UTH on the side of the tank is standard, I would say. Most people seem to use that to create good temperature (I personally use bulbs to create heat). Like I said before, UTH on the bottom creates very little effective heat.
About the live plants, there are many topics about plants for red-eyes. If you are afraid of the "extra work", go get a pothos (
Epipremnum aureum). It's excellent for climbing and hiding, it grows very fast, it grows everywhere (it uses roots to attach itself to objects), it can be grown epiphytically (which mean that you don't need to water them traditionally, they get their moist through the leaves), it's sturdy and it's hard to kill. If you ask me, they're the optimal red-eye plant.
Here's my terrarium. You see the leaves that are absolutely everywhere, from the top to bottom, left to right? That's the pothos!
EDIT: You need to select a country in your profile. You agreed to do that when you accepted the license of agreement (I believe).