Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Guys,
I have heard of people doing this but never considered it myself. For those of you guys that do this, what is required? Do I need to do anything custom to the wine cooler, add thermostat anything? Or do you just plug it in, set the temps and add your snakes? thanks
Will Wohlers

Years ago I was visiting a colleague at a zoo and they had hundreds of reptiles and amphibians brumating in various refridgerators throughout their facility. No wine coolers but they did have several of the similar coke display fridges which I assume are similar.

At any rate, all of them were hooked up to a simple accessory thermostat that they ordered from Rocker. I was about a $25 part back then and I'm pretty sure it was made by Honeywell.

If it were me I'd probably use a thermostat. But if you're hoping to get away without I do expect/assume that a wine cooler could do a pretty good job. I would test it first set up with the same boxes, substrate, water bowls, etc and make sure it is stable enough. In other words, don't test it while empty.
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback

I have a wine cooler brumator. I am in South Florida where it is necessary to cool snakes about fifteen degrees from ambient, so it is pretty good. The limitations are that it always cools relative to ambient temps. One night it got down to about forty and it chilled the same eight degrees or so and got really close to freezing. They are also not very big if you have a lot of snakes.
I would recommend using a refrigerator and a Johnson Controller thermostat. You can find them from beer making supply companies. I guess temps are critical when brewing beer? It might be what Chris saw being used, except they are about triple in price now. You plug it in and then plug the fridge into it, very simple.

Here’s a link-

Thermostat

... all of them were hooked up to a simple accessory thermostat that they ordered from Rocker.

The thermostats came from Grainger, not Rockler (much less "Rocker", LOL).

I could not find the exact product but they looked similar to this:

No wine coolers but they did have several of the similar coke display fridges which I assume are similar.

Not one of my better sentences...
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Currently keeping:

6.10 Gonyosoma oxycephalum (Javan, mixed colors)

0.0.4 Rhynchophis boulengeri

1.1 Philodryas baroni

1.1 Lampropeltis triangulum multistriata

0.0.1 Rhamphiophis rubropunctatus

0.0.2 Morelia viridis (Aru & Merauke locale types)

1.0 Rhodesian Ridgeback