To the OP, there are many different choices when it comes to bedding. I suggest either newspaper, aspen, or cypress mulch. Newspaper is best for quick, easy cleaning. Aspen works as well, and is what a lot of people use. Cypress mulch, in my opinion, is the best. It holds humidity very well without molding. If your humidity is low, then I suggest using cypress mulch. If you do go with cypress mulch, then make sure it is pure cypress mulch, not blended.

Soaking a lot is a sign that you ball python could have mites. It is very common for reptiles that come from pet stores to have mites. You should check for, and get rid of them if he has them. To do this, you should put him on paper towels, so that you can see them more easily. They look like little black bugs crawling over him and near him. You may also see them in the bottom of his water bowl after he soaks, or on your hands after you handle him. If he does have mites, then you should buy a bottle of Prevent a Mite. I believe that it can only be purchased online. Follow the instructions, and you will have no problem getting rid of them.

As Kaorte posted above, you definitely need to get him two identical hides, one for each end. Anytime you use an under-tank heater (UTH), you need to use a temperature controller. UTHs can get extremely hot, and could burn / kill your snake. I suggest a digital thermostat. You can get them at reptilebasics.com. Another option is a rheostat (light dimmer.) Although they are not as good as a thermostat, they are a lot cheaper. They can be bought at most hardware stores. I have a Lowes in my area that carries a light dimmer by Lutron that works pretty well. The reason that I recommend a thermostat over a rheostat is a thermostat actually controls the temperature to a specific degree. A rheostat, on the other hand, only turns the heat up or down, but has to be controlled manually.

BTW, grats on your new pickup, and