The Microclimate B1 is a single-channel dimming thermostat for reptile enclosures. Rather than cutting power on and off, it ramps the heat source up and down to hold the temperature the probe reads - which is why it can be used with light-emitting basking lamps as well as ceramics, heat mats and heat cords.
That flexibility is the reason to choose it over a simple on/off stat like the Ministat: an on/off stat will make a basking globe flash on and off, which stresses the animal and shortens globe life. If every heat source in your setup is a mat or a ceramic, the cheaper Ministat 600 will do the same job.
The B1 is a manual dial stat with no programmable day/night schedule. If you need a timed night drop, the Evo range is the one to look at.
Suits
- Basking lamps and other light-emitting heat sources.
- Ceramic heat emitters, heat mats and heat cords.
- Single-enclosure setups that need one steady temperature.
Setting up
Site the probe at the animal's level in the warm zone, not against the glass and not up in the air, and check the actual basking surface with a separate infrared thermometer. Nothing that produces heat in a reptile enclosure should run unregulated - an unstatted mat or ceramic is the most common cause of thermal burns.
See the rest of our reptile heating and lighting.