Pre-snake jitters, running the check-list

[Wiggy]

Hi, I'm new here, but not entirely new to snake keeping. I kept snakes when I was about 9 years old, although I made some mistakes (I was young and unsupervised without access to the internet for assistance, what do you expect). Fortunately there was no real disasters, and I'm still rather fond of snakes, and beginning to miss having them in my life after taking an extended break.

I have a glass tank that's 36x18x22. I know it's a little taller than necessary, but it's what I have and the footprint is generous. I'm hoping it's really not that big of a deal...

I do have one question that I would like answered, and I have not seen this in any care sheets. I'm aware that among bearded dragon owners, slate or hard floor tiles are often used for the bottom of the enclosure. They're durable, dead easy to clean and sterilize, and reasonably nice to look at. Is there any reason why care sheets aren't listing these as suitable 'substrate' (bottoms) for ball pythons? I would think it would be the perfect choice.

Heating seems fairly straight-forward as long as you have a thermostat to control it. UTH on 1/3-1/2 of the tank (probably go with 1/2 since this tank has a generous footprint to cover), and a CHE. One question I do have... How do I ensure the proper temperature gradient? I mean it's easy enough to heat the warm end to the proper temperature because the heating equipment is right there, but how do I ensure that the cool end isn't too cold? Might I need a second lower-watt CHE and thermostat for the cool end to make sure it's still maintained warm enough?

Also, humidity... It seems to me that the only way to actually ensure proper humidity is through the room's environment. Tricks like putting the water dish on the hot end can kinda help... But, correct me if I'm wrong, this is more of a makeshift "better than nothing" solution that only makes a limited difference.

Misting is an option, but again, seems like a fairly inconsistent solution to what will be a persistent problem. I seem to remember reading one caresheet which mentioned a "humid hide-box" in which a humid environment could be created using some sort of water-retaining substrate inside a plastic container with a lid on it, and a hole for the snake to get in. Though correct me if I'm wrong, pythons do not sense humidity like they sense heat, so a python could not know to seek out this box to expose itself to higher humidity levels like it would know where to go to bask.

So really, it seems that humidity would be the greatest challenge. Or are ball pythons fairly forgiving to fluctuations in humidity between adequate and inadequate?

Other than this, it's pretty much just making sure the snake has snug hiding spots identical on both sides so it doesn't disregard heat in favour of a better hide-spot. Regular maintenance and keeping the water dish clean and full of water. Proper thawing of food. Make sure there's no tape in the tank. Make sure there's no sharp edges or hot objects (heat rocks, CHE's too close to the lid, etc) that the snake can come into contact with, and basically just common sense keeping in mind that pythons have a fair bit of strength for their size to move objects, and are great at escaping from any loose or weak points in the enclosure, etc.

So... Sound like I've got everything understood? Anything to add? Comments? Suggestions? Part of me feels like this is too simple and I must be overlooking something. At the same time I get the idea that simple is what works best for these snakes.

I'm not looking for a challenge, I just want a cold-blooded companion that can be with me for many many years with good health and little trouble or worries. So I'm happy with simple, as long as it isn't missing anything.