If you are using a lamp designed for basking/brooding, you shouldn’t have any problems. They are designed for long term use. You want a ceramic socket in the lamp and to be sure it is rated for the wattage bulb or ceramic heat emitter that you use. A dimmer will work, but I personally recommend using a thermostat to ensure you don’t overheat your new pet. Your heat mat absolutely needs a thermostat as they can get very hot and potentially cause burns.

It’s best to have a cage set up a few days to dial in temperature and humidity before placing an animal in them, but if you work on it today you should be able to get it mostly dialed in. You should also probably search the forum for the best ways to set up a tank for ball pythons. There’s a wealth of information here and everyone is really helpful.

Congratulations on your new pet and....