Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Which is better? Thanks in advance for the advice. I was really tempted to buy a rheostat by Zoomed but I didn't know if a thermostat would be better...

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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
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1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

The best money can buy would be a thermostat which keeps temps within a tenth or two but always uses power it just proportions the amount of heat needed to acquire that particular temp. Rheostats are a lot cheaper which hardcore snake fanatics don't use them except for a backup power source in which your thermostat is plugged into. The rheostat comes on 100% and goes off a degree above the desired temp and turns completely off therefore saving on the electric bill but the heat is on or off. Most people would agree that 110 volt heat is way too hot. The zoomed rheostat works pretty good but is the cheap way out. I use one to control two of my vivariums and absolutely love it. This kind of rheostat doesn't work 100% on or off so I love it. I adjust the night time lows and raise up the heat about 9. The one I use has a plug for two zoo med uth's and if both aren't plugged in, then I get no heat for any of them (check on the model before you buy it that's all).

Well I've seen two Zoomed rheostats. The one is like a cord and can only control two heat sources. The other Zoomed rheostat I've seen is like a big black box. I didn't really look at that one as much as the former one I described...

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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
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1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Scott,
Mine controls two heat sources but if only one thing is plugged in then no heat is given off. My rheostat also didn't come with a probe thus I place my temp gauge practically in the substrate and keep it at about 82 degrees for the high. Mine looks like this, Power cord then two feet then it comes to a "Repti Temp Control (which is where my knob control is)" and then has 18 inches then a plug for two heat sources that says it's good for up to 15amps. Hope it helps but if you want to spend like 75 bucks, you could look into Ranco thermostats (really rheostats) but last longer than most proportional thermos susposably. Even if you suck it up and get a nice one, then you could transfer the thermostat and just replace heating devices when you switch to a bigger cage in a few years.

So what you are saying is that TWO heat sources must be plugged in to the rheostat otherwise it will NOT work?

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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

That is exactly what I am saying, that's why I just said check it out before you get (just read the back of the box). I agree that is doesn't sound right but it serves my purpose for my two vivariums I have on it. The Ranco's are non-proportional and the zoo-med is a dimmer, it has a turnable knob to adjust the temp just like a dimmer (I love it). I just can't afford to put a proportional thermo on every vivarium. Proportional thermo send out many signals per second for readings to adjust temperature thus always on, non-proportional go on and off and rheostats are always on. Hope it helps and remember if your gonna keep it, just try and get a good one for down the road.

Rheostats are a lot cheaper which hardcore snake fanatics don't use them except for a backup power source in which your thermostat is plugged into. The rheostat comes on 100% and goes off a degree above the desired temp and turns completely off therefore saving on the electric bill but the heat is on or off.

You are describing the difference between a proportional and non-proportional thermostat. A rheostat is basically a dimmer switch.

Here's the differences -

Rheostat (dimmer) - reduces the overall power going to the heat source. Therefore the light/tape will not run at full power and will only get partially as warm as at full power. These are great for preventing heat tapes from ever getting too hot. They don't measure the room temperature at all, they are simply on all the time.

Non-proportional Thermostat - these are temperature sensitive switches that turn on/off the heat source at a particular temperature. Therefore when the the temperature where the probe is place falls below a preset level, it turns on the heat source. The heat source stays on until the temperature at the probe heats up to a preset level. On good thermostats you can set the on and off points separately which allow you to determine the range during which it functions.

Proportional Thermostats work like regular thermostats, except that they have the ability to do what a rheostat does at the same time. When the temperature at the probe drops below threshhold, the thermostat sends just a little bit of power (as opposed to 100% like a regular thermostat) to the heat tape to get the temperature back up. It therefore uses less power and can tweak the temperature within a narrower range.

So what do you need? It depends.

I generally just have my heat tapes on an inline lamp dimmer (rheostat). I have those heat tapes plugged into a Ranco thermostat (non-proportional) so that it turns the tapes off when the temperatures get above 85° in the room (rarely happens). I generally set it and forget it. My heat tapes run at a reduced power as long as the room temps are under 85°. If I find the tapes are too warm, I turn down the rheostat.

I also use a non-proportional thermostat to control my auxillary room heater (oil filled heater) in the winter. The heater has its own thermostat, but they are famous for being unreliable so I use a Ranco thermostat as a backup to shut it off if it gets too warm.

I personally think proportional thermostats are a gadget. Yes they keep the temperature within 0.1 degrees constantly, but who cares? I don't think the snake really cares how close to 90° the heat tape is. If it is warm enough, they sit there, if it is too warm, they move. Their comfort zone is wider than 0.1°. If you have a reliable thermostat that keeps the temperature within 5° of your target temperature, I think the animals needs can be met perfectly.

The ones that have programmable night/day temperature differences are nice, but again I think it is probably overkill regarding the snakes' physiological needs.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

All I have to heat my CRB is a Zoo Med heat pad. It's the adhesive kind that sticks to the glass. What do you recommend for that?

PS-I need to bring the temp down if you need to know

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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

zoomed makes a dimmer that allows you to turn the heat the heat down with a knob, I use this one and it powers two under tank zoo-med sticky pad heaters. Your alternative is to get a thermostat a put the probe after securing it to the bottom of your vivarium on the glass, the probe takes the temps for you, since the zoo-med doesn't come with a probe my temp. gauge is almost in the substrate as well as it should be. 82 would be my high for my snakes.

Scott, Please don't take this wrong but you need to get something going NOW. Research is good for long term but high temps can cause damage now. If your temps are too high you need to fix right away!!

Are you even the least bit handy? Know a little electrical?

I say make a dimmer for now and then you can adjust down your temps while you figure out the long term solution.

I'll post some instructions in a new thread.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC)
0.2 kids (CBB, selectively bred from good stock)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
12.24 BRB
11.13 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Kinda handy with the wood(I made the shelf for the cage), but am no electrician.

Seriously I'm a big time worrier. The substrate in the warm end reads 88. I'm more concerned with the cool end, where the substrate reads anywhere from 63-65. I've been working on getting a sheet of aluminum under the substrate in the cool end(that's what Jeff recommended in case you're wondering). I live in a small town so metal sheets are pretty hard to come by.

Guess I'll head out and buy a rheostat for now...

-----
Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Scott,
...If you get the metal sheet put it on top of the heater. If it is three or four times larger than the heater it will drop the peak temperature on the bottom of the cage over the heater a little and conduct some of the heat away from that small hot spot and hopefully conduct more heat from the heater to the cooler parts of the cage.
Jeff

>>Kinda handy with the wood(I made the shelf for the cage), but am no electrician.
>>
>>Seriously I'm a big time worrier. The substrate in the warm end reads 88. I'm more concerned with the cool end, where the substrate reads anywhere from 63-65. I've been working on getting a sheet of aluminum under the substrate in the cool end(that's what Jeff recommended in case you're wondering). I live in a small town so metal sheets are pretty hard to come by.
>>
>>Guess I'll head out and buy a rheostat for now...
>>
>>
>>-----
>>Scott
>>
>>Reptiles
>>--------
>>0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
>>1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
>>0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
>>1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
>>0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)
>>
>>Other
>>-----
>>1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Should I worry about putting a barrier between the sheet and the snake?
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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

Scott,
....Put the metal plate between the heater and the cage.
Jeff

>>Should I worry about putting a barrier between the sheet and the snake?
>>-----
>>Scott
>>
>>Reptiles
>>--------
>>0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
>>1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
>>0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
>>1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
>>0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)
>>
>>Other
>>-----
>>1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

The heater is the sticky kind that sticks to the glass. Removing it could damage the wires inside. The cage is also on a wooden shelf.
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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)

...drill holes in the shelf to let heat escape out the bottom or lift the cage up to let some of the heat out.

well the cage is slightly raised by little rubber "legs" i guess you would call them
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Scott

Reptiles
--------
0.0.1 Colombian Rainbow Boa(formerly named Precious by the previous owner....I gotta change that...)
1.0 Ball Python (Sultan)
0.1 California Kingsnake (Leota)
1.0 Eastern Painted Turtle (Yugi)
0.1 Red/Gold Bearded Dragon* (Irwin, R.I.P.)

Other
-----
1.0 Betta Fish (Tyrone)