For sure get at least a rheostat/dimmer but preferably a thermostat, rheostats are crap unless your room temperature doesn't go up and down too much.
If the room temperature goes up 5 degrees so does the UTH(on a dimmer).
The uth temp should be read on the glass over the UTH inside the tank.
The hot spot should not go over 95 degrees directly on the glass.
If you set it to 93ish then cover with 1/2 inch to and 1 inch of bedding then your temps should be fine over the hot spot.
For the cool end you probably will need an over-head heat fixture whether that is a light or a ceramic heat emitter depends on you.
That needs to be in the middle of the lid but a little closer to the warm end of the tank so it heats up the warm end a little and the middle of the tank also.
Doing that should also bring your cool end temps up.
In general tanks just suck...![]()