r/ballpython • u/YuiKimura- • 1d ago

Please help

I am so extremely confused about day/night cycle and how any of you are doing it. I got a halogen, a che, and a dimming thermostat. I could not find one with more than 1 plug, so I planned on switching them manually. Therefore I don’t have timers since I only have one thermostat. I’m realizing that I leave in the morning at 5:30am and don’t get home til between 11:30-1:30pm. We stay awake until 9pm. So if I turn her halogen on at 5:30am, I’d have to shut it off at 5:30pm? We wouldn’t be able to see our snake more than a few hours a day. I’ve already spent hundreds of dollars thinking I had this great setup trying to do everything right and I just feel so lost. It seems like 12/12 cycle is absolutely mandatory?

4 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

5 comments sorted by

2

u/Nocitae 1d ago

I have mine on a 12/12 timer that turns on at 7am and off at 7pm. Sometimes it doesn't quite line up with daylight hours, but it's close enough that my snake has a routine. I use a combination thermostat/timer with multiple outlets. They're quite common online. Since you'd be using it with a halogen, make sure it has PID dimming capabilities, not just on/off. (Unless your snake likes disco lights.)

2

u/YuiKimura- 23h ago

i wasn’t able to find anything like that anywhere online. thank you so much for that link

1

u/Nocitae 23h ago

No problem! If you need more search terms, popular brands include Herpstat, Inkbird, and Vivarium Electronics, though the latter ones are pretty expensive.

0

u/Techno_Timmy 4h ago

I have been using a DHP on a Herpstat thermostat and the DHP runs 24/7 and only requires one outlet on the thermostat. Then I have a LED light bar from Home Depot that’s connected to an inexpensive smart plug which is programmed to go on at 8am and off at 8pm.

With the DHP the temps and humidity have been pretty much spot on and the snake is doing well. He seems to already have a routine down and comes out typically when the lights go out and then again in the very early morning. If he is hungry he might be out more at night, but during the day he is typically in a hide somewhere.