I just picked up a zilla critter cage tank with the following specs:

15 Gallon L: 24.00  W: 12.00  H: 12.00

I was tempted to grab the 30 x 12 x 12, but thought it may be too big for a baby snake. I have read here multiple times that you want to make sure your snake has a secure tank for it's size, where as a big one would stress it out.

I figured I would get a second snake one day anyone, so handing it down wouldn't be a problem

Is the 24x12 15g too small for a BP baby? Around how long would it take for one to outgrow it?

A few quick questions:

1) Aspen substrate. Good? Bad?
2) UTH. For a 24x12, what size would be good enough to maintain a gradient and provide the heat needed? I think it was $17 for a 12x11, and $12 for an 8x8.
3) I was going to order the following: Digital Therm/Hygro to measure ambient air around the warm side and humidity, a digital indoor/outdoor therm with probe to measure the ambient air on the cool side with the probe going under the substrate where the heating pad is to monitor that temperature, and a thermostat to keep the UTH in check. The probe for the thermostat reads the UTH directly outside the enclosure, and you adjust that temp based on what the thermometer probe is saying that is measure it on the inside from your indoor/outdoor therm right? So even though you may have your UTh set on your thermostat to say 100, by the time the heat is transferred through the tank and substrate, it could be 92 (totally arbitrary numbers). Are these all the thermometer/hygrometer/thermostats/measuring equipment I need?
4)2 hides and a waterbowl. One hide on cool side and the other on the warm side, with the waterbowl on the warm side as well?

Anyhow, going to go home and apply the foil to the screen top as shown in a sticky here.

Thanks for all the info!