I think what I get from this is that you don't know how to put the heat lamp and heat pad on a tub? Sorry if I'm wrong. I have a tub for my snake and I also live in the upper northeast, so I assure you using a tub is perfectly possible. All you'll need to do is attach the heat pad (with a dimmer) on the bottom of the tub and somehow elevate the heat lamp a few inches above the tank. Drill many holes in a small area of the lid of the tub and that's how the heat will get in and how the snake breathes. Don't drill any other holes as that will let humidity escape. The dimmer in the heat pad will be used to make sure the heat pad is at the current temperature. When measuring for the temp of the heat pad, aim the temp gun at the bottom of the tank, under the bedding where the heat pad covers. My tub is a bit tall so I placed it under an unused desk and used the clamp from the heat lamp and clamped it onto the edge of the desk.