(Semi) newbie here with many, MANY questions!

[EL-Ziggy]

I sure hope so. And there's still the ever-looming elephant in the room regarding his enclosure upgrade. Though there is a "quicker ship" option for the exact T8 model I'm considering from AP that looks tempting (approx. 30 days to ship instead of half a year or more).

Question is I'm not sure what changes regarding heating elements. I don't think my heat pad will still be compatible and I'd have to figure out how I'm going to "cage" the CHE so he doesn't burn himself on it since it won't be on the outside of the enclosure anymore.

You can use a UTH on pvc enclosures, you can also order a screen cutout on your AP enclosure and set your CHE on top, or you can upgrade and go with a RHP for your heat source.