new enclosure on the way rheostat question

[skydivegayguy]

hey guys, so I have a question (and yes I've looked at the how to's on wiring your own rheostat, but I'm not comfortable with my own ability with electronics nor do I have any electrician friends)

I'm currently housing all of my snakes (3 ball pythons, 1 burmese python, 1 boa constrictor, 1 gaboon viper, 1 monocled cobra) in individual glass tanks appropriate for their size, using a hygrotherm controller and reptifogger to keep humidity at the right percentage, and using heat bulbs on a lamp dimmer switch to control the heat

the enclosure that I'm having made is going to have 8 separate enclosures within it, each of which will be 48 long, 12 tall, and 24 wide, with built in lighting/heating. now these lights are coming with a low medium and high setting but with me venturing into breeding ball pythons in the near future I'll need a bit finer control than that and the dimmer switches I've found and have been using have such a short slider that I'm having a tough time controlling the wattage to the degree that I need (pun not intended)


does anybody on here know where I can **order** a large knob rheostat, preferably even with a percentage display along the knob, so I can have very fine control over the wattage going to my bulbs? I'd gladly build my own rheostats but like I said I'm just not savvy enough to be doing that sort of work

[millertime89]

Welcome!

Forget getting a rheostat, get a t-stat. I use these. They can adjust for external climate changes whereas a rheostat can't, so if you a/c or heat in your place goes out, it will adjust accordingly.
Amazon.com : Hydrofarm MTPRTC Digital Thermostat for Heat Mats : Plant Germination Heating Mats : Patio, Lawn & Garden (http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPRTC-Digital-Thermostat-Heat/dp/B000NZZG3S)

[skydivegayguy]

my only concern with using a thermostat for my enclosure is the bulbs are also how I give the snakes a day cycle (the enclosure will be in my living room which is blacked out for the media center) also wouldn't the bulbs burn out crazy fast if I kept them turning on and off and so on?

I could probably rearrange some furniture and stick the enclosure in the guest room with the blinds open to give them a day light cycle while their lights turn on and off if need be

I already have a hygrotherm controller set up to control the humidity, so if I went the route of the thermostat I could just plug the heat lamps into that and have the hygrotherms control the humidity as well as the temps

[Derek1]

I'm posting this as I'm learning too and not sure. Not sure about the Gaboon and Cobra, but most if not all Pythons and Boas don't need special lighting. So why not change your heat source and lighting. Go with a radiant panel or heat tape, and just put your lighting on a timer, from led's to fluorescent lighting and not use them as a heat source?

[millertime89]

They don't need a day/night cycle and you can use ceramic heat emitters to give them heat without light if you want to keep the same setup that you currently have.

[skydivegayguy]

I've spoken with the gentleman who's building the enclosure, we're going to do lights for now but in the near future I'll be upgrading to radiant heat panels and herpstats to control the temps in the enclosures. for now I'll just use the lights in the enclosures and dimmer switches like I'm currently doing! thanks for your input guys!! I appreciate it :)