Great, thank you for those tips! I've been wondering about a thermostat option. I know I am really going to need one come winter as the room the amphibians are in can get cool. I have the heat in there (main house heat) set to a minimum of 21 C using a digital thermostat but I'm sure it is still going to fluctuate a bit.

I'm thinking I'll put the heat mat on a thermostat and ensure that the tank is constantly at a minimum set temperature. I'll leave the ceramic heater on all the time. This should help protect him from temperature drops at night when the room may get colder. It will mean that the night/day difference may not be much at all, but I'm thinking this is the better option?