thanks for the advice! I definitely don't want to burn my snake but have already attached the tape to the underside of my tank. It's the smallest one they carried...
It's on the underside of the tank and I have about 1/4 to 1/2 inches of newspaper on top of it. I'm not really sure how these things work, but I will get a rheostat a.s.a.p., probably tomorrow. If I need to unplug it at some point (until I get the rheostat) or add more paper on that side of the tank just let me know, please?