What Size Tub? Also some tub questions...

[Mitch]

Hello,
I'm still new to the world of ball pythons and I'm doing as much research as I can. I just have a few questions and I'd like some help if you don't mind. I'm getting a 4 month old male Pastel soon () and I'd like to get his tub set up before I bring him home. He's about 12" and the weight was not verified as of yet by the seller. He's also eating f/t already. A picture of him is below:


So, on to my questions:
1) What size tub would you recommend for him? - Dimensions would be preferred (LxWxH)
2) What size hides should I get for him? - I know they should be snug when he fits in them so I'll probably go by that.
3) I was planning on doing the melamine board "technique" for mounting the heat pad to as shown in this thread. Anyone know where I can get the stuff?
4) Is the Zilla brand thermostat for the heat pad temperature regulation reliable?

That's all for now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.