Welcome and advice from a fellow newb:

The under-tank heat pads don't mention anywhere on their packaging that they need to be used in conjunction with a thermostat controller, but THEY DO. I made the mistake of using one without and it nearly burned my house down. Never. Again.

Also, I advise getting your BP on fresh killed prey as soon as possible! There are threads you don't want to see full of pictures of the damage that live prey can do to your snake. I know this sometimes is a controversial topic, but once I found out how easy it is to pre-kill a mouse and then feed it to my snake with a pair of tongs, I was elated, and have never looked back!