Regarding the wires, I took the advice of the tank queen (Argenta) and put paper towels underneath the aspen. Its easy to see if the paper towels get stained, and makes cleaning the tank easier.

Anyways I put all the wires underneath the paper towels and rip a little hole in them to poke the thermometer heads through so the temps reflect the level she is on, and the actual temps she experiences. The wires are all hidden away and my BP can't get tangled up in them. She has never tried to burrow under the paper towel lining. It also minimizes the chance that she could burrow in the aspen and end up lying directly on the glass above the heater.