I'm a new leopard gecko owner.. I've been searching for videos on thermostats and I have to say... this is a gem! I really didn't even understand the concept of what a thermostat even does or the difference between them I guess. It never dawned on me until you mention how our houses run on a thermostat. Duh 🤦🏼♀️ My furnace runs on a thermostat obviously, but I never put that together with this. Now I get the whole on and off function vs the proportional/dimming type. I really appreciate this video!
I'm going through the exact same thing Jason was talking about with the Vivarium Electronics thermostats. Fresh out of the box, brand new, the first one just randomly stopped working and I had to cut the power to get it to work again. I thought "no problem, probably just a random malfunction," and bought another one. It worked fine for a month and then started having the exact same problem as the first one. If they just failed outright I wouldn't have cared as much, but the first one actually tried to cook my snakes. It was set to 88 degrees and was reading 86 degrees, could never seem to get up to 88 on the screen so it would just STAY ON, if I hadn't had other thermometers in the bins I would never have known temperatures were getting up to 104 degrees inside the bins, and 124 degrees on the heat tape itself. I have no idea what it is, but every time I go to an expo and ask what the breeders' preferred thermostat is they always recommend VE over Spyder Robotics. My one Herpstat 2 has NEVER failed on me in the two years I've had it, I don't know what everyone is smoking. The VE-300x2 is the same exact price as the Herpstat 2, but only one of these brands actually seems to work. **angry rant off**
I just got this thermostat and started using it a few days ago. Thanks for this video I really need some reassurance with this thermostat. I also love i can see it on my phone.
I am a reseller for 1 of the brands you mentioned and wanted to share some input here. Being a reseller I talk with a lot of people with pros and cons of other brands. I would agree with probably 90% of what you mentioned however I have herd a LOT of comments from people of inkbirds failing, they usually start off pretty good and randomly malfunction after a bit of use. Watch your temps really closely with those because they fail in the on position. Secondly I wanted to address your mention of probe placement, aluminum tape can and often times does cause interference with the probe & thermostat. It holds the best however can cause misread temps or errors, electrical tape is preferred as it doesn't cause interference, down side though, it doesn't hold as well. Always check probes to ensure they are secured in place and damage free
I have used my 4 InkBirds for quite awhile with no hiccups at all. I am not sure that if it fails it fails in the "On" position but nonetheless I monitor constantly plus you can notified if it goes beyond set parameters and If all else fails you can remotely turn it off.
@@ZackGreensReptiles I have used my InkBird C929s for over 2 yrs now. I use 4 and no issues at all. I live in San Diego, so our winter's are light. You might want to check with your clients what model they used.
I absolutely love my herpstat thermostats. I'm getting the herpstat 6 for my snake rack soon. I have a few of the herpstat 2 red line and they are so awesome!
love your input. I use ink bird probes on pro heat panels because I don't have a reptile room I can keep warm. I use the panels and ink birds and they let me get a perfect 90 degree warm side and an 80 degree cool side on the individual enclosures.
I absolutely agree with you Jason. The spider robotics and the inkbird thermostats along with a temp gun is your best choices for the money and quality.
I started with a Herpstat for my corn snake's basking light, then when my wife got her ball python we just started out with a $20ish on/off (not the Jumpstart one, I think it's BN Link) and a $20ish dimming for the time being until we're ready to make his permanent enclosure. I'm comfortable with the cheap ones because I work from home and can check my temps periodically throughout the day, but honestly I think long-term I'm going to want all my permanent adult enclosures to be on Herpstats (if I can manage to afford them lol). I got the newer version with wifi access which is terrific, and my experience with it has been top notch. They definitely can have a bit of a learning curve to them though. It took me months to figure out I needed to turn on basking assist to prevent my light from shutting itself on and off once it reached the target temp.
Bro this is the best video I've seen regarding thermostats, I'll check out that ink bird, and I've been looking at the spider robotics ones. Vivarium VE200 I was looking at that but I may stay away because of your review, thank you for the heads up! Can't be having repeated failures
I was actually really curious about the different types of thermostats. Thanks for your advice, opinion and just bringing more research to important topics another great video. Thank you! 😊 ps. One day I hope to be able to handle snakes as smoothly as you do. The snake looks so content
I use the inkbird and so far its been a great working thermostat. My rabbit got out and chomped the probe chord smooth in half and it started making the loudest alarm noise to let me know something was wrong. I was officially impressed with them after that lol.
This has been so helpful. I’m looking to get a pink tongue skink and I’ve been searching for good thermostats to control the heat bulb and inkbird on the list for ones that may be good. Edit: I just noticed you said a rheostat is for lights so my bad lol
On the subject of the jump start thermostats I’ve had mine for almost a year now and it’s been great and I think the big reason why is because I’m just using it for a single sheet of flex watt with a single enclosure cause I only have one snake and as it’s set up now it’s seems to work fantastic for an on off style thermostat I do keep a close eye on it but it’s been very consistent and reliable thus far…however I will but upgrading soon to a herpstat as soon as I can afford it just cause I’d prefer something with better safety features more consistent temp control and possibly humidity control as well
Wish there was a mention of which thermostats have dimming output for heat lamps. Using a rheostat is different/more basic control requiring you to constantly check the temps. So far I have found Herpstat 1, 2, 4 etc, and Exo Terra thermostats (with screen but watch out for the model with a light sensor in temp probe as it makes using night drop impossible if u have a heat lamp attached) have dimming output. I got a Exo Terra 600W PT2463 and the temp probe cable is so thick and only 6ft long. The heat lamp dimming is also not smooth. So now Im going to get the Herpstat 2 which has sunrise/sunset ramping, very smooth light dimming & a nice thin 12ft temp probe.
Thanks for another good video. There is a product which I have been using for about a year and a half which I got to know about from one of Al Coritz’s (Viperkeeper) videos. It is called SensorPush, and measures temperature and humidity on a continuous basis, with great accuracy. If one buys the Gateway, one can check info anywhere, provided a wi-fi signal is available. I find it invaluable when I’m away from home. SensorPush have a very good online help line as well.
Inkbird, Johnson, Ranco - they use probes and sampling that has a reaction time suitable enough for reptile racks and heat tape. For ON/OFF thermostats I mean. The Hydrofarm has a rather slow-reacting probe, much better for soil temperature control rather than for heat tape.
Anybody know any thermostats that are under 30 dollars and works well with DHP’s and uses the proportional mode that just stays the same temp the whole time or if so a on/off thermostat
Is the Inc Bird Smart ITC 306T a good model I don't need a cooling option but I have two heaters a Heat Projector and a Heat Mat for my African Fat Tail Geckos and I really like the Wifi option and the really good price on them and I've heard good things about Inkinird
Wow, you are the first person I have come across that also uses Inkbird Thermostats. I have used Helix thermostats before they even made their DBS 1000's that's how long I have had them. I moved in 2017 and started using InkBird C929 on a whim. Slowly but surely I replaced all of my Helix DBS 1000's with the Inkbirds. These units are fantastic. The key for me is that they are WiFi controlled. I can view, modify and check status on my snake room any time throughout the day or night from the App on my phone. I also have Wifi camera's too but that's another story. These units have performed flawlessly for several years now. I have tried to turn on other keepers to them but nobody trusts a $45 dollar thermostat they have never heard of. They are rated for 1200 watts which is plenty load capable. But the ability to just check temps before I go to bed, while on the road etc.. is awesome. They are very accurate I have used temp guns and I originally ran my Helix DBS 1000 side by side with to confirm accuracy. They were originally used for brewing beer, super cool and you can track temps for up a month too. They have a new one out for aquarium users with duel probes. I may but one to check it out. Good advice to those willing to listen. AJ
Thanks you! And yes a helix was one of my first real thermostats. But the inkbird wifi are so awesome since they track the temps and I can control everything from my phone.
Awesome vid. You’re info is so spot on! One comment and two questions. Herpstat instructions say NOT to use aluminum foil tape. Their words “this will cause false readings and poor regulation”. I know, caught me by surprise also. My racks are melamine, and I routered a trough beneath the heat tape for probe placement. I’m not sure that’s the best way, just experimented. I think I covered the trough with foil tape so I may remove it. Question: does it matter if probe is perpendicular to heat tape elements or parallel to them? Question:I’ve seen racks with individual strips of heat tape for each level, and racks with one long piece of heat tape that serpentines through each level. Do you have a preference or a comment as to performance of either method?
I have no idea what you would hold the thermostat probe with if you don't use foil tape. I'd be curious if they recommend something different. It shouldn't make a difference where you put the probe as long as it's on the heat tape. And regarding the rocks with multiple sheets or one solid sheet, I personally prefer the multiple sheets so if I don't use the whole rack I can unplug it only use what I need vs powering the whole strip if I have one snake in a five slot rack
Have had my Jumpstart for my leopard gecko currently 4 going on 5 years, and is just now getting weird, with the numbers flickering back and forth, stopped when I pressed the set button, but I'm paranoid. Still working, but I'm researching to see if I can find something better or if I should stick to Jumpstart. Just one leo with a heatmat and che. Edit: Oh yeah, the probe can definitely be a battle. It has a thing for not touching the liner (non-adhesive), so I have to adjust accordingly. Other than that, I've been pretty happy with it. Maybe I have a different model than you did, but the way mine worked is that I set it at the max temp I wanted. That was the temp it would shut down. Then it would cool down and turn back on at about 3 degrees F lower, and so on. But it only has one plug, so there is that. I use a home depot dimmer switch for my che now and that feels better for both of us. Gonna get my baby a deep heat projector one day.
So are you saying that the probe that reads the temp is supposed to be on the heat tape? I have mine in-between the heat pad and tank, like directly in the center of the heat pad and I have heat tape on the outside of my heat pad.
Thanks, I got a Inkbird through amazon yesterday. Before finding this video I might add. This one is not WiFi. They had two different probe styles I got Model Itc306t if anyone has info on these? Thanks
I've been out of the Boa game for 10 years but kept all my equipment just incase... I've recently just gotten into Ball pythons and waiting on my first one to ship. I have the ORIGINAL herpstat from spider robotics... I loved the thing! But I've lost the probe which is real frustrating. I just check their site and they've discontinued it!!!! so here I am. I have to be budget friendly with whatever I get because of the wife 😆 ... I'm lucky she even said yes that I can get back into this.... I'll have to check out the ink bird.... why model do you recommend?
Great video as I am looking for a thermostat as a back up. I do have a question though, does it fail in the off position? So if by chance it does malfunction it will kill the power vs letting the heat run full power.
If the failure is caused by your heater, such as a short circuit, then it is possible for the output to fail ON. However, for heat tape in racks or heat pads on tanks, the chances of a short are way small. If the unit’s circuit card malfunctions, it can go either way, but most designs are as fail-safe as possible. User error is the most common cause of failure or bad results. Such as using too powerful of a heater with a thermostat that has slow probe response (like the Hydrofarms)
That would be a generator. I fortunately live in a place where we would rarely loose power for that long but everyone's situation is different. It also depends on where you live and if this happened in the winter or summer
I was surprised to hear how you feel about jumpstart thermostats, I’ve used mine for a little over a year and a half with my heat cables and my temperatures have never been more than one or two degrees off. I do only use one 10 foot heat cable per thermostat though so maybe they’re easily overwhelmed by powering multiple or larger heat sources
I've had some that work perfectly and others that were absolute trash. I think overall the consistency of that product is what lacks. Or, you made a good point that it could be due to the amount of power that I'm pumping through them but I just don't trust them to be accurate enough
Hello Jason after watching your video about the thermostats I bought the ink bird itc. What would you recommend on putting the cooling difference value on. It’s for my ball pythons so I’m using heat but I didn’t know if that matters about what I ask you
Why would you not suggest putting the temp probe directly in the tub? I see the functionality for the smaller racks (removal) for ease of access, but for the larger ARS, that are not easily removed? Just asking out of curiosity.
It depends on the type of heat source that you are using, but if you are using a heat pad or heat tape, the temperature of the thermostat should control the temperature of the heat tape. Your enclosure will be cooler than the actual heat tape typically
My heat mat didn’t work and so I got another heat mat yesterday for my sand boa and it won’t work either. I have the thermostat probe on the inside on the enclosure suction upped to the bottom of the tank where my snake hangs out on the side where the heat mat is. The mat won’t get hot enough. I need it around 90-95 degrees and I have the thermostat set up for 95 but it only gets to about 85 so I have to set the thermostat a bit more hotter and even yet the heat mats temps still are everywhere. On the thermostat it says the temp is like 97 but then I check exactly where the probe is and my temperature gun only reads about 85 degrees. I thought the heat mat was the one that wasn’t working so I got another one but it doesn’t work either. Do you think it’s the thermostat or what should I do?
You want to put to probe on the outside of the enclosure on the heat mat. You control them temp of the mat to get the inside temp you want. My guess is its either too cold overall for the heat pad to get the temp where you need it and you may need an additional heat source or it a low quality heat pad or its your thermostat. That was the problem I had with the jump start thermostats. They would never supply enough power to run the temp correctly.
Keep in mind that those humid heat mats are designed so that they don't get more than about 95 to 100 degrees. Many of them can run without a thermostat but it is always good practice to put a thermostat on there.
Great video. In the U.K. we have a company called Microclimate who make an absolutely fantastic range of stats. I don’t think you can get them in the States, which is a shame
That’s pretty much all I use. I put a generally last 3 to 4 years, but they’re so inexpensive that I really don’t care if I buy two or three of them. It still is cheaper than some of the alternatives.
I've been using inkbird for about 4 years and with heat tape, they are great, never had any kind of failure or issue. Not a good choice with a ceramic bulb though, you really need pulse proportional or you get crazy heat spikes because of how long it takes for the ceramic to cool back down.
@@morrisnakes I mean, as long as the house doesn’t fluctuate too badly I don’t see much of an issue for where I currently live in. Def want to upgrade to a herpstat tho
@@takuyamatsuda7214 Certainly helps to have a stable room temp. Mine is decently stable but it still does vary a little bit seasonally because the house ac/heating only works so well at keeping all the rooms evenly cooled/heated.
Ceramic bulbs pretty much require a proportional controller, or else a dimmer plugged into an on/off thermostat. The latter method is more of a manual control with overtemp protection, but it is better than on/off control by itself.
Hah thank you!! Been good. Still super busy but trying to get one video away for you guys. Breeding season is going very well! Hope you are doing well!! Thank you for asking
I thought about it but I don't really want to make this Channel about trying to make money and I would hate to recommend a product unless it's something I purchased myself from the same vendor. So besides the thermostats, thats about it.
@@JasonsExoticReptiles It's not about the money. It's about providing us the convenience of having quick access to the equipment you do use and whatever else you talk about. People will take heed of your comments and make their own decisions. Making money means you are providing value to others- no need to be shy about it. My 2 cents.
I have one VE. I'm about to use it as a backup. The rest of my stats are herpstats. But I have had a herpstat probe fail on me. However at least it failed by not heating enough instead of too much. I'd rather the snake have to be cold for a bit than get cooked. I'm about to throw out all of my "jumpstart" type stats. They actually did ok for temps back when I used them. But I've heard too many failure stories, and they'll fail to "on" and burn your animals. For my small rack system which has 4 individual racks for 4 snakes. I eventually just want a herpstat 4 to regulate it all. And then I'll just have a ton of reliable backups. Great video though, I think a quality thermostat is probably THE most important piece of equipment you have to have.
Thank you! And I agree. Maybe I'm just had bad luck with some of them but I found it across the thermostats some are more consistent in terms of quality like the inkbird or the herpstat verse others like the jump start. And you have the be ones that have consistently failed and just lost my trust overall
@@JasonsExoticReptiles No stress. Do what you've got to do. Just keep up the videos man. They really do help a lot with improving the care for my reptile. Keep it up! :)
