Hi all, I'm new here and have a couple questions. I completed my set up yesterday and am trying to get everything fine-tuned before I bring home my first ball python on Saturday - I'm going to a local reptile show to buy from a breeder. To cover the basics, I am using a glass terrarium with a UTH and CHE for heating. The UTH is connected to a Herpstat Basic, and the CHE is on a lamp dimmer. I am tracking temps and humidity via the Accu-rite indoor/outdoor digital thermometer that seems to get a lot of use on this site. I have two identical hides on the way from LLL Reptile, and everything else is in place including a large water bowl. I am using blank newsprint as my substrate (a pro-tip: call your local newspaper and ask for some "butt rolls" of their newsprint. They are the very ends of rolls with I would guess around 20-30 yards of blank newsprint. My local paper gave them to me for free, I just had to pick them up from the plant.) Anyways, here are some questions:

1. My Herpstat's probe is between my UTH and tank, and my thermometer's probe is between my tank and the substrate. I had my Herpstat set to keep my UTH at 91 degrees, but with that my thermometer was only reading at about 85 degrees. I've since cranked the Herpstat up to 99 degrees which brings my thermometer reading up to around 91. Is it normal to have this much temperature loss between the UTH and the inside of the tank? Or is it likely one of my devices is misreading?

2. Kind of a dumb question, but when you do in-depth cleanings do you remove the thermometer probe, and if so how to you re-stick it on to the tank floor? Or do you just clean around it and leave it stuck on?

3. Has anyone found whether using an overhead fan will force them to re-adjust lamp power or thermostat temps or anything? I'm sure I'll figure this out with time, but I was kind of curious, as my tank is in my bedroom and I run the fan sporadically.

4. Last, does anyone have any ideas for rigging my lamp to hang above my tank. I bought one of these lamp holders but my lamp doesn't have the piece that you hook on to the holder, and the holder didn't come with it either. Right now I have it kind of jerry-rigged on the holder, but I'm hoping someone has a DIY remedy for this problem, though it's probably a long-shot.

Thanks in advance for any and all help!