I live in Mass and don't have a snake room (yet), so I can't have ambient room temps high enough to allow for a rack system. Well, the last few days I could (been miserable hot), but most of the year the ambient temp in my house is about 70 or so, hence my use of T8s.
Since a UTH doesn't do much of anything for the ambient temp in a tub (I've experimented), I'm gathering from you guys that I'd need to go with a CHE in a tank or something, in which case I'd just skip on the hognose. That or skip the hatchling phase and go with a more established hognose.
I would certainly defer to Deborah in all things snake, but since Craig lives in Mass also, can I ask how you did it with Cosmo? Did you get away with a tub and UTH or did you use a tank? That is assuming that you don't have a heated snake room.