Best heating option/picture update trans pecos

Thank you again!

I had no idea about the formaldehyde! I've seen melamine used so much for reptiles, it didn't even occur to me to research if it off-gasses!
The ventilation on the sides I mentioned, I actually planned to use some metal vents or something along those lines. I like the metal screen piece idea.

Thank you so much! You're help has been invaluable. I'll see if I can source some real wood in a cost effective way. I definitely don't want anything to harm my scale babies. :(

Particle-board is part of kitchen cupboards (also used in lots of inexpensive furniture) in many homes (with melamine or other stuff laminated on top) but it's less of an issue than what you were thinking about doing- because your little snakes will be confined & those air-holes drilled thru it would let it off-gas for 10+ years. I know you don't want anything that could harm them...I sure wouldn't. Better safe than sorry.

People (-not me!) do use melamine, because it's available & fairly cheap, & some just don't want to believe there's a risk- it's not "convenient". You might see if there's any real wood cabinets in a thrift store. Your TP isn't going to out-grow a 10 gal. tank for at least a year, so you have time to work on something. FYI, I've been buying real wood unfinished furniture here & there, & then finishing it myself for most of my adult life, because I really dislike particle-board furniture- it falls apart easily in time, especially with any moisture -besides giving off toxic stuff. And I've converted my share of wood cabinets for snakes to live in too. ;)

BTW, if you find yourself using vents made of perforated metal, it's fairly rigid but can be cut with metal shears, & nailed in place pretty easily. They usually sell it in 3' x 3' sheets- I have a sheet in my garage that I haven't used yet- it's coated in white enamel. Just one of those things you might not know exists- me, I like to roam thru hardware-home improvement stores & see what I can find to use creatively...;)