Ken did well to answer most of your questions. One suggestion I have though for any undertank heater is to get some sort of temperature control mechanism. There are lots of good ones out there that others are far more informed of. If you want to go cheaper, like I do, you can pick up a rheostat. Just know that if you pick up a rheostat, you are going to need to monitor your temps every single day, a couple of times per day to adjust the slider. I have my little girl right in my room so I check the temps when i first wake up, adjust the rheostat as needed, I check them once during the day & re-adjust if need be & then I check them before I go to sleep. Hope that helps a bit.