1/ Depends on the wattage, just keep in mind cheap thermostat such as hydrofarm are prone to failure and when they do they usually fail wide open.
Investing in a quality t-stat which start $85 will give you the piece of mind, there are things you should not cut corner on t-stat are one of them.
When you think about price take in consideration safety and also the life or your t-stat 1 year or 2 years for an hydrofarm vs 10 years for an herpstat.
2/ No
3/ Over the year melamine will start sagging (been there done that), once it does you will have to build a new rack, PVC is lighter, does not sag and is fire retardant .
Food for the thoughts
This is not a cheap hobby, breeding cost money so make sure that you are prepared to spend and lose money, you may make a return and have your hobby pay for itself at some point but you will have to be smart about it to do so, breeding a pastel male will not get you there and you will lose money and since you mention not being able to afford a reliable t-stat this is something you need to seriously think about.
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