Thermostat

[eoghan]

which one is better a pulse thermostat or a dimmer or a matstat.
i will be using it for my corn i who currently just is on a heat mat under the faunarium.

[andy007]

Depends how much you want to spend?
Mat stat is the cheapest, and is simply an "On" "Off" Stat.

Pulse stats do just that. They pulse the electrical through to the mat which helps keep a more even constant temp.

Dimmer stats enable you to set a night time temp drop.

My corns are on a simple matstat, and my other snakes are on a pulse.
But any stat is better than none.

[keet]

Get urself a mat-stat, i have myself a Habistat mat-stat and highly recommend it.

Should cost u ~£30

Get one as soon as you can.

[Meko]

Matstat or pulse if you're using a mat. A heat mat won't have the high enough wattage for a dimmer to work with it.

[grannykins]

I have a couple of mats on dimmers. They seem to work well enough. I would go with a mat stat though, and then later on when you move up to a viv you can decide whether to use bulbs or ceramics and buy a dimmer or pulse then. You then end up with a faunarium set up that is fully set up and empty - all ready for your next snake!

[Meko]

you can get away with a couple of mats as a dimmer stat needs about 40watts before it'll work. If you've a few mats that take it over that then it'll notice the load.

[Meko]

oh and don't use the heat mat till you get one. You might as well just bang your corn snake in the oven.

[Plutino]

as you're asking which is better, not which is cheaper, I would say pulse.
As said, you can then use that pulse stat on a ceramic or larger heat mat as you chose when you upgrade to it's final vivarium. For a nighttime drop you'll either need to have a bulb that's seperate, on during the day and off at night, or the thermostat you get can be a model with a night time drop setting. The night time drop is achieved by a light sensor which detects when it is night (adjustable) and then drops by however many degrees you set it to (0 to 20c I think). This is available on dimmers or pulse stats, so it's your choice really. If you have an ultratherm heatmat I think they have problems being dimmed, but habistat and microclimate heatmats are ok.

Pulse will be much more accurate than on/off and keep more consistant temperatures, though they tend to be about 10-15 pounds more. Microclimate pulse stats retail about 40 I think (mat stats about 25). Dimmers 45 I think, then magic eye adds 10 to either model.

[Blackecho]

Triple 8 Reptiles - Microclimate On/Off Thermostat MINI STAT 100

[pied pythons]

Yes...as has been said turn the heat mat off ASAP...

You'll do better to have the snake without heat at all, rather than being on an unstatted heat mat...that really is a dangerous thing.

Heat mats have been known (and evidence seen on here) to reach up to and over 170F when not controlled on a thermostat - this will do your snake serious damage.

Keeping a snake on a heat mat (or any heat source) without it being regulated by a thermostat is like putting a baby in a bath of boiling water an expecting it not to get burnt.

You're also at risk from starting a house fire too...

So until you get a thermostat - turn the mat off!!

Aside from the extremely high temperatures reached and risk of burns, without a thermostat, you have no way what so ever of controlling the temps.

If the room temperature rises, the viv/tub temperature will be even hotter - too hot...

Likewise...if the room temperature drops, the viv/tub will be colder...

The temperature in a room will fluctuate all day, causing the temperature in the viv to also fluctuate according to the room temperature...This is what a thermostat will control...

Temperature fluctuations are not tollerated well by snakes...and it will stress some snakes out terribly.