The issue is the shipping. I can get free shipping with petsmart. (Trust me, I would rather give money to animal plastics any day, i have heard nothing but outstanding things of them. It's just another $50 I don't have (another 45 with the flex watt and the holes for the lamps). That's 300 right there. However, now that I know, I'm going to start saving up for a t8 but I will probably get the exoterra just for the mean time. Because i have a humidifier in there, I don't need to worry about the humidity problems that i've heard the exo terra cages come with.
Or I can also price how much it would be to modify a regular 40 gal. I was rather intrigued by that sticky thread.
Another question I have with the t8, does it have a raised bottom or would I need to buy a separate stand? (assuming flexwatt works the same way, I've never used it) I'm assuming the simple on/off tstat i have would work with the flex watt as well?