Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok - I most likely should have posted this in the 'Lighting & Heating' forum, but that place is like a ghostland - I think I actually saw tumbleweeds...

I've been hunting around for a way to heat my tanks, and I like the heat tape, but the thermostat prices just about bowled me over... I like gardening, and I know that there are gardening thermostats - you use them with heat mats to bring planted seed to the proper temp for germination.
Here's an example: http://www.hydrofarm.com/content/PDF/p.26.pdf
The heat mats that these handle are 300 watt - the adjustable temperature range is between 68 and 95 degrees Farenheit - seems perfect for Cresties, and the price is nice, about $35.

I was wondering if anybody had any ideas about a set-up like this. It seemed good to me - but I've got no experience.

What do you guys use? I'd love to hear what options are out there. There has to be a happy balance between getting the job done and still having some money left to buy more geckos
-----
Toni

1.0.0 Uromastyx - Draco
1.0.0 Ball Python - Vilthrul
1.2.0 Giant African Millipedes - Cocoa, Vanilla, Millie
1.0.0 Crested Gecko - Hoolie
0.0.1 Eastern Milk Snake - Slither
2.1.8 Hissing Cockroaches - Diamond, Emerald, Ruby and kids

Generally, heating in our house handles most of the flux...but during the cold, winter nights we often lose quite a bit of heat in the reptile room. I'd venture to say it could easily drop down to 50 degrees. During that time, I keep a blacklight right on top of their cage. I use a dimmer switch and a digital thermometer to control the temp of the cage. Tends to work efficiently for us.

Sam

i strategically place my cages as they need to be to use heat from one cage to warm other areas of the room. for an example, i have my collared lizard right infront of the very drafty window, with a 150watt bulb, then i place the crested rack near that to keep the drafts down, and to keep the heat up in that area.i also try to keep certain lights off during the day, and turn certain ones on during the day. i rotate my lizards " day" and "night" by keeping certain ones off while others are one. after awhile you get used to it, the lizards get used to it, and it keeps the reptile room at a tolerable temperature for the lower temped geckos ( like the rhacs.)

I use screen cages for my crested geckos and have them on a bookshelf. To keep them warm I use 60 watt ceramic bulbs on each level and I have a florecent fixture for light on each level. I keep everything constant with the on and off of the lights with a powerstrip day/night timer I got from LLL Reptile. The warmest they've ever hit was 79 degrees. Hope that helps.
-----
-Idiotshot
2.2.3 Crested Geckos (Marty, Skitz, Houdini, Domino, Tongues, Peep, Chomps)
2.1 Ball Pythons (Oedipus, Achilles, Tempest)
0.2 Spotted Pythons (Spots, Echo)