I use under tank heat pad (UTH) made by zoo med specifically for reptiles. If you use a UTH then a thermostat is a must. I dont have a thermostat myself but I do use a rheostat and have been having success with it. You just need to have something that can be used to control the heat pad because they can get pretty hot. With the rheostat I usually set it very low and it keeps my warm side a nice 90 degrees F but I also use about 1 inch or so of cypress mulch or aspen. However, when I clean the tank I always put my hand inside to see just how hot the pad is getting and it just feels nice and warm not very hot. So basically you should be ok using a heat pad and I would strongly recommend it because belly heat is very important for proper digestion. Sorry this was such a long reply I just got to typing and cant get my fingers to shut up lol. Hope it helps.