AUTOMATE TERRARIUM
Automating a terrarium not only allows us to almost completely forget about the control of temperature, humidity and schedules, it will also avoid possible problems for the animal by having all the parameters under control.
Devices to automate it:
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THERMOSTAT: temperature controller.
To control the temperature we will use a thermostat , this electronic device is in charge of turning on or off the heat source that is connected to it. You can do it by working on a fixed value and it will be in charge of maintaining it, or on a range, for example 28 and 30ºC, in this way it will make the heat activate at 28 and turn off at 30.
In the market we find basic thermostats and more complete thermostats.
- Basic thermostats do not have time control and while they are connected they are working, therefore, they will need to be connected to a timer to be able to establish the schedules. They are useful as long as we do not have problems with the temperature that the terrarium reaches at night when everything is turned off.
You can see our complete manual for the STC-1000 thermostat by clicking here .
The first is the most famous temperature controller thermostat for terrariums and incubators for its low price.
The second thermostat is very, very simple, it keeps the temperature at the exact value you tell it, it does not require difficult connections or installations, you connect it, set the temperature and it will work, in 20 seconds and at a very competitive price (European connections, it is used for Spain plugs)
- Complete thermostats , if heating is required at night, will be the best option. You can program a daytime range/value and a nighttime one, which will allow us to recreate both temperatures perfectly. Some of these thermostats allow you to select the start and end periods for day and night, we must synchronize it with the lighting times, so that while the heat is on, the light is too.
There are models that even allow you to control the light, with them we will have everything controlled only with a single device, both light and heat. They have two connection sockets, in one you must plug in the heat and in the other the lighting. Times and values will be programmed from the screen of the thermostat itself.
SEE: All drivers
TIMER
This device is a clock that is responsible for powering the element that is connected to it according to the programming that is established.
In the market we find analog and digital timers.
- Analog: These timers shine for their simplicity, they consist of a pin roulette, each pin generally represents 15min, and they can be in two positions, without pressing (in this state they do not give power to the connected element) or pressed (in this position if they activate the element). Turning the roulette we will set it on time, it is only in charge of turning the roulette in real time, passing at 15min intervals through the different pins and consequently turning on or not the connected element. They are really cheap.
Roulette is formed 24 hours a day, so that at the end of a round (one day) it will repeat the same for the next.
[amazon box="B00VADMYDM" template="horizontal"]- Digital: These timers allow a much more extensive programming menu. They allow programming with precision of seconds (compared to intervals of about 15min in analogues) and configure it with different daily or weekly programs.
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HUMIDITY CONTROLLER
To control humidity we must acquire a complete and specific system , since a thermostat or juggling with a timer is not worth it. Humidity controllers are called hygrostats .
The operation of the humidity controller is similar to that of a thermostat, the humidity value that is needed is programmed for it and it is in charge of turning on the humidifier when it drops.
To increase control, a humidifier and a dehumidifier can be installed, this makes the price much more expensive, since we will also need a humidity controller with a double relay that allows us to control both things. Both things are not usually installed since only the humidifier is usually enough.
Humidifiers usually have a roulette that regulates the humidity value, they are usually not very precise, so we can correct it with a more specific controller. These have a probe that can be placed in the place that is needed as a reference for the operation of the system.
SEE: all drivers
How to control my terrarium ?
To find out which configuration is most suitable for us, we must know if it is necessary to keep a heat source on at night:
NO need to turn on heat at night:
In this case we can use a basic thermostat connected to a timer, so we can choose the hours at which we need it to activate, for example, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., during that period the temperature control will be done by the thermostat.
In this option we can use the same timer to control the lighting, so the light will connect with the same schedule, from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and we will have everything on during the day and everything off at night.
IF heat needs to be turned on at night:
The ideal is to install a COMPLETE thermostat with these devices we can control different temperatures for day and night. It is a very useful device since it avoids future problems with the animal, there are species that are very sensitive to sudden changes in temperature and controlling the temperature at night is crucial.
Each species needs maximum and minimum temperatures at night and during the day, keep in mind that an African tortoise, such as a Geochelone Sulcata, should not have the same temperature or humidity conditions as, for example, a Chelonoidis Carbonaria, of the jungles of Guyana or Puerto Rico, among others, which require very high humidity and more stable temperatures, around 28ºC.
It is advisable to have the terrarium conditioned a couple of days before receiving the animal, in this way we can put the terrarium into operation and know if we are recreating all the parameters, if not, we can correct it in time without having to carry out tests with the animal inside, making it difficult to adapt.