newb getting bp tomorrow, setting up tank today got a few Q's

[thetonyage]

hey guys tomorrow i will be going to the hamburg show and hopefully coming home with my first BP. i did some running around to stores today and here is what i have for the setup so far:
10 gal glass tank
eco carpet (2x)
flukers 5.5" clamp lamp rated 75 watt
all living things 60 watt CHE bulb
zoomed 7 watt UTH
accurite digital thermometer with probe and humidity display

still need:
screen top with latches
2 hides (will get them when i know the size of the snake)
waterbowl
temp gun
thermostat-need experienced suggestion on this one

first question i have is the ceramic bulb i got says it needs to be used in a wire lamp, the lamp i have is just black metal. i am assuming they say you need a wire lamp so the reflector doesnt get too hot? will this still work? or is it an electrical fire waiting to happen?

do i need 2 uth devices? or will the one on one side and the heat lamp on the other be sufficent? (i have an old zoomed one laying around if i need it)

is there anything in my list that i have forgotten to add? any suggestions or advice or anything will be greatly appreciated. thank you.

[Kaorte]

You only really need one UTH unless you are not using lamps. I am not sure how your climate is where you live but a lamp or CHE will dry out the air in the tank very quickly and make it very hard to maintain proper humidity. If you can at all help it, don't use the lamp at all. If your ambient temps are around 75* or higher you are good to go. If they are a little too low you can get a lamp dimmer to use with the CHE and only turn it on a little bit just to raise the temp by a couple degrees.

My personal opinion of eco carpet is that it is a waste. Once that stuff gets introduced to a wonderfully huge BP poo, it will no longer be the same. Wash as you might, it will still smell like well...crap. I prefer paper towels, newspaper, or aspen. Cypress mulch will also work and helps to raise humidity.


As for the thermostat. I would recommend this one first: http://www.amazon.com/Hydrofarm-MTPR...1529683&sr=1-7
The next best and cheapest thermostat for single setups is the reptitemp 500r. If you can afford it, a ranco or johnson controls thermostat from http://reptilebasics.com would be your best bet.

I am fairly certain that you can use the ceramic heater in a clamp lamp as long as it has a ceramic socket. I don't really use CHE's or lamps at all for that matter.

[stevepoppers]

I've heard of bleaching the carpets. Seems like a lot more work than newspaper, though. I used a CHE in what seemed to me to be a plain lamp socket. Black outside, white inside. Set on top of wire mesh.