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What is the best thermostat?

tsusnakeguy Feb 23, 2010 11:31 AM

I have always wondered what thermostats everyone prefers. I know proportional is the bests but which one:
Ranco
Johnson
Herpstat
Helix
Which one does everyone like?
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1.1 Motley het butter corns
0.1 Snow corn
0.1 Okeetee corn
1.0 Anery mutt corn
0.1 Stripe Ghost corn
0.1 Amelanistic corn het carmel
2.2 Colombian Redtails
0.1 Striped Colombian Redtail
1.0 Hypo Colombian Redtail
0.1 Hogg Island Redtail
1.3.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Anery Kenyan sand boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan sand boa
1.1 Mexican Rosy Boas
2.0 Ball Pythons
0.0.1 Banded kingsnake
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
3.0 Bearded Dragons
3.0 Leopard Geckos
0.2 Snow Leopard Geckos
0.0.5 Sulcatas
and lots of fish

Replies (19)

Bolitochrome Feb 23, 2010 12:34 PM

I use a Johnson for my two racks and a Helix for my incubator (as yet unused for incubation) and both have been reliable and easy to use.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.0 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

afcinc4747 Feb 23, 2010 02:05 PM

Ranco ETC is very good also.
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spider m
pastel f
graziani pastel m
high c albino m
het for albino m
het for albino f
cini f
orange ghost f
mojave m
het for piebald ringer m
rodent breeding setup
and still growing

taylormademorphs Feb 23, 2010 02:31 PM

We have used a variety of brands here but Herpstat is the best in my opinion. All the others are good too until breeding season. Most other brands invole incorporating a photo cell or lights and timers for a night drop. Herpstat 2 and Herpstat Pro have built in clocks and make it easy for setting temps. for breeding season. Just my opinoin.

tsusnakeguy Feb 23, 2010 03:36 PM

I have been doing some reading and I thought I knew what I wanted. But now I see the Johnson and Ranco are on/off thermostats a a lot of people use those and then there are the proportional thermostats, Helix and Herpstat. I was wondering which is better, proportional or on/off?
-----
1.1 Motley het butter corns
0.1 Snow corn
0.1 Okeetee corn
1.0 Anery mutt corn
0.1 Stripe Ghost corn
0.1 Amelanistic corn het carmel
2.2 Colombian Redtails
0.1 Striped Colombian Redtail
1.0 Hypo Colombian Redtail
0.1 Hogg Island Redtail
1.3.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Anery Kenyan sand boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan sand boa
1.1 Mexican Rosy Boas
2.0 Ball Pythons
0.0.1 Banded kingsnake
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
3.0 Bearded Dragons
3.0 Leopard Geckos
0.2 Snow Leopard Geckos
0.0.5 Sulcatas
and lots of fish

Bolitochrome Feb 23, 2010 03:56 PM

If you are just using this for a rack/tank system, ON/OFF will work just fine. The snakes don't mind a degree or two in variation and that is all I have recorded with my Johnson.

I have heard that using a proportional is much better for running an Incubator because the eggs are less tolerant of fluctuating temps, but I have no personal experience with this.
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Lincoln, NE
0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly
2.0 Normals, 1.0 Thayeri, 0.1 Thayeri X Alterna, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband

Albey Feb 23, 2010 04:45 PM

I used to use On/Off type thermostats for my racks but I would have to change out the heat tape about every two years. The constant on and off with the temp. getting pretty high would burn them out. Since I switched to proportional I haven’t had to replace any with one rack going on five years so far. Once the rack is heated the heat tape stays just slightly warm. I have used Helix in the past because I already had a few but I have slowly been switching mine over to Herpstat. The detachable probe is just one of the many things I like about them.

I hope this helps.

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Albey Scholl
Albeys Too Cool Reptiles
Email Me

ssnakes Feb 23, 2010 07:19 PM

Albey, can you explain "detachable probe"? I use Helix on my incubator and Ranco on the racks. I have had some problems maintining correct temps in the racks which are about 5 years old, so I may have the problem you speak of. More info please?
Thanks!

Susan
SSNAKES Reptiles

garweft Feb 25, 2010 03:27 PM

The temperature probe is not wired into the unit. It plugs in to it just like headphones into a walkman.... or ipod.

robyn@ProExotics Feb 23, 2010 10:33 PM

That is like asking what type of Bear is best.

The answer is Black Bear.

The answer is Johnson Controls.
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robyn@proexotics.com

ShipYourReptiles.com
Pro Exotics Reptiles

tsusnakeguy Feb 23, 2010 10:56 PM

Well it all depends on what you want the bear to do.

If you want it to tear out your insides with one swipe I would say get a sloth bear.

If you want it to knock off your head with one swipe I would say get a polar bear or a Kodiak bear.

If you want it to look cute but still kill and then have China confiscate all it's babies then get a panda bear.

If you dont really want a bear but want the look, get a Koala.
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1.1 Motley het butter corns
0.1 Snow corn
0.1 Okeetee corn
1.0 Anery mutt corn
0.1 Stripe Ghost corn
0.1 Amelanistic corn het carmel
2.2 Colombian Redtails
0.1 Striped Colombian Redtail
1.0 Hypo Colombian Redtail
0.1 Hogg Island Redtail
1.3.1 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.0 Anery Kenyan sand boa
0.1 Normal Kenyan sand boa
1.1 Mexican Rosy Boas
2.0 Ball Pythons
0.0.1 Banded kingsnake
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
3.0 Bearded Dragons
3.0 Leopard Geckos
0.2 Snow Leopard Geckos
0.0.5 Sulcatas
and lots of fish

robyn@ProExotics Feb 24, 2010 12:58 AM
PHLdyPayne Feb 24, 2010 08:42 AM

As many bears are omnivorous, not surprising some will eat beets.

There are several good thermostats, and like incubators, it is often a matter of choice. Proportional are probably you best to go for, and on/off types have their place too. Incubators who maintain their heat well due to being well insulated and are not opened frequently would do fine with an on/off thermostat and most eggs are alright with slight drops of temperature regularly, as long as the drops are not extreme.(ie over 10F). Eggs are more prone to disasters if the temperature increases over the maximum incubation temperature.

If the incubator or snake cages are in a room that has high fluctuations of temperature, a proportional thermostat would likely be better...as they don't typically turn off the heating at all, unless it gets too hot, then they turn off. Course if the room is sun heated in the height of summer, its still possible temperatures will get too hot for the snakes. (good idea to monitor room temperatures or block windows with dark curtains or blinds if you don't have AC to cool the room if necessary).
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PHLdyPayne

kylefrost Feb 24, 2010 12:26 PM

Bears. Beats. Battlestar Galactica.

How bout some cool Desert pics to get us through the day?

voodoomagik Feb 24, 2010 02:22 PM

Ha!
You beat me to it, Kyle.
"Michaeeel!"
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www.voodoomagicboas.com

SlytherLyn Feb 24, 2010 09:09 PM

lol
Image
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Have you been hugged by your snake today?

Ball Pythons
1.1 het Caramel Albino (Edward & Bella)
0.1 poss het Caramel Albino (Rosalie)
0.1 Caramel Albino (Bellatrix)
0.1 High Contrast Albino (Princess Buttercup)
0.1 Pastel Orange Ghost (Nagini)
1.0 Butterscotch Ghost (Nick)
0.1 Spider poss het Butterscotch Ghost(Nymphadora)
1.1 Mojave (Lucius & Renesme)
0.1 Pastel Lesser (Narcissa)
0.1 Pinstripe (Arwen)
1.0 Pewter (Salazar)
0.1 Bumble Bee (Alice)
0.1 Lemonblast (Luna)
0.1 Blond Pastel (no name yet)
1.0 Bell Pastel (Jasper)
0.1 African Dinker (Esme)

Corns
1.1 het Amel, Anery, Charcoal, Bloodred (Romeo & Juliet)
1.0 Blizzard het Bloodred poss het Anery Lav (Tumnus)
0.1 Granite (Ravenclaw)
0.1 Fire het Anery (Ginny)
0.1 Anery Lav (Lucy)
0.1 Plasma (Victoria)
0.1 Opal (Jewel)

Hogs
1.0 Albino Western (Hogwarts)
0.1 het Albino Western (Hufflepuff)
0.1 Tri Color (Molly)

robyn@ProExotics Feb 25, 2010 01:10 PM
varanid Feb 25, 2010 03:12 PM

>>And everything else. When I lived in evergreen co one ate our trash can and nearly everything in it...
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We wouldn't have 6 and a half billion people if you had to be beautiful to get laid.
6.6 African House snakes
3.2 reticulated pythons
.1 corn snake
4.2 Florida Kings
1.2 speckled kings
1.2 ball pythons
0.0.1 Argentine boa

dsnakes Feb 24, 2010 09:19 PM


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Nolan

albinosunlimited Feb 25, 2010 09:31 AM

Having Used all of them I will tell you I will never use anything but a herpstat. I have replaced about 30 of the other bands last year do to them failing at one point or another. I am now running 8 herpstat pros and have never had a issue.

I have also converted a few friend over to them and they love them also
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Thank You
Jon and Amanda
www.albinosunlimited.com
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