What's the difference in reptile heat lamps ?

[Nadean]

Hi, my name is Nadean and I am preparing to bring home a Russian tortoise soon. I have a question about the heating lamps. I work in a hardware store and we sell the lamp clips just like the ones at Petco, Petsmart, and other online stores so what's the difference? Of course it is cheaper to buy from the hardware store but are those ones safe for tortoises?

Thanks in advance,

Nadean

 

[Nadean]

I mean clamps*

 

[jaizei]

The clamp lights from hardware stores are usually plastic sockets, unless they're brooder lights. If you can get a brooder light or light with a ceramic socket, then buying from a hardware store is fine.

 

[mini_max]

This is a clamp lamp from a pet store. They are dangerous in my opinion. They sag, and once mine came crashing down. Thank god max wasn't near at the time and I was! I have the back of the clamp fixed in place with screws in behind where you can't see which is the only reason I still use it. Perhaps your store carries something better?

 

[mini_max]

If you can't build a light stand onto the enclosure or suspend from the ceiling, I very much prefer lamp stands like this. They have a large, flat base that sits under the enclosure. Also, with those clamp lamps the bulb tends to wind up at an angle. If using a Mercury vapor bulb, keeping it tilted, I'm told, will shorten the bulbs already rather short life.

 

[Jodie]

I buy my fixtures at the hardware store. I don't use the clamps. I hang them from the ceiling.

 

[Nadean]

If you can't build a light stand onto the enclosure or suspend from the ceiling, I very much prefer lamp stands like this. They have a large, flat base that sits under the enclosure. Also, with those clamp lamps the bulb tends to wind up at an angle. If using a Mercury vapor bulb, keeping it tilted, I'm told, will shorten the bulbs already rather short life.View attachment 119182

Thank you, I did not think about it falling down. I was planing to clamp it to the tortoises habitat that is actually once was a bookcase.

 

[Nadean]

I buy my fixtures at the hardware store. I don't use the clamps. I hang them from the ceiling.

awesome, thanks!

 

[Nadean]

The clamp lights from hardware stores are usually plastic sockets, unless they're brooder lights. If you can get a brooder light or light with a ceramic socket, then buying from a hardware store is fine.

sockets meaning the part you plug into the wall? or something on the light clamp it self?

 

[jaizei]

sockets meaning the part you plug into the wall? or something on the light clamp it self?

Where you screw the bulb into.

 

[Nadean]

Where you screw the bulb into.

haha thanks!