Hello! I'm new to ball pythons (and snakes in general) and to this website. I've done tons of research leading up to the purchase of Claire (not really sure if she's actually a she, but I was set on the name and don't plan on breeding anyway ) and everything she'll need. I bought her a couple days ago (Saturday the 7th). I know about temperature, humidity, feeding; the important info on bp husbandry. I'm sure a lot of the things I haven't learned online I will learn with experience. But I was hoping to skip some of the "learning by doing" aspects of this new experience and ask a few questions that I'm having trouble finding answers to in order to keep Claire healthy and happy.

1. What are some good signs that Claire is adjusting well to her new habitat? When I first put her in there, she explored the entire enclosure for quite awhile. Yesterday she stayed in one of her hides most of the day, coming out every once in awhile to drink, roam the cage for a little while, and sometimes lay her head on a rock for a short period of time. She wasn't too active last night, but tonight she is roaming all around the enclosure and laying on top of one of her hides. I also noticed she hasn't went into her UTH/warm side hide for more than a few seconds, and I remember reading that it could mean it's possibly too hot. She doesn't avoid that side of the the enclosure entirely, though, so maybe she just hasn't wanted to go in there yet...? If I was to guess, I would say all of this sounds very normal, but I figured it's better to ask than to assume.

2. Today was a really hot day, so I didn't really NEED the lamp on the warm side of the tank to maintain the temperature there. But the light in my room isn't very bright, leaving the tank pretty dark. Almost everything I've read has said they should have 12 hours of day and 12 of night, so I was afraid the lack of light would screw up that cycle. Is that a valid concern? I ended up finding a 25 watt bulb to use so the temperature wouldn't get too high but it would still provide light.

3. Also, the temperature gradient was almost nonexistent today as opposed to yesterday. The cool side was only a few degrees cooler than the warm side. Any tips on how to fix that should it become a consistent issue?

4. I have a 20 long tank with a screen lid. I am considering buying something better for maintaining humidity and consistent temperatures. Possibly the first cage here . If anyone has one, could you tell me exactly WHERE that 18" fluorescent vent is? It's hard to tell from the picture. I'm considering getting one, but part of me also thinks I should just wait until Claire gets bigger and I have to get a larger tank anyway, although that could be quite a long time since she's only about 15". It seems like a good investment, though. Facts and opinions would be greatly appreciated before I buy a $120 cage. Also it says "Heating: Under Tank Heater". Does that mean it HAS a UTH or just that I can use one with it?

5. I have a UTH right now. It's not huge. It's 8"x8". It expands completely under the hide on the warm side of the tank. Should I have gotten one large enough to cover most of the warm side of the tank or will the 8x8 be fine?

Also, any general/random tips you can think of would be nice. Maybe something you wish you would have known with your first snake. Sorry for the super-long post. Thanks in advance!