thermostats....

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lizardjasper

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I don't understand them....
So I want my snakes basking spot to be 29C. And I have it all set up so that it doesn't go under 27C or over 29C.
so am I right in thinking every time it goes under 27 the light turns on, and every time it goes over 29 the light will turn off?
If that's correct (pretty sure it is, just checking) the light would be turning on and off all the time. Doesn't that annoy you?
Is there anything out there that I can set to stay at 29C and not go over without turning on off on off on off....
and then do I leave it on 24/7 or turn it off at night and let the cage cool down, and then have to reset it every day?
I've never used one before. Only had a hot end and watched to make sure it doesn't go over 30C.
I'm just really confused, so advice only please. No criticism.
 
Your light would turn on and off and it's also a pretty good way to blow the bulb too.
You can try a dimming thermostat as from what I understand they will reduce the power to the bulb when it gets too hot.
There's a good table on the herpshop website that shows the what kind of thermostat can do what :)
 
having a bulb that turns off and on will stress out your snake, and like [MENTION=29029]Fractal_man[/MENTION] stated it will also cause your bulb to burn out a lot quicker.
I would look for a Reptile dimming thermostat, they're more expensive but worth it :)
 
Use a CHE with a dimming thermostat or as suggested by Bart70, use a globe that is going to give you the correct temperature (much harder option to get right but if you do achieve it you won't have to worry about a thermostat.
 
There are a lot of heat sources you can use. Depending on a number of factors you may have a lot of options. For others there are fewer options depending the need of the animal. Ask yourself: does it need UV? Will the heat source be hot enough in winter? Do you want to increase the ambient temperature to help with humidity or just a hot spot? The best thing to do is look at where the animal is from and try and match it's conditions in the wild. Lights don't turn on and off in the wild so you should be able to come up with a better scenario than that.
Heat panels are very accommodating for many species and is something else to look at.
A lot of this stuff comes down to budget and how much your willing to pend to make your reptile comfortable.
 
Use a CHE with a dimming thermostat or as suggested by Bart70, use a globe that is going to give you the correct temperature (much harder option to get right but if you do achieve it you won't have to worry about a thermostat.

It is actually a lot easier than most people think (.....including myself initially). There are so many choices of lighting options available at the moment, in so many wattages that it is a relatively quick and easy way to set up enclosures - especially if you have an infrared thermometer and know how to use it properly. I only have 2 thermostatically controlled enclosures left in my collection now.....predominantly due to laziness in not having converted them over. Everything I have acquired/built since these 2 enclosures are thermostat free.

I actually have a Diamond Intergrade that has his basking temp maintained by a 4w LED downlight!.....Summer and winter!
 
I was under the impression that LED lighting produces barely any heat. What sort of temps is your LED down light producing?
 
I use ceramic bulbs. they last for ages. and a day light that is not going through the thermostat ebay sells ceramic bulbs very cheap
 
I was under the impression that LED lighting produces barely any heat. What sort of temps is your LED down light producing?

You are right...LED lighting produces minimal heat......but I am not trying to heat air....only the dark brown ceramic shelf. In my setup with the LED I am able to achieve a 28-30 degree hotspot that slowly builds up over approx 5 hours - perfect temps for a Diamond. The same setup over winter with slightly longer hours gives me a perfect 'cooling' cycle....although if it gets really cold I scan substitute it out for a 20w halogen dichroic with a reduced daily running time - same thing just for a shorter period during the day.

The same 20w halogen dichroic will give me a basking spot of around 34-36 in summer......Too high for a Diamond thus the LED is used and run for longer hours.
 
I converted most of my older tanks over to halogens. Either 28 w which is equivalent to a 40w or a 42w equivalent to a 60w. I use mostly the 28 w ones which gets me around 32 on the hotspot.
I still use a bunch of on off thermostats too, doesn't bother or stress the snakes one bit. My other thermostats I use are pulse proportional. But basically there are heaps of ways you can do the same thing. Just do a little experimenting and see what works best for you and your snake
 
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