I don't keep retics, but maybe I can be somewhat helpful with your heating questions.
In my experience using tubs, they do not insulate well. You may have been thinking about pvc cages, which do insulate better. Tubs are a lot better at keeping humidity in (although you will still need to put in several air holes).
Are you using a UTH to create a hot spot for him and if so, will it be connected to a thermostat?
I had a tub setup for one of my BPs using a UTH for the hot spot and it was not enough to heat the ambient (air) temp to the mid 70's. In my case, the best option to raise the ambient temp in my tub was to buy a heat lamp (red light) that had a dimmer switch and hang it on a lamp stand above the tub center. I played with the dimmer switch until the lamp was keeping my tub temps on the cool side at about 76-78. This setup seemed to work very well in my case, but I had to adjust the height of the stand, the placement, and the dimmer to get the temps I needed. A similar setup should work for you, but it will take some tweaking before you will have the temps where you need them.
Another side note: I love using luggage belts / straps on my tubs to make sure the snakes can't push out. With a retic, I would definitely use a couple of these and go with a sturdier tub with a lid that isn't as flexible.
Good luck!
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