I am looking to purchase my first thermostat a Vivarium Electronics VE-300 for my cages and have a stack of Boaphile cages. There is the pedestal and 5 421T's with a regular 421 in stack. I'd like to put in 6 48" strips of 6" heat tape. When hooking it all up to the thermostat can I use a six strip to hook all the heat tape plugs into the thermostat?

Also will the 6" be enough ? I thought about using the 12" but thought in a cage that is only 24" deep that having half would be to much.