As much as I've read the past while, I still would like to double check! I want to give my baby a good home and life, after all.

Substrate

My friend got aspen and it was infested with mites, so today I took the cypress mulch I bought and baked it just in case. My question is, can I (or should I) mix it with anything? Soil, sand...? It just seems like it would be hard to dig in. It's the ZooMed "forest floor". Their chart says it's good for burrowing but it just seems... chunky.

Yes, I realize papers are way easier to maintain, but I like the look (and smell!!) of the cypress~

As for lighting

Pretend that I can keep good humidity and heat in my tank. Does anyone recommend a CHE over a (red) bulb, or vice versa, and give me some reasons? The lightless part of a CHE is appealing to me, but I hear they get SUPER SCARY hot?? The lamp dome I have has a built in dimmer (All Living Things), so I was wondering if that would help.

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I've had two pet store employees (who own bps) tell me NOT to use heat pads. And one said he heats the tank with a regular old house lightbulb (and turns it off at night). The second especially is making me... nervous? So I just want some... back up, on info, since what he's recommending is contradicting some things I've read. I'm also wondering what his night time temps are if there's no heat at all... He says "it gets cold in the desert after all".

I would be using a heat pad but can't find a thermostat that isn't 100-200$... I'll be getting one later for sure, though. Canada sucks, my area especially.

Thanks for reading!