How does this revised tub set-up sound, what am I missing?

[Warm-blooded]

Allright how does this sound
Upgrade to a tub w/a border and insulation wrapped around three sides, and holes saudered in the sides and lid, as well as 2 bungee cords to hold down the top.
Which then will have the following
on the left side, two heat pads (or can I get away with one larger one?) to cover 1/3-1/2 the bottom controlled by a zoo med 500 R thermostat (but does this allow two heat pads to be plugged into it at once?), of which if a tub, melting shouldn't be a problem, as the thermostat won't allow it. Also, should I attach this directly to the plastic, or put foil here as well, to disperse heat and stop hot spots?
A single hole hide, of which the probe for the thermostat goes underneath under the substrate, in order to regulate.
On the right side/cold side, a matching hide as well as the light with a dimmer, downgrade the 100 watt in it to a 40-60 watt and dim it, and put it 8 inches above the top, as this house is around 65 and I want that to be 80-82 I am guessing on the cold.
Also a large bowl in the center, and reptibark fir-bark mixed with the coconut fibers to bump up humidity as the substrate.
A final question is, I need a digital thermometer and humidity reader too, do they offer this as a combo, and where do I place this, and where does the probe go for it go? As I do not understand how you get both the cold and warm side readings.
If there is anything I missed, or mistakenly am going to set up wrong, please point it out.
Thanks very much,
Warm-blooded

Also, I see people put foil around their tops for glass w/shiny side down, should I do this with the plastic top, and how do I leave an opening for it for the lamp? And do I need moss under the hides to help w/shedding or not?

[Inknsteel]

First, I think you're making a great decision by going with a tub instead of a glass tank. I, like a lot of others here, started with a tank and quickly changed to a tub and won't be looking back...

So, about your setup, here are just a couple things I would recommend...

-No need for a heat lamp above the tub. The lid is solid rather than being a mesh screen, so it's not going to do much good at all. The UTH should provide sufficient heat for the whole enclosure. Thermostat is a must. I have the 500R and haven't had any problems with it, but I know others have.
-I personally do not have foil lining the tub to disperse heat. I don't know if it's really necessary. I just forgot to put foil on mine before I stuck on the UTH.
-As for ventilation, I personally put holes in the front, back and sides of the tub, but none on top. I keep the top of my tub covered with a black blanket to block light and make my bp feel more secure.
-I do still offer identical hides, however some will say this is not necessary in a tub/rack setup.
-I also found that paper towels work best as substrate in my tub. I tried both cypress and aspen and both caused the humidity to jump way too high. With paper towels, I maintain 50-55% humidity, which can be adjusted during shed by adding a damp paper towel on top of one hide or by changing to a larger water dish.
-Digital thermometer/hygrometer is a must. The stick-on dials can be very inaccurate. They do sell combos. Most members here recommend an Accurite from Walmart or Lowes. I find it works best to put the probe inside the warm side hide, the actual unit on the cool side to measure cool side temp and humidity.

Sorry for the long post, but that's what I've found works best for me. Good luck with your setup, and don't forget to post some pics when you're done!

[Warm-blooded]

Sorry for the long post, but that's what I've found works best for me. Good luck with your setup, and don't forget to post some pics when you're done!

Thanks, don't worry about the long post, I got good info from it...

Alright so the lights out, and my other question would be then how big of a heat mat should I get for a tub around the size of a 20L, as I live in a cold climate (Pa), and the house is 65 degrees), and see that people use two as such, so I think I need to go bigger as well, but should I go one big one or should I go for two smaller ones, and what sizes for each? Also can they both be hooked up and controlled by one 500R if the wattage is the same, or is there only one outlet built on these? and by doing so with a UTH, will the temperture be correct on the coldside then, or does that mean when you run two, you put a large one on the warm side to and a smaller one on the cold? Also, what do I do with the top, does that get aluminum foil or not? and if plastic holds temp. better, is the insulation still needed on three sides as well, or just the background?

[Inknsteel]

Honestly, a lot of getting your setup right is going to be through trial and error. I think if you get a UTH that covers about 1/3 of the surface area, you'll be fine with one. Or, you could use two smaller ones. The 500R does have two outlets, so it would be fine to use two UTH on one t-stat as long as they are the same wattage. In theory, that will keep them at the same temp. I personally don't use any insulation other than the blanket on top of the tub, but my snake room is a little warmer than that. As for the top of the tub, foil isn't necessary as the solid lid holds in the heat and humidity. The nice thing about a tub setup is that it's pretty inexpensive, so you can afford to experiment more to get everything on point. And if it hasn't been said before, it's best to get your enclosure set up and stable before you bring home the snake. I'm glad I can help. I think it's great that you're doing your research and getting things set up properly. Your snake will thank you for it with a good feeding response and full sheds...