Hi,

I hope I can answer some of your questions. First off... the 10 gallon: You don't have to trim the Flexwatt. You can either leave a couple inches hanging out or you can place it lengthwise. Your snake will find the warm spot so it doesn't matter what direction it's in.

It's a good idea to tape the flexwatt to the bottom of the tank using aluminum tape, then raise up the tank about a half inch using a couple pieces of wood. It's not a good idea to have the Flexwatt sandwiched in between the glass and your table, and I don't think a piece of cloth would be sufficient.

Finally, the thermostat probe should be placed directly on the Flexwatt or at least on the warm spot directly over the Flexwatt. You may have to increase the thermostat settings if it's placed directly on the Flexwatt because the warm side will probably be a few degrees cooler than the temp in direct contact with the Flex.

Good luck!