Question about thermostats

[TrueBlue]

Good man pugs, welcome to the dark side.
You will find it works just as well for any species, I have kept and breed, many different species of pythons, elapids and colurbrids using this method. The division is the key to sucsess as it keeps one side constantly warm and the other constantly cool. when a heat wave arrives I just chuck a frezzer pack wrapped in a hand towel or pillow case in the cool side. I should add that when the room gets to 30-32 I turn the heat off as its not needed. There fore I never ever worry about what temps the cages are as its totally irrevavent, they can choose themselves what temp they want to be, I only look at what temp the room is.

[pugsly]

Yeah i get ya, gotta add some dividers though.. Although I keep hides down the cool end always anyway and they are usually a little colder again.

I currently building a few big 4x2x2 banks at the moment which a few of you guys have seen, ill post pics later but i just keep a branch up high under the globe and they love it. then there warm and go and sit down the other end for the rest of the day or go back and forth, keeps them active too.

[Casper]

I have to disagree with the commonsense comments. Commonsense only applies to things that the individual in question has seen in practice, been shown or learnt. Why else do children touch, chew, drink things that they should not.

The same applies to thermostats in this thread. If person (a) sees one breeder with healthy, happy herps in a controlled climate then it would not be commonsense to them to just have seperate temperature zones rather than run thermostats.

[NinaPeas]

yea, but does nature have a thermostat?

[Kersten]

What's natural about putting a snake in a box?

I do agree that thermostats are unnecessary (we only use them in incubators)....but there's nothing "natural" about snakes in captivity.

Cheers, Kris and Kersten.

[Casper]

I live in a bloody cold valley in Sydney and if I own a python that originates in QLD, why would it want an area in it's home that's only 5-6 degrees!?!?

Bugger me, I think we need a poll!!

Casper

[cris]

Originally Posted by NinaPeas

yea, but does nature have a thermostat?

yeah some *&$%! keeps turning it up too.

[Magpie]

yea, but does nature have a thermostat?

What's the diference between using a thermostat to turn the heat off or turning it off yourself on a hot day?
Except the thermostat can't forget, or get sick, or be away, or have a car crash etc.

[purplefunkything]

well i think you all have good & valid points of view...
a - its not normal to keep a snake in a box
b - given the choice a qld python probably wouldnt like 5 degrees
c - someone does keep turning it up
d - i do see both positive and negatives about thermostats
e - i suppose it depends on what the snake likes, try both ways and observe?

Personally I use microclimate B2ME pulsing thermostat for non light emmitting heat sources and B1ME for light emitting heat sources.

The B1ME is used in conjuction with Oz Purple Night Heat & Light Globe. These are incandescent nocturnal heat lamps so I can view my geckos at night. and they also radiate heat, allowing the geckos to bask beneath them. if they wish.

The B2ME is used in conjunction with ceramic heat globes. As both models (B1ME and B2ME) have the magic eye which senses light intensity and once it falls below the required light setting, the thermostat switches to a night cycle of heat. This way I can have a daytime temperature gradient and a lower night time temperature gradient which in my opinion is a more natural situation than having same temps day and night. I use one thermostat to control 3 identical sized enclosues with the temperature probe inside one enclosure to regulate the other enclosures. To prevent a catastrophe if a thermostat fails and overheats a group of enclosures, they can be run in tandem, so if one thermostat fails the other will regulate the desired temperatures (in theory)

I haven't been using these for that long, but have had no problems so far... Depends on location as welL... QLD, NT etc may be fine without them, but in Sydney or further south, they may be worth using (IMO) On the other side of things.. years ago I never used any thermostats (mainly becuase there were none available) and never had any problems :wink:
I feel the bottom line is this - either method works.

[Casper]

I think the big question is WHO keeps turning it up?

[purplefunkything]

Originally Posted by Casper

I think the big question is WHO keeps turning it up?

well yes, that is the $64 million dollar question....