Hi all,

It is time for my male ball python to upgrade! I am setting up a 36 by 18 by 16 inch tank for him (I believe its a 40 gallon breeder?) and I was considering trying a very basic bioactive setup. I just want to see if I can find plants that he will not destroy, and if I can, then I would make his full size tank a much better bioactive tank. By the way, what should his full tank size be? The guy at the pet store said that he would appreciate a 75 gallon, but I have heard that they can get stressed with too much space. At the same time, I really enjoy decorating the tank heavily so maybe he wouldn't be too stressed.

Back to the main topic. So I have a UTH and CHE, but since there will be a thick substrate layer (I am thinking 3-4 inches), I am concerned that heat from the UTH underneath the substrate would be useless. Would it help if I placed it on the side of the tank? I would place it so part of the UTH went down a little below the top of the substrate line, and the rest would extend above. Does anyone else do this? Would just the CHE be enough? The one I currently have is 100W and 120V.

Thanks!