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helix thermostat?

Urban_M86

Urban_M86

New member
I'm planning to buy a helix thermostat but i have a question that hope u guys can answer. I have 2 heatpads do i need 2 helix or 1 will do? can it regulate 2hetpads at the same time without messing the temp on one of them? for example one heat pad at 70 and the other one at 100.
and last is it a good thermostat or you guys know of a better one? thx

(both of the heat pads are same size and watts)
 
Should be fine, the Helix Thermostat is supposed to be able to deal with multiple heatpads... but you need to take into account that what sets it's function is the probe- if you place the probe in two different vivs and there's a difference in their inner temperature(say one viv is made of glass, the other of thin plastic)- if you place the probe in the glass viv, the thermostat will deliver as much electricity as needed to get to your desired temperature in the glass viv... meanwhile the heatpad in the plastic container will heat the same way- which may prove to be too much and overheat the not as sturdy viv.

People use Helix thermostat quite successfully for rack systems, you should be fine, just remember to place the probe in a relevant place so that it would properly reflect the conditions in both vivariums.

Good luck
 
I've heard good things about Helix. That said, take into consideration what kind of heat pads you're using. Are they the SAME brand and the SAME sizes? For example, two 10-20 gal Zoomed heat pads? Then, okay. As long as you're also considering Oren's input, you should be fine. But if you have, say, one 60 gallon Exo-Terra heat pad and one 10 gallon Zoomed heat pad, you're asking for serious trouble. Different sized heat pads take different amounts of electricity to get to the same temperature. Same with different brands--they aren't all built exactly the same, and that has to be taken in to consideration.. When I consolidated all of my adult/sub-adult corn snakes' 20L & 29 gal tanks to one thermostat, I even went to the trouble of buying a new heat pad for one so it matched the other three. I didn't want to accidentally cook "Hansel" just because there was some wiring difference between the Zoomed and All Living Things heat pads.

To elaborate on Oren's input, you should also consider location. They should be right next to each other for the most accurate control, and each should have their own digital thermometer to make 100% sure all goes well. I had two tanks on one thermostat at one point: a 20H and a 10, both with the same size/brand heat pad. The thermostat controlled the 10 perfectly (where the probe was), but the 20 could fluctuate pretty wildly depending on the time of day. It never got dangerous for the tank's occupant (obviously--the supposed "picky feeder" boa ate like a champ the entire time), but the variations (often going from 75*F to 90*F over the course of the day) were still a worry and certainly something to consider.
 
I remember Nanci mentioning Spyder Robotics (creators of the Herpstat) having a Thanksgiving sale. I would definitely recommend them.. I have the Herpstat II and LOVE it. If I ever have the money for it (or manage to compress most of my current collection in to rack systems), my hope is to outfit my herp room entirely in Herpstats... As it is, I'm making do with $30 Zoomed thermostats, a Ranco, and the one Herpstat. Website is: http://spyderrobotics.com/
 
The Herpstat II is probably better than the Helix (more bells and whistles)...it is also about $75 more.
 
Urban_M86 said:
I'm planning to buy a helix thermostat but i have a question that hope u guys can answer. I have 2 heatpads do i need 2 helix or 1 will do?
Click to expand...

Although I'm not familiar with Helix thermostats, you should be able to use one good thermostat, as long as you don't exceed the wattage load of the thermostat, to control two heat mats/pads without issue.........

can it regulate 2hetpads at the same time without messing the temp on one of them?
Click to expand...

Providing they are the same make, same size, same wattage and used in/on identical set ups, it should have no problem regulating two heat mats/pads to the same temperature.........

for example one heat pad at 70 and the other one at 100.
and last is it a good thermostat or you guys know of a better one? thx

(both of the heat pads are same size and watts)
Click to expand...

No, it won't be able to accurately maintain two different temperatures on the two heat mats/pads, unless the thermostat has the capability of running two heat pads at different temps, i.e it is a double unit with two probes, two setting dials etc. I don't know if they even make thermostats like that :)
 
ill probably use it to regulate the heat pads of 2 corn sankes and maybe 1 armadillo lizard uth as well.
Would'nt be better the helix or the herpstat nd?
 
Susielea said:
No, it won't be able to accurately maintain two different temperatures on the two heat mats/pads, unless the thermostat has the capability of running two heat pads at different temps, i.e it is a double unit with two probes, two setting dials etc. I don't know if they even make thermostats like that :)
Click to expand...

The Herpstat II and Pro are exactly that. The Herpstat II is, essentially, two thermostats in one (and I have very successfully used it as such). The Herpstat Pro is like the II, only 4-in-1 instead of just 2. =)

Urban_M86 said:
ill probably use it to regulate the heat pads of 2 corn sankes and maybe 1 armadillo lizard uth as well.
Would'nt be better the helix or the herpstat nd?
Click to expand...

For that purpose, I would recommend the Herpstat II... Or two different thermostats. If they're set up EXACTLY the same, the two corn snakes can be put on one of the Herpstat II's outputs, and the armadillo lizard can be put on the other.

The only thing I think you should think about is the lizard's needs. Is it nocturnal and terrestrial (like a leopard gecko), where it would actually get significant use out of the UTH? If so, you're good to go. But if it is diurnal and/or arboreal (like a Bearded or Chinese Water Dragon), where the UTH would be useless because you're too busy using lights, the thermostat won't get much use and I would recommend finding the right basking lamp wattages for your tank and getting a good timer instead.
 
Urban_M86 said:
ill probably use it to regulate the heat pads of 2 corn sankes and maybe 1 armadillo lizard uth as well.
Would'nt be better the helix or the herpstat nd?
Click to expand...

The ND is pretty much equivalent to the Helix. As long as the UTHs are the exact same and you want them at the same temps, that should work. Make sure you don't exceed the max wattage of the stat!
 
i think so well both of the UTH are from zoomed 16W, the thing is thats 1 tank is an aquarium from petsmart 20L and the other one is a 20L from zilla dunno if they are made of the same materials..........
 
Urban_M86 said:
i think so well both of the UTH are from zoomed 16W, the thing is thats 1 tank is an aquarium from petsmart 20L and the other one is a 20L from zilla dunno if they are made of the same materials..........
Click to expand...

The difference between "aquariums" and "critter cages" (the zilla ones with the sliding screen tops) is the critter cages aren't as reinforced and therefore not as heavy. I don't know if there's a difference in the thickness of the glass on the bottom, but it should be the same material. You can test it by taking both enclosures (removing the occupants during the testing period), attach the heaters to the thermostat, set the thermostat, and watch the temps in the tanks (fully set up as if they contain snakes, of course, just minus the snakes) for at least a few days. To take things a step further, you can try influencing the temps in the room (turn on the heater full-blast for a day, turn it off and open up the windows another day) to see how the variations affect the tank NOT containing the thermostat probe. If the tanks' temps stay within a reasonable range of each other, then you can give it a shot.
 
Urban_M86 said:
i have been looking around and found these web page http://www.coldbloodedcages.com is it safe to buy from them? how is their costumer service? any reviews?
thx for the you guys might want to check it out too
Click to expand...

For enclosures or thermostats? If thermostat, I see all they have is Herpstats... You can buy those directly from the manufacturer (Spyder Robotics), which would probably be the easier route in case anything goes wrong with the product. If something else, I can't help you--never even heard of the company.

FYI, if you look at the bottom of the Spyder Robotics home page, their holiday sale this year will be held between November 20th and December 4th. =)
 
i would say that helix is a very good quality thermostat. My brother in law used it on all of his racks with no problem at all. he even used it when he turned a closet into a walk in incubator. Go with helix!
 
Cornsnake124 said:
i would say that helix is a very good quality thermostat. My brother in law used it on all of his racks with no problem at all. he even used it when he turned a closet into a walk in incubator. Go with helix!
Click to expand...

It sounds like Urban can't go wrong either way... Lol. =)
 
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