| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Weirzo |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 21:35:26
Everyone I know who has any type of snake relies on a dial thermometer rather than a thermostat.
Even the guy in the reptile shop when I went to buy mine insisted I didn't need it. He tried to coax me out of giving him money!!
Why is this?? |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| kashie |
Posted - 29/07/2009 : 15:19:34
Going back to the question of dials or digital - my two hatchlings have the same set up in small plastic vivs, they did have dials until I invested in digital (ebay £3.95 with free postage) - anyway, dials were reading 30 and 26 in both vivs, but when changed over to digital one read 30 the other was 36!!!!!! Panic set in and out I went for a twin thermostat which is now connected to both and controlling the temperatures perfectly.
It only goes to show that not all heat mats run effectively and need to be monitored for the welfare of the snake. Pictures on this forum of burned snakes is evidence of this.
Be safe - visit ebay as I said earlier £3.95 free postage for a digital thermometer and £43 free postage for a twin stat controller. If I can get one for that price a single one will be much less. |
| Blackecho |
Posted - 29/07/2009 : 15:09:28
Its the difference between giving them what's best for them and the bare minimum, making their life better. As Karl says, there's always the chance that something like a heatmat will overheat, so its protection. Also, without a thermostat to turn heating devices down, on a very hot day (such as during the heatwave we had last month) you will still be adding the same amount of extra heat, which could cause real damage. |
| lee2308 |
Posted - 29/07/2009 : 00:22:08
nowadays we are more educated to the needs of exotics animals and reps and have a responsability to provide the best care and enviroment we can. |
| karl |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 23:52:35
quote:
Originally posted by shep6413
quote:
Originally posted by karl
I know this won't go down well, but AGES ago I did a test with temps using a heatmat and an Exo terra faunarium, might be on the cornsnake site, annoyed people then when I did it.
I have spoken to alot of people lately about how much we molly coddle our snakes now compared to say, 10 years ago.
My first royal lived in a 4ft fish tank, one hide, a few branches, and, in summer, a 40w light bulb (unguarded), 60w in winter, on a 12hr on/off timer. He was sold to me aged 20+ (previous owner had him for 19 years and wasn't a hatchling when she got him). I had him for 5ish years (ish) and sold him on. He ate one meduim/large mouse a week.
Not once did that snake have a bad shed, not once did he refuse a feed, not once did I use a temp gauge (nevermind a thermostat). He never burned himself, he never hissed, bit, nowt.
Now my snakes all have two hides, thermostats, ceramics, gaurds, the bloody lot. I feed them rats (waaaaaaaaay bigger than anything I fed last one) and, tbh, there is no difference in their behaviour.
Please don't take this post to mean "you don't need this/that/the other", just that quite often, you MIGHT not ;)
if you didnt do it then, why do you do it now?
in all honesty I have no real answer for that.........I guess it's more the "what if" thing I am trying to prevent? |
| shep6413 |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 23:37:58
quote:
Originally posted by karl
I know this won't go down well, but AGES ago I did a test with temps using a heatmat and an Exo terra faunarium, might be on the cornsnake site, annoyed people then when I did it.
I have spoken to alot of people lately about how much we molly coddle our snakes now compared to say, 10 years ago.
My first royal lived in a 4ft fish tank, one hide, a few branches, and, in summer, a 40w light bulb (unguarded), 60w in winter, on a 12hr on/off timer. He was sold to me aged 20+ (previous owner had him for 19 years and wasn't a hatchling when she got him). I had him for 5ish years (ish) and sold him on. He ate one meduim/large mouse a week.
Not once did that snake have a bad shed, not once did he refuse a feed, not once did I use a temp gauge (nevermind a thermostat). He never burned himself, he never hissed, bit, nowt.
Now my snakes all have two hides, thermostats, ceramics, gaurds, the bloody lot. I feed them rats (waaaaaaaaay bigger than anything I fed last one) and, tbh, there is no difference in their behaviour.
Please don't take this post to mean "you don't need this/that/the other", just that quite often, you MIGHT not ;)
if you didnt do it then, why do you do it now? |
| 337smile |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 23:29:51
quote:
Originally posted by karl
I know this won't go down well, but AGES ago I did a test with temps using a heatmat and an Exo terra faunarium, might be on the cornsnake site, annoyed people then when I did it.
I have spoken to alot of people lately about how much we molly coddle our snakes now compared to say, 10 years ago.
My first royal lived in a 4ft fish tank, one hide, a few branches, and, in summer, a 40w light bulb (unguarded), 60w in winter, on a 12hr on/off timer. He was sold to me aged 20+ (previous owner had him for 19 years and wasn't a hatchling when she got him). I had him for 5ish years (ish) and sold him on. He ate one meduim/large mouse a week.
Not once did that snake have a bad shed, not once did he refuse a feed, not once did I use a temp gauge (nevermind a thermostat). He never burned himself, he never hissed, bit, nowt.
Now my snakes all have two hides, thermostats, ceramics, gaurds, the bloody lot. I feed them rats (waaaaaaaaay bigger than anything I fed last one) and, tbh, there is no difference in their behaviour.
Please don't take this post to mean "you don't need this/that/the other", just that quite often, you MIGHT not ;)
going backover past 10 years I have to admit that I have kept rat snakes, corn snakes and boas in similar set ups to as you have described above (fish tank, light bulb, no thermostats, etc) and I think your right in as much as snakes in many instances don't NEED all the bits and bobs as such. All my snakes fed and shed well when housed in those conditions too. Even with an un-statted bulb there will still be a temperature gradient and snakes will regulate their temperature as they would do in the wild with their natural instincts. In nature temps aren't controlled by a thermostat. HOWEVER, it is still best pracice to keep house any animal in as close to ideal environments as possible, especially with young animals. Thermostats, hides, etc all help us to create this "ideal" environment. |
| karl |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 23:00:59
I know this won't go down well, but AGES ago I did a test with temps using a heatmat and an Exo terra faunarium, might be on the cornsnake site, annoyed people then when I did it.
I have spoken to alot of people lately about how much we molly coddle our snakes now compared to say, 10 years ago.
My first royal lived in a 4ft fish tank, one hide, a few branches, and, in summer, a 40w light bulb (unguarded), 60w in winter, on a 12hr on/off timer. He was sold to me aged 20+ (previous owner had him for 19 years and wasn't a hatchling when she got him). I had him for 5ish years (ish) and sold him on. He ate one meduim/large mouse a week.
Not once did that snake have a bad shed, not once did he refuse a feed, not once did I use a temp gauge (nevermind a thermostat). He never burned himself, he never hissed, bit, nowt.
Now my snakes all have two hides, thermostats, ceramics, gaurds, the bloody lot. I feed them rats (waaaaaaaaay bigger than anything I fed last one) and, tbh, there is no difference in their behaviour.
Please don't take this post to mean "you don't need this/that/the other", just that quite often, you MIGHT not ;) |
| 337smile |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 21:59:52
Can't understand why anyne would say you don't need a thermostat. Temps in viv could get dangerously high or low. Unless you plan on watching the thermometer 24 hours a day and turn it off and on when it is too hold or cold. |
| Weirzo |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 21:54:29
yea I know but why are other people so foolish? |
| shep6413 |
Posted - 28/07/2009 : 21:48:10
you need a thermostat to maintain the correct temperature in the viv/ rub and you need the thermometer to tell you the temp in the viv/ rub, dont rely on the thermostat to do you temp as they vary with different size rubs/ viv etc.
also wouldnt use a dial thermometer as they are inaccurate, would invest in a digital one if i was you |
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