Dubia colony questions

[JeffreH]

Heather's on it with a dimmer - you can pick up a cheap lamp dimmer (rheostat) from Lowe's or Home Depot for ~$10. Obviously, you won't get the accuracy and convenience that the thermostat offers in controlling temps, but if you have a thermometer you can simply dim your undertank heater, heat tape, or light to the appropriate temperature range. You'll just have to check temps every now and then to adjust the dimmer switch accordingly for seasonal fluctuations in your ambient house temp. This is how I generally prefer to run things - as my basement stays fairly constant in temperature year round anyway and I have a few tempguns at my disposal for easy point and shoot temp readings to adjust.

If you do use a thermostat, you'll want the probe on inside, bottom surface of the bin. Assuming you have your heat tape or UTH under the bin, you want the reading right above it. I like to shoot for about 90 degrees on the inside bottom surface. With a closed bin and a small area of ventilation, this allows my 20 gallon tubs to reach ambient temps in the 80's throughout much of the volume with heat tape running beneath the entire bin.

I've heard decent things about a Thermostat used for hydroponics called Hydrofarm... literally just heard about it today from a fellow hobbyist. They run a lot cheaper than other thermostats I've used... I've used Rancos and Herpstats for my snake collection and have been very pleased with them.

Unkempt - I use Flexwatt Heat Tape. I personally get it from my buddy Eric Erb (owns ReptileTubs.com) who vends most of the Ohio shows and Tinley Park, but I've only ever purchased it from him via expos. The heat tape peaks out at a surface temp of ~115 degrees F, making it relatively safe to use even on full power in most situations. There are a variety of online sources... if my memory serves me correctly - The Bean Farm and Reptile Supplies, Dog, Cat, Small Pet Supply & Aquarium Products sell heat tape and associated materials.

Be sure to install heat tape correctly! If you do not know how to solder, you'll want to buy the clips and have electrical tape at the ready to insulate them. Very cheap and very easy to install... All you need to some pliers to clamp the clips in if you opt to do it that way. I can get a 1ft section of 11" wide heat tape for about $6 at the show with the extension cord and clips included. Each additional foot is only about $4. I rig these up on my rack and can heat most of the colonies for dirt cheap...plus they only run about 10watts or less per foot.

Again, be sure to install it correctly and cover it in foil tape! This is often overlooked, but essential for the well-being of the heat tape. I have a link with instructions in my How to Keep and Breed Roaches guide... I'll paste it below. Very useful, plus pictures!
Pro Exotics Reptiles, the Nation's finest captive bred Snakes and Monitors, your source for Infrared Thermometer, Temp Gun.

[fish4all]

Heather, if you don't mind, would you direct me to a picture of your setup and possibly a bit more detail. I keep my house at 72F all winter and I am thinking your setup might work really well for me. Even if it isn't perfect for me, the more information I gather the better.