Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm looking for a thermostat for my two Ball pythons. I'm going to use 3" fw so i'm looking for a thermostat. Does anyone here have use the BAH-1000SC thermostat i see that it is like $40. I was also looking at the Zoo Med 500R thermostat that cost about the same but i don't know whish will be better.

Thanks for the help.

A dimmer from Home Depot would be safer. Those cheaper "thermostats" are known for failing in the ON position and frying snakes or starting a fire.

Spend the extra $35 for the safety of your snakes and get a Johnson Controls or a Ranco. www.reptilebasics.com
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-Becky Brown, RVT-
1.0 Lemon Pastel Classic Jungle,1.0 Black Pastel,1.0 Enchi,1.0 Yellow Hypo,0.1 100% het Butterscotch Hypo,0.1 66% Poss Het VPI Hypo,3.24 Normals,1.1 Spider,1.1 Yellowbellies(BHB),1.0 100% Het Pied Classic Jungle,1.3 66% Poss Het VPI Axanthic, 1.1 Poss Het VPI Snow,1.1 100% het Genetic Stripe

If I may interject , the mane reasons for the failure of the on - off type and others is not the components failing but the failure of the keeper to place the temp probe in the proper place . The placement of the probe is the most important part of setting up the thermostat . Thanks David

"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

The best I have found for the money is the ESU1000 watt . With a triple plug out let .it is a lot like the BAH 1000 but a little cheaper , I have used them for years with out a single problem or failure David

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.

OR you can spend $35 more and NOT kill the snakes. Or set the house on fire.. Or cook the snakes so badly that they have irreversible brain damage.

And it's not about probe placement, it's about cheap components. Those ALife and Big Apple "thermostats" aren't much but plastic and a little relay that is supposed to handle 1000 watts. I don't think so. Open up an Alife and compare it to a Johnson Controls or a Ranco. BIG difference.

Sure, you may get lucky and buy one that works, but the odds are against you big time. Buying a cheap thermostat is like buying a heat rock. You may get one that works fine and doesn't literally cook your snake. But do you want to take that chance?

My collection now is worth a few grand, but even when I only had ONE snake, I still got a Herpstat 2 so she would be safe, and I had the peace of mind. I would trust a Lutron dimmer over an Alife or Big Apple thermostat anyday.
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-Becky Brown, RVT-
1.0 Lemon Pastel Classic Jungle,1.0 Black Pastel,1.0 Enchi,1.0 Yellow Hypo,0.1 100% het Butterscotch Hypo,0.1 66% Poss Het VPI Hypo,3.24 Normals,1.1 Spider,1.1 Yellowbellies(BHB),1.0 100% Het Pied Classic Jungle,1.3 66% Poss Het VPI Axanthic, 1.1 Poss Het VPI Snow,1.1 100% het Genetic Stripe

that’s funny , I have around 16 ESU 1000W and 4 500W thermostats and have never had a signal failure of any kind and I don’t think luck has a darn thing to do with it , so many people think if you don’t do as they have done and spend big money on thermostats your going to kill your snakes or your are not being responsible keepers . Well as for as on -off types the ESU is as good as any other and in my opinion the best for the money . I have some proportional thermostats and they are a totally different subject . And for the ranges Balls are kept at on-offs are fine , if you are incubating eggs that’s a different story . Thanks David of DS Reptile Rescue , Removal & rehabilitation

"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

Hey David Thans for all the inf. i think that i'm going to try the 500W thermostat since they have that one in my locar pet store. You say that the mane reasons for the failure of the on - off type is not the components failing but the failure of the keeper to place the temp probe in the proper place. What would be the proper place for me to have the prope place. I know that i'm going to end up getting something else in the future but i alway ca have the 500W as a back.

You wont to please the temp probe under or on top of the heat source or as close as possible , as what will happen in most cases is the temp probe is to far from the heat source and the controller never shuts off and both the heat source and controller can over heat , and were the snake will over heat . I set mine up using a thermometer placed were the reptile spends there time and adjust the thermostat to reach the temp required . I have notches routed out with a router for the probe to fit into for a flush fit . If you don’t have the equipment to do that you can please spacers under the cage to provide the clearance needed . Let me know if I can help in any way . David . Ps. You can e-mail me using the contact link on the post .

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.