I got my first BP almost two months ago and he's currently in a 10 gallon glass aquarium (he's about 3 mo. old). I'm using paper towel and Desert Snow as the substrate and have two identical hides in the tank (one directly over the UTH (which is attached to a thermostat), one on the cool side) and a large ceramic water bowl. I also have a little bit of damp Sphagnum moss in a small ceramic bowl to help keep the humidity levels up. Along with the UTH, I also use an infrared bulb, which is hooked up to a dimmer. I have 50% of the screen top covered with aluminum foil to keep in the humidity.

The hot side is about 89-93 degrees and the cool side stays around 82-86 degrees. The substrate in the corners of the tank, however, sometimes dips to 74 degrees. How can I remedy this? Should I somehow insulate the sides of the tank? Does it matter that the corners are getting so cold? I'm especially worried about this because I'm currently treating my BP for a RI, which I noticed a few days after getting him, and the vet told me to keep him extra warm.

Also, because of the fact that I'm using a heat lamp, it's very hard to keep the humidity levels up. They frequently fall a bit below 50%. What kinds of problems can low humidity levels cause? I know it can cause bad sheds, but can it cause respiratory infections? What should I do to raise the humidity levels? I was thinking of buying some cypress mulch to see if it helps. Should I bake the cypress before using it?

Finally, my house stays around 68 degrees during the winter. Would it be unwise to bring him out of the tank and handle him when the air temperature is so cold? What should the air temp in the tank be?

Any help/suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.