1) The light, if just used occasionally will be perfectly fine for your BP. BPs don't need a light cycle, but you mentioned that the light is purely for your viewing. I would leave it off when you aren't using it for viewing, but otherwise you're fine with that light.
2) You want to get the actual surface temp (the glass below the substrate) for your hotspot using your thermo gun.
You also want to get the ambient (air temps) temps using a regular thermometer. This is where the temp gradient comes into play creating a cool
and a warm side.
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