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Need help picking out thermostats...

MRC31

MRC31

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I have read several pages of thermostat questions, it seems people all have their preferences. I have (6) Animal Plastics t-10 cages that house breeder sized female boa constrictors.
I also have (3) Animal Plastics 32qt Sterelite tubs with heat cable belly heat. These racks house rosy and sand boas.

Is there a thermostat on the market that I can safely run all of the AP t-10's on? Or should i have one thermostat for every cage or two? They all have the AP heat cable.

So far I am leaning towards Johnson Controls or Spyder Robotics. Any suggestions or comments, that will help me decide?

Thank you in advance.
 
Both are great Tstats (speaking from experience - I have a few of each in use). You won't go wrong with either of them. The biggest "real" factor, is the amount of power you need it to handle. The Johnsons Controls A-419 can handle 1500w, the Herpstat 500w. At 67 watts per cage (from APs website - T10 page), you can easily run the stack (402w total) on the Herpstat.
The Herpstat can be run in proportional or on/off mode.
The Herpstat is more expensive, by about $25-35, but still a great buy on a proportional Tstat.
The JC419 can be purchased unwired, or wired (for your proposed use, if you purchase wired, go with the power strip vs the receptacle because you have 6 plugs)
 
I am running Johnsons on the T 10 cages with no problems.
 
you might consider the herpstat II ,700 watts per probe,one for the BC's and one for the rosy's.it's like getting two thermostats.for the quality,price,features and service it's the best deal around IMO.

after using most of the popular thermostats around i've settled on herpstats for all my needs,have fun!
 
Ranco thermostat and AP cage

Hi, I have a T-10 AP cage as well as a Ranco thermostat, the thermostat probe is placed under the cage next to the heat cable in a slot and it reads 95 degrees F, I placed a thermometer in the cage on both the hot and cool side and it reads 89 and 80 degrees not enough heat for my boa. Am I doing something wrong or what?
 
80/89 is not enough heat for your boa?? Why not

No, you aren't doing anything wrong - your thermostat probe is closer to the heat cable than the thermometer, so the discepency you are seeing is (to some degree) expected. Between spreading through the plastic between the cable, and up through the thickness, a couple degrees of heat "loss" is anticipated.
 
I've tried placing the probe inside the cage two to three inches from the bottom and set the thermostat to 90 degrees and it would only reach 85 degrees F and even with the cool side at around 80F the snake itself felt cold. I've even tried putting a heat pad on the HOT side along with the heat cable and it made little difference.
 
Slow down, back up.
Heat cable under the cage (in routed channel). Where is your thermostat probe placed? If you are putting the probe inside the cage, 2-3 inches from the bottom, I wouldn't expect it to read high temps...but how/where are you measuring temperatures? Are you taking surface temps or air temps? If using an indoor/outdoor thermometer, you can use the readout portion on the cool side and the probe on the hot side - but the probe needs to be in contact with the cage floor so you know what temp your heat source is providing (as implied, this may be different from the thermostat reading). You aren't going to magically get air temperatures warm on one side and cool on the other...you get an ambient (albeit somewhat warmed) air temp that may offer a slight gradient, and a warmer/cooler surface which enables the snake to absorb or release heat as needed. The air temperature within the cage will be affected by the total volume (inside space), the temperature achieved by the heating device, the area affected by the heating device, and the amount of mass within the cage. (larger snake, heavier/more dense cage furniture, etc will help increase overall temperatures)
 
I now have the probe under the cage where the slot was provided for it. I'm trying to get the air warmer inside the cage because I noticed a little drool coming from my boas mouth about a week or two after puting her in the new enclosure, so with the probe in the bottom outside of the cage it now reads 90degrees and with a thermometer on the cool side it reads around 78-80 degees. I understand that with the thickness of the enclosure some heat will be lost on the inside, I'm just worried because she's always on the cool side and I don't want her getting a sinus infection.
 
leviV said:
I now have the probe under the cage where the slot was provided for it. I'm trying to get the air warmer inside the cage because I noticed a little drool coming from my boas mouth about a week or two after puting her in the new enclosure, so with the probe in the bottom outside of the cage it now reads 90degrees and with a thermometer on the cool side it reads around 78-80 degees. I understand that with the thickness of the enclosure some heat will be lost on the inside, I'm just worried because she's always on the cool side and I don't want her getting a sinus infection.
Click to expand...
How big is she?
More importantly, how long has it been since you noticed the drool (has it resolved, is it worsening, might veterinary attention be appropriate). If you haven't already got one, you might consider purchasing a temp gun at some point - they really are an invaluable husbandry tool, and one I recommend to any hobbiest.
If she is always on the cool side, it is probably because a) she likes it there, or b) she doesn't like the warm side. I have a few boas that prefer the cool side of their cages, so that is not unheard of. I also have one that will only go to the warm side if she has a good hide in the cage (its actually kind of funny to watch the hide move from place to place in the cage as she decides where she wants to be).
Anyway, IF she is showing symptoms of respiratory issues, you should (as you are trying to do) raise the temperatures to a higher range...simply adding heat to the hot side is not the best way - if the cool side is too cool, warm it directly. You can do that with undercage heat, heat from the back/side, radiant heat...any way that works, really. I don't personally like having the whole bottom heated, but for a temporary fix it is an option.
 
Everything Mr. Moore said is true about the thermostat setup. With the probe in the slot the temp will have to be raised a few degrees higher to match what the enclosure actually gets. The AP cages are great cages and we have a lot of customers that use them. :^)

If its a large enclosure you could also add a divider to the cage and keep the animal on the warmer side. Just something simple and temporary made out of cardboard or a plastic rubbermaid lid, ect. Split the cage 20/80 or so.

Additionally: I find that the infrared temp guns work pretty well as long as you take their reading with a grain of salt. Unless you spent hundreds on one the temps can be off by a few degrees.

Dion Brewington
Spyder Robotics
 
spyderrobotics said:
Additionally: I find that the infrared temp guns work pretty well as long as you take their reading with a grain of salt. Unless you spent hundreds on one the temps can be off by a few degrees.
Click to expand...
Actually, the same can be said for indoor/outdoor thermometers....and Tstats, for that matter (since they measure one specific spot in one cage). One cannot leave judgement out of the mix, or "set it, and forget it". People sometimes get so hung up on numbers they fail to see what is actually going on.
 
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