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Smart Thermostat for Vivariums
This is pretty much just a recommendation/idea for those building their own reptiles vivariums.
Most products recieve 4x price multiplier the moment word "reptiles" gets put in front.
Thermostats in perticular are a ripoff. On Amazon, some very basic ones go for around €25. Basic display, plug, temperature sensor. On-off type that will keep one temperature steady.
A while ago I gave this idea a go: I bought a smart electric floor heating thermostat from a company called AVATTO on Aliexpress for €20.
AVATTO Tuya WiFi Smart Thermostat
It too is a on/off type thermostat. It can controll devices up to 16A (so realistically most viv bulbs would be fine).
It has an internal and an external temperature sensor. It has Wi-fi, and runs on Tuya app.
Apart from slightly lower price, you get 3 killer features:
Heating periods
You can set time periods for temperatures (like in a house). So now, my reptiles enjoy a sun heat simulation. High heat during the day, lower at night, and a gradual transition between.
Power or Internet fallback
- If power goes out, after it comes back on, the devices sync the time and settings from cloud. No need to re-configure.
- If the internet goes out, they store the settings locally too. Not dependant on internet to keep the temperatures at correct levels
App monitoring
Its all on your phone in a Tuya app. If you are not familiar, Tuya is a IoT app that many smart device companies use for their infrastructure. Meaning - app is not a janky, buggy thing the company put out once and never updates and will dissapear in 6 months.
Some assembly required
The only downside here is, they do come in a 1-gang sockets form factor. So a bit of diy is needed. You need to get a backbox for it, wire up the lamp, sensor (provided), and power into it.
So if you don't know what you are doing, you might need to get someone who does (electrician).
Summary
I have all my vivs running on those things. They are set and forget. By now I rarely even check the app.
I do perform occasional, manual temperature check inside the vivs. That's just responsible pet ownership. They are always in line with the thermostats.