I started out with one snake and kept her in tubs. First using dimmers for the heat pads and then went and bought a Herpstat 2 and some flexwatt.

For someone with ONE snake in a cold apartment, I'd recommend using small plastic tubs until the snake is old enough for a display cage.

You'll start out with a 15qt tub, then as the snake grows bump it up to a 32qt, then maybe a 41qt so they get used to the size, and then to a 3x2 or 4x2 plastic display cage. You still may have to insulate the display cage but it will at least look nicer in the end than a tank would.

Using a glass tank for this person's situation is not feasible. They are heavy, fragile, hard to keep properly heated, drafty, and the glass will always try to be the temperature of the room. I know I don't want my snake resting up against 50 degree glass. That's going to leach the heat out of the snake and cause illness.

All that is needed is a thermostat(digital not analog), flexwatt digital thermometer/hygrometer, small tub w/lid, bungee cords or binder clips, newspaper for bedding, 1-2 hides, water bowl, and possibly some foil tape so you can tape the flexwatt onto a shelf so it doesn't wiggle around. That's it!