Hello, I'm new to ball pythons and snakes in general.

I got a 2 month old bp a few days ago and have him in a 20 gal terrarium like the guy at the store recommended. However, after doing some research I found plastic containers (sterilite, rubbermaid) are better. I have an Exo-terra UTH, and an IR bulb.

So today I went to Wallmart and got a 16-5/8"x12-7/8"x8-3/4" (42cmx33cmx22cm) Sterilite Ultra storage container. However, I'm a bit concerned about the type of heating I would need, since UTH is not recommended for plastic surfaces.



How do you place your tank heater without putting it straight on the plastic surface??? It only attaches to glass (both Exoterra and Zoomed brands).

Ive seen a lot of ppl use Flexwatt but they require expensive rheostats. Is there any other more affordable option???? (like Zoomed's rheostat).