Hi All! Though I rarely post, I must say that the people on this forum are the best, most valuable BP resource I have found! That said, there are SO many messages, that in two days of searching, I have not been able to find answers to a few details I want to make sure I get right. So ....

Situation: I am in the process of switching my 2yo BP from the large (expensive, fancy, blah, blah) herp enclosure I have from my previous snake (boa) to a tub. (Yes, I'm a convert!) I have only one BP - no racks and no other reptiles.

What I have so far:
• 16 QT Iris "Buckle-Up Box"
http://www.craftsetc.com/store/item....0&ItemId=47814
• Stick-on Felt Pads to raise tub off of surface it's sitting on
• Soldering tool
• T-Rex Aspen Bed substrate

Question #1: My previous Acu Rite Indoor/Outdoor with Humidity thermometer is not working (nothing reading on the LCD screen) and a battery change does not make any difference. Because I couldn't find the instructions, I've been trying to get another, but I haven't been able to find one yet (Wal-mart is out of them, etc). By any chance has anyone had this problem and know the magic fix? Or being cheap, does it just need to be replaced? This is the kind I have:
http://www.weatherconnection.com/mfg...29964&mfgno=21

Question #2: I live in Utah - low humidity, especially with indoor air/heating. I know I need to solder holes into the tub for ventilation and that the number of holes depends on humidity. What is the minimum number of holes for good ventilation? How big do I make the holes? (I've seen several pix, but haven't been sure what size I was looking at - hard to tell without something to measure!) Also, where should I put the holes? Top? Sides? Front? All in the same area?

Question #3: I know from reading posts that I will be ordering some Flexwatt tape and a thermostat (perhaps a Helix) from Reptile Basics and having Rich put it all together. The problem is, I'm not sure how much I need and for where. (Note that the transition to a tub is happening in part to keep the heat up to the correct temps AND steady - the temp goes too low, too often!) It sounds like some on the sides and/or the back, plus some on the bottom is good. But how much? On one, two or three sides? Should it be the height of the tub or 3/4 of the height or even less? How does this effect my ventilation holes? (See question #2.)

As for the bottom, how MUCH of the bottom do I put tape on? On just one half to make the warm side? Or on both, but controlled with different thermostats? And I've seen mention of towels being useful to regulate temperatures ... would this ever be necessary with Flexwatt and a thermostat?

Question #4: I've seen lots of posts about sticking down the temperature probes ... some saying don't stick them down so you can move them to different locations, others say to tape them down so the snake won't get tangled in them. And there seems to be a lot of concern about tape ... what kind/brand of tape should one use, if one does tape down probes?

Question #5: And when I do tape down/place the probes, where do I put them? Attached to the aspen-covered floor? If so, where? In the hides? If you put them in the hides, do you need two thermostats, one for each hide? (Sounds expensive!) Also, I've seen posts recommending that the thermostate probes be placed both outside and inside ... which is it?

Question #6: My boa needed a large, heavy water dish big enough to soak in. As near as I can tell, that's not necessary for a BP, which is good because the tub is small (as recommended). So ... I've seen several different pix ... what is the best water dish for a BP?

Question #7: Not related to the other questions ... in my searching, I saw a post showing a BP in its hide and then with the hide off, so you could see how tight they like their hides to be. But now I can't find that thread. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I hope I provided enough information. Thanks in advance for your replies!!

Peggy