HEAT: Lamp vs UTH. Which is better? And are human heating pads ok?

[Kris Mclaughlin]

I rely on uth mainly. Have a planted 40g for my bp. Some kind of control for your uth mats are must. If they spike or short they will break the glass or can severely burn your snake.

[O'Mathghamhna]

I ended up with UTH and a thermostat, which works great, plus an overhead lamp for basking. However this does dry out the tank substantially, so I added more damp sphagnum moss and got an automatic mister (lifesaver)!