The T8's are great but, as mentioned above, are a little short and can make cleaning a little inconvenient. I have 3 T8's and a rack from AP and I have had no issues. The quality is far above anything else I have. They are more then helpful for custom requests but expect long delays on delivery no matter what item you order. My T8's were quick ship and it took nearly 6 weeks to receive them. My rack was about 4 months before I received it. Aside from the very long delivery times, I would recommend AP to anyone who wants quality and doesn't mind a bit of assembly required.
-To answer your questions:
- I use Orchid Bark or Cypress Mulch and have 0 humidity issues without a humidifier in the room. I live in Las Vegas and its VERY dry here.
- I use the 11 inch Flex Watt on a Herpstat thermostat in a room that stays 75-77 degrees year around and have no issues with maintaining a good hot spot and proper ambient temperature.
- I prefer the sliding glass doors but for no particular reason except I like them.