Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Do you NEED one for a rack system?
Also is there a cheap way to go about it?
Can a normal thermostat be used to control more than one rack??
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.0 Eastern Hognose 2003 super red
0.2 Eastern Hognose Snakes
3.3 Western Hognose Snakes
1.0 Durango Mountain Kingsnake
1.1 Woma's (new!)
Spadefoot
Black Knobbed Sawback
Northern Diamondback
Florida Redbellied Slider
Western Painted
Southern Painted
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1
1 Pleco
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
2.0 Fire Guramis

uhh... I think that is it.

" Do you NEED one for a rack system? "

Of course. Imagine yourself being in a container with a heater and no way to escape. Wouldn't you appreciate a device to limit the heat? I think so.

I'm assuming you have Flexwatt or other heat tape/pads/cable for the rack, and that is what my suggestions imply:

Cheapest way -
Get a lamp dimmer or that ZooMed rheostat. About $20 for the ZooMed and it is wired for you. Less for a lamp dimmer. Allows you to limit the temp, but the temp will change as the ambient air temp changes.. also as the house voltage changes (and it does morning to evening).

Cheap way -
One of those ON/OFF jobs from Big Apple or LLL, etc. Like $30.00. ON/OFF control for heat tape is like driving a car with one gas pedal setting and brakes. You can do it, but it is alot of cycling full/off/full/off. It is best for limit control, but not really for maintaining a temperature.

The way you should do it -
Proportional control. Big Apple Herp's pulse-proportional controller is a nice one. Like $100. If you've spent more than $100 on your herps, then what is $100 for their safety and your piece of mind? Not alot. Proportional control is like driving with fuel injection. Don't settle for less. We live in the 21st century; take advantage of the technology. Don't let $100 stop you!

One controller can control multiple racks if the total wattage of the heaters does not exceed that of the controller.

thanks for the info.
how do you know how many watts your rack is running??
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0.1 Rubber Boa
1.0 Eastern Hognose 2003 super red
0.2 Eastern Hognose Snakes
3.3 Western Hognose Snakes
1.0 Durango Mountain Kingsnake
1.1 Woma's (new!)
Spadefoot
Black Knobbed Sawback
Northern Diamondback
Florida Redbellied Slider
Western Painted
Southern Painted
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1
1 Pleco
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
2.0 Fire Guramis

uhh... I think that is it.

The heat tape is rated watts/ft. Example, 4"-wide flexwatt is 8 watts/ft. If you have 10 feet total (even if in pieces, say 3 pieces each about 3ft) then you have 10ft x 8watts/ft = 80 watts. 3-inch-wide Flexwatt is around 8 or 10 watts/ft. The 11-inch-wide stuff is 20 watts/ft.
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Mark

Dimmer switchs are the cheapest, but suck. They do not maintain the correct temp. The $30 thermostats are the way to go to maintain temp and not cost a bundle. I use them and own 80 snakes, never with a problem. Like the other post says, it is either on or off, but the temperature range is only /- 5 degrees. So I set mine at 82 and in an average day it might his 85-79. IMHO the more expensive ones are not for the hobbist, but they can control multiple cages or racks at one time.

tom

xtremeherps@yahoo.com