New Member Looking For Suggestions and Info

[bns]

That's an interesting idea, and I like the concept of it. However, I'm not entirely sure I want to just... skip the tanks. The money doesn't bother me, and I'm a bit intimidated of jumping straight into a massive 4x2x2 with all the hardware that I'm just now researching. Maybe I'll feel more prepared for that by September/October, but right now the thought of managing something that huge does seem a bit... intimidating.

I'm not sure what your misgivings are about setting up an enclosure that is designed to work for snakes?

If the money doesn't bother you this is a no-brainer. The fish tank is far more work than a professionally built enclosure...no comparison at all.

Many people have raised boas from babies in many different ways and been successful by some measure...there is no debate about enclosures that I haven't discussed ad nauseam and I don't know of anyone who has been doing this for decades that would argue the theory over the results.

That being said, I'm totally okay moving into a larger cage sooner rather than later, but maybe not as the very first thing I'm trying to set up. I'm willing to modify the tanks as needed with locks and acrylic to make the environment more stable and secure.

You can modify the fish tanks all day and you will never create an environment that will be better for a baby boa than an opaque tub and the same is true for when the boa graduates from the tub...the fish tank will not compare with a proper enclosure.

I was actually spending a good amount of time looking into PVC cages last night to learn more, and trying to learn about the various elements of them. Do any of you know what it means when it says "recessed belly heat"? Is that just heat tape?

Yes.

I am just beginning to get into not just the basic knowledge but also what the best out there is, and what I'm looking to find that won't blow every cent I own. I'll need things like a thermostat, IR temp gun, hygrometers, etc. for any set up, so I'm looking into some brands and well recommended items. I see herpstat a lot, but 3 or so of those rack up pretty quick, and I'm not super sure about which brands to go with. Also, is there a particular difference between sliding glass and swing down doors?

Yep, you should have all those things.
Some folks like sliding doors. I like swing down doors...both can work fine.

I am curious about raising boas in tubs until they reach a certain size, rather than an aquarium, but I'm not quite sure how that would work. It would also limit visibility, which I would prefer to have on at least one side so that I could check on my baby snake daily without having to lift a lid off to see that it's alive and breathing alright....

Tubs work great for baby boas. New keepers can solve many issues by starting the boa off in tub.
On the visibility issue...this is your issue. A baby boa prefers low/no visibility and they live and breath just fine without you checking on them and actually do better with less involvement from you...especially when babies. The very best way to look at this enclosure deal is to forget your 'wants' and focus on what the baby boa 'needs'.

A baby boa is a simple thing. Its a living critter that wants to survive and will perform necessary life functions to make it survive if given the chance (this is why people get away with doing things half-arsed). It is also a complicated thing. It is small, vulnerable and nervous. It needs to be secure, feel secure. It doesn't want to be in the light or be seen...its goal is to hide and eat until it becomes large enough to remove itself from the bottom of the food chain. As they grow larger in our care they adapt and if kept properly can become quite bold. When they are young, stress is enough to kill a baby boa.

Set up the pro-built enclosure. Buy a tub of appropriate size with a lid. Read about making holes in the tub. Put some quality aspen bedding in the tub. Place a small water dish and a hide or two in the tub. Place the tub so about half of it is on the surface of the pro-built enclosure that has the heat tape under it. Take temp readings inside the tub and adjust as needed. -Nothing about doing all of that will seem like an type of a challenge as compared to the challenges you can face with a modified fish tank.

Good for you on doing the research before jumping in...bravo. You clearly want to be successful and I wish you luck.