Using heat cables for a Leopard gecko enclosure

[marcuss1103]

Well im planning on installing heat cables onto my 30 gal tank to move my gecko which is currently in a 10 gal. i got a few concerns about the cables and i hope someone can help out.

so my first concern is i was doing some research on these things and i was on website and it listed many ways to you can use bulbs and mats to warm an enclosure. and when i came across the heat cables they said "heat cables must be controlled with a Rheostat" and i looked it up and im not sure what that is. but i do have a thermostat so could i just use that to get my temp ?

and i was on zoomeds website cus they have an online instruction manual for the heat cables and its really helpful. covers most things but, they said "if the inside of your house can reach 80F (26C) or above then we recommend you use a Zoo Med Repti-Temp 500R thermostat with this product" Now my concern here is since its winter months my house is gonna be quite warm. that being said is that thermostat REALLY necessary ? like i said i have one already so buying another i wouldnt say it would be a waste of money its just im not really in need of 2 thermostats, but for my reptiles sake if its needed i might just have to purchase it.

Sorry for all the questions !

 

[acpart]

using a heat cable

I don't know why but I can't see anything in the body of the post (I assume you sent something). If you're worried about whether or not you can use heat cable, I say definitely yes. I find it much better than a heat mat because not only can you configure it the way you want but you can then remove it and put it somewhere else without ruining the integrity of the heater. The best way to attach it, I've found, is with Nashua tape which is a kind of sticky aluminum foil with a peel off backing. You can plug it into a thermostat the same as what you do with a heat mat. If you were asking a different question, you'll have to let me know what it was.

Aliza

 

[marcuss1103]

That was weird i edit my post on my phone and everything was fine, minutes after i was seeing blank as well but i thought it was just my phone but what i was concerned about was when i was doing the research on the heat cables i was on a website i'll link it down below, and when it got to step 19 which covers heat cables it said that they said it needed to be used with a rheostat. i looked it up and it just threw me off. so you answered my question regarding the use of thermostat. the one i will be using is one of those nice jump start ones

another concern is on zoomed instructions for the on the 39' cable it lists to use an appropriate thermostat and it lists a Zoomed Hygrotherm and a Zoomed ReptiTemp 500r. are those necessary i have a thermometer already. i dont wanna go out of my way to get something i dont really need. im gonna link the two thermostats below as well.

as for the tape i haven't stumbled upon that choice i was gonna just use electric tape since it was the most common answer i saw.


Reptile Tank Heating and Lighting Guide: 25 Steps (with Pictures)

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-ReptiTemp-Remote-Thermostat/dp/B0002AQD9A

https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-HygroTherm-Temperature-Controller/dp/B0019IHK9Q

 

[acpart]

Any thermostat or rheostat is fine (the zoo-med heat cable recommends the zoo-med thermostat/rheostat because they're made by zoo-med). The difference between a thermostat and a rheostat is that the thermostat will turn the heat on at 100% power or off (0% power) based on the temperature reported by the probe. The rheostat permits the heater to operate at some specific power between 0% and 100% depending on how high you set it (like a light dimmer). I don't quite understand why you need to link any thermostats together. Just plug your heat cable into a thermostat (or a rheostat) and then plug that into the wall.

Aliza