Sand=bad, heatlamp=bad.... Under thank heater hooked up with a thermostat is the safest and easiest way to control temp in tank..... As far as animal staying in hide that is normal... hot spot for my bp is about 92 degrees cool side about 80 that is Ideal in my oppenion. Getting the tank off the ground will help with the heat, heat lamp will dry out enclosure and can cause burns. If you cannot find a good thermostat you can make one out of a dimmer switch and a coulple of extension cords.... as far as substrate (bedding) I like shredded paper, regular paper or even news papaer is good and cheap both, there are some more attractive beddings available at the pet shop (reptibark ect...) Hope this helps I had the same issues, a pet shop employee is usually under educated or completly clueless, and thier job is to sell you stuff..... After learning that and doing some research I found that this web site can save you some major $.....