you should be willing to spend MUCH more on the enclosure than on the animal itself.

you absolutely NEED a thermostat if you have temperature fluctuations in the area you keep the snake in. Dimmer switches can be temporary fixes in situations where you need something quick. But let me repeat myself, dimmer switches can lead to dramatic temperature fluctuations in an unstable environment.

Your best bet is to invest the 90.00 or so and get a johnson controlls, a ranco or a herpstat or helix. Rich at Reptile Basics does wonderful things and will prewire everything and has the greatest customer service ever. (my Johnsons had a problem and he fixed it for me free of charge, all i had to do was pay to ship it to him).