• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Heat Pad/Thermostat Preferences

ShelbyScott

ShelbyScott

Owned by Paisley
I'm about to switch from light domes and invest in heat pads and thermostats for both my corn snake and my boyfriend's ball python. I was looking around at the pet store and I was unsure of the "good" brands and "bad" brands. I've had very poor experiences with Zilla, so I wasn't going for that. I was wondering if anyone wanted to share their opinions on brands for UTHs and thermostats? I want something reliable/long-lasting (I've bought an ungodly number of light bulbs) but I don't want to break the bank. Any input is greatly appreciated!
 
I'm running an Utratherm heat mat on a Herpstat 1 thermostat. The T-stat was expensive, a cheaper alternative that I've read good reviews on would be a Hydrofarm Thermostat. My stuff I got from The Bean Farm, the Hydrofarm you can get on Amazon

Hope that helps.
 
I am glad to hear you are making the switch, I am a UTH girl myself. I really haven't had any trouble with any of my UTHs, so I will let others chime in on that point.

My tip o' the day is if you do get the kind of UTH that sticks to the underside of the viv, wrap it in aluminum foil first. This way you can tape it to the bottom instead of sticking it, and if you need to take it off to move it to a different viv or need to get the whole viv wet from washing, you can peel the tape off and the wires or pad won't get destroyed.

I also am no expert on balls, but I sort of think they need light and a UTH. Again, any ball owners please correct me if I am wrong!
 
I like Ultratherm UTHs, too. They don't stick, you tape them on with heavy aluminum tape. I don't have mine wrapped in anything, just taped on all four sides, and I also don't have foam or anything under them. They have been in place for about seven years with no problems.

I have had one failure each of ZooMed and ExoTerra Desert- failed off.

I like Herpstat thermostats. Expensive, but they'll last forever, are _safe_, and have excellent support if you need it for set-up questions. I'm running a bunch of them, since 2005, and have never had a failure. If you're going to invest in one, I would get the Herpstat 1 or 2, not the Basic. Nothing wrong with the Basic, but for a little more money you get a lot more features.
 
Thanks everyone! I've heard these brands referenced a lot. I'm glad to see there's a general consensus. I want them to last, because I am SO tired of buying bulbs. I'm going to look into HerpStat and UltraTherm. Smigon, ball pythons do need a basking lamp. I checked on that last night. I will make sure she has one :)
 
I have a Ball Python Care Sheet down in my personal forum here, written by THE ball python expert. You might want to just double check your husbandry and take a look at what someone who has kept hundreds of them recommends.
 
Thanks Nanci! All of that seems consistent with what I've read. I think I'll get a ceramic heat emitter for the basking spot. Those seem to last a lot longer than bulbs.
Also, those Herpstats are EXPENSIVE! I wish I had the money to splurge on that, but unfortunately I'm a broke college student! I found two others online that seem to be good, but if anyone thinks otherwise, please let me know!

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000NZZG3S/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?qid=1408025833&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40#

http://m.ebay.com/itm/390545607999?nav=SEARCH
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top