Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Im going to get some new cages for my boas and ive pretty much decided on getting some boaphile 421Ds and a boaphile sweater box rack. I plan on using a Helix 1000 backed up by a Ranco Thermostat. My question is do i need to get 2 Helix (one for each rack/stack of cages) and a back up for each? so a total of 4 thermostats? or can i just use 2 helix and plug them both into the one Ranco?...or, do I only need 1 helix and 1 ranco to run the whole setup? So what happens when you have like 50 cages/racks like all you big time breeders? do you have like 20 thermostats? Ive never used thermostats before so im new to this. Thanks for any help you guys can offer!

First off, one t-stat can handle much more than one single cage load. BUT, if the cages and/or heaters are not the same, the t-stat will not control them properly. You can only closely control the heater the sensor is measuring. Any others are "piggybacked" and receive the same power level as the probed heater is getting.

With 421D's and a sweaterbox rack, I'd recommend seperate controls. The ranco backup is not a bad setup, so if you go that way, you'd need two of each.

I have many cages and racks most have stack controls and some are individually controlled:

two stacks of boaphiles, one helix per stack

two home made oak 8 enclosure cages switching over to 1 herpstat pro for each stack. The herpstat pro has 4 seperate probe/outlets and I plan on running 2 sections per probe/outlet. My BRB breeding cages.

3 30 slot rhinorax shoe box racks, one helix each.

2 48 slot homemade rack/workbench, one helix each

2 20 slot sweater box racks, one helix each

2 10 slot IRIS CB110 racks, one helix each

8 Sandmar industries melamine cages (only using 5 so far) each has two controllers, one for overhead heat and one for belly heat.

Pics:

>>Im going to get some new cages for my boas and ive pretty much decided on getting some boaphile 421Ds and a boaphile sweater box rack. I plan on using a Helix 1000 backed up by a Ranco Thermostat. My question is do i need to get 2 Helix (one for each rack/stack of cages) and a back up for each? so a total of 4 thermostats? or can i just use 2 helix and plug them both into the one Ranco?...or, do I only need 1 helix and 1 ranco to run the whole setup? So what happens when you have like 50 cages/racks like all you big time breeders? do you have like 20 thermostats? Ive never used thermostats before so im new to this. Thanks for any help you guys can offer!
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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

You have a beautiful setup there. I noticed that it doesnt look like you use backup t-stats. How impotant is it to use a backup? how often do these things have problems? From what i have read it seems like Helix is top of the line. so theres no way i could run 2 helix backed up by one ranco? Thanks for the reply.

Well, my understandoing of the Helix units is they are designed to shut down on error, NOT run wide open. Not to say 100% that they can't fail in a wide open mode, just highly unlikely.

A backup T-stat is definately an OK thing and to be fully effective, would have to be one for each primary T-stat.

One serious exposure I see with a single T-stat is if the heat element the probe is on fails (or if the probe is dislodged) then it could sense room temps and run more power to the other functioning heat elements overheating those cages.

If you do run a backup t-stat, place that probe on a second heat element (if controlling a stack of cages) so you have even more redundancy.
-----
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

thank you Dave! : ) What you said below here is very smart.

Caden

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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com

First of all let me say that is a beautiful snake room you have there and I really like the homemade oak setups. I just have a few questions for you?

Have you ever had the Helix systems fail?
And have you ever had the snakes knock over those heavy glass waterdishes ever knocked over or leaked out onto heat supplies and wiring?

Thanks in advance!
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2.2 Columbian common boas (Zeus, Athena, Aphodite, Hades)
1.1 Corn snakes (Appolo, Boreas)
0.1 King snake tri striped cal morph (Helios)

Thank you, I rather like it myself. My favorite room to hang out in.

The only helix I've ever had fail was due to my mistake, I mistakenly plugged one into the output of another. I was adding another temp cage to my quarantine room and plugged it intoi the wrong power strip.

The oak cages are lined with formica, dadoed together and all seams are sealed. I have had bowls knocked over during breeding season. None of those spills ever reached any of my electrical systems.

After the first couple I figured out the best process to limit spills to a minimum. The bowls are filled to a specific point. When placed on top of the sweaterbox size tubs, they can only tip over so far. Even with the tub pushed to one side, only a little water can spill out.
-----
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