UTH's or flexwatt are the way to go, but yes, you need to put something between the glass and the substrate (shaved aspen is great). We bought "repti mat", made by ESU upon which we have shaved aspen.

You'll need a theromstat to regulate the temperatures...in fact, you can get everything you need from Matt at MG Reptiles. He's a really nice guy who can help you select everything need and he's a regular here on these forums: http://www.mgreptiles.com/