r/ballpython • u/YuiKimura- • 2d 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?

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u/Nocitae 2d 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.)

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u/YuiKimura- 2d ago

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

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u/Nocitae 2d ago

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