THANKS for all your replies - it means a lot to me.

I feel so awful...I should have done a bit more research before taking her home...I figured the Pet Smart people only know the basics if that. I will upgrade her food ASAP she will be fed next Saturday - at her thickest part she is approx. 2" - not very thick yet poor thing is probably hungry. Do you think I should try to feed her rat pups? Has anyone else heard about rats being more nutritious?

As for the the UTH I just have it stuck to the bottom of the tank...no thermostat hooked up. My next thing I will focus on is getting the heating correct. I haven't come across acurite products in Canada...I am thinking of buying a BIOS system that has 3 sensors and can be read wirelessly outside the tank.

Please forgive my ignorance and thanks again for being so helpful.