many people whose thermostats failed, one lost a T positive Albino Argentine breeder. In every failure it was in an on off sticking open. With moving parts in the device it is more likely to fail than in a proportional which regulates current to the appliance through constant measure of temperature."



I am sure there have been many failed thermostats. No moving parts in mine or the ones I suggested to kimusubi, they are all digital. Also I am sure that even the Helix which is an electronic device is subject to failure.



"Every cage I own is controlled by its own individual proportional thermostat and I have never had a problem, in contrast when I first started I used the analog (on/off type) and they all eventually had something go wrong."



Again, all my cages are controlled by straight on/off digital thermostats and I have had no problems. Never heard of a Ranco or Johnson Control failing. As a matter of fact many zoos use them.



Just my opinion.
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Jeff

0.1 Wife (Homo sapiens sapiens): Kim

2.0 Hog Island Boas, Bob Sears Line (Boa Constrictor imperator): Ham-let and BLT

0.1 Hog Island Boa, Schuett Line (Boa Constrictor imperator): Petunia

1.1 Smooth-Scaled Sand Boas (Eryx johnii johnii): Xerxes, and Sa'rai

1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei): Solomon

0.2 Kenyan Sand Boas, 100% het anery (Eryx colubrinus loveridgei): Sheba, Jasmine

0.1 Doberman (Canis familiaris): Princess Grace

1.0 Pitbull Mix (Canis familiaris): Popcorn

1.0 Rough Collie (Canis familiaris): Dante

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“It’s not bragging if you can prove it”

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