Thermostats

Do you use a thermostat to control your temperatures?

  • Yes, it's mad not to

    Votes: 7 35.0%

  • No, I check it every few minutes myself

    Votes: 9 45.0%

  • I like my chameleon well done, what's a thermostat

    Votes: 4 20.0%
  • Total voters
    20
SharpShooter

SharpShooter

Avid Member
In my opinion, a thermostat is a must have item in any reptile enclosure that uses an artificial heat source. It doesn't matter what that source is, bulb, heat emitter or heat mat, the animal needs to be protected from being injured.

Anyone who's kept marine or tropical fish will all have heaters with a built in stat to prevent killing the tank occupants by slow cooking them.

I've seen far too many posts here recently of chams injured, some severely, due to burns. If I'm honest, I get upset and often angry, as most of these injuries could have easily been prevented using a stat with the probe at the basking spot.

So I'd really like to know how many people do/don't use a thermostat. Anyone can view the poll result but I have NOT enabled the option 'Display Votes Publically' (Hopefully this means no one will be identified whichever way they vote).

Maybe we can later have a discussion on the pros and cons (I don't really see any myself) of using a stat as a standard part of our setups.
 
I'm using a thermostat (inkbird) with prob at basking spot. I also use a temp gun plus I have two thermometers/hygrometers with probes in the enclosure to measure ambient temps middle and bottom. (might be overkill but better safe than sorry)
 
Have you ever used a stat in any of your setups?
jamest0o0 said:
Also- I have dimmers for the bulbs, but haven't used them. I prefer to keep the lights as is and to just move them further or closer.

What thermostat do you use?
Click to expand...
All bar one are microclimate and one is a Habbistat. They are all dimming stats and because of that, you actually see them adjusting the temp as needed.
 
SharpShooter said:
In my opinion, a thermostat is a must have item in any reptile enclosure that uses an artificial heat source. It doesn't matter what that source is, bulb, heat emitter or heat mat, the animal needs to be protected from being injured.

Anyone who's kept marine or tropical fish will all have heaters with a built in stat to prevent killing the tank occupants by slow cooking them.

I've seen far too many posts here recently of chams injured, some severely, due to burns. If I'm honest, I get upset and often angry, as most of these injuries could have easily been prevented using a stat with the probe at the basking spot.

So I'd really like to know how many people do/don't use a thermostat. Anyone can view the poll result but I have NOT enabled the option 'Display Votes Publically' (Hopefully this means no one will be identified whichever way they vote).

Maybe we can later have a discussion on the pros and cons (I don't really see any myself) of using a stat as a standard part of our setups.
Click to expand...
hi pal i bought a bulb like you advised but it just turns on and off when the temp gets low unfortunately it doesnt dim do you or anyone know any types of stat that will dim the bulb ?
 
just bought a basking bulb for my microclimate but it just turns on and off like a strobe to keep the temperature any advice or do i need a new thermostat make ?
 
andrew biggin said:
hi pal i bought a bulb like you advised but it just turns on and off when the temp gets low unfortunately it doesnt dim do you or anyone know any types of stat that will dim the bulb ?
Click to expand...
I dont have an answer but I had the same problem so I switched to a ceramic heating element (no light) on the thermostat and then added an LED bulb (no heat so not on thermostat) next to it for light (plus my arcadia 6% and 6500k bulbs of course)
 
Rst_Cham said:
I dont have an answer but I had the same problem so I switched to a ceramic heating element (no light) on the thermostat and then added an LED bulb (no heat so not on thermostat) next to it for light (plus my arcadia 6% and 6500k bulbs of course)
Click to expand...
They're both sounding like on/off stats. Dimmable are better for anything involving light. On/off are great for heat matts.
 
SharpShooter said:
They're both sounding like on/off stats. Dimmable are better for anything involving light. On/off are great for heat matts.
Click to expand...
Definitely, I would have preferred a dimming one but didn't realize that at the time I bought it, but needed to make what I had work. With the CHE, the on/off stat is working great.
 
SharpShooter said:
Have you ever used a stat in any of your setups?

All bar one are microclimate and one is a Habbistat. They are all dimming stats and because of that, you actually see them adjusting the temp as needed.
Click to expand...

Nope I haven't, though I'm open to it and like the idea. I was looking into something that would work similar to a reef controller, showing and controlling daily temps, humidity, power outages, alerts, etc, but haven't researched too much into one yet.

All of my lights are in places where they're safe, I run the basking temps a little on the lower side to be careful. In all my years of reptile keeping I haven't had a burn. Can't hurt to have a thermostat though, I'll look into those you mentioned.
 
I use 2 digital thermostats/hygrometers per cage (basking and mid cage) and one in each reptile room with a 24 hr high low memory feature. I also use a laser for occasional checks.
 
jamest0o0 said:
Nope I haven't, though I'm open to it and like the idea. I was looking into something that would work similar to a reef controller, showing and controlling daily temps, humidity, power outages, alerts, etc, but haven't researched too much into one yet.

All of my lights are in places where they're safe, I run the basking temps a little on the lower side to be careful. In all my years of reptile keeping I haven't had a burn. Can't hurt to have a thermostat though, I'll look into those you mentioned.
Click to expand...
You can get some real nice digital ones with multi probes, programmable and with memory. They are top end and as such cost a lot more.

We bang on about automating lights and misting, which I'm with 100% but a stat automates your temperature control as well.

At lights on time, it gives max heat without going over the set temp and then just dimms down and constantly adjusts to maintain the desired levels. Open a window to cool your room and the stat adjusts to keep the enclosure where it should it be.
 
OMG no I like my cham well done. dying here. I use 3 total. 1 wired in at basking. Two others one at bottom left of cage and one at middle right. Plus I have a temp gun as well. I like a little overkill on making sure the levels are right lol
 
Beman said:
OMG no I like my cham well done. dying here. I use 3 total. 1 wired in at basking. Two others one at bottom left of cage and one at middle right. Plus I have a temp gun as well. I like a little overkill on making sure the levels are right lol
Click to expand...
Not thermometers @Beman , I'm talking about THERMOSTATS that automatically monitor and adjust the temperature.
 
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