Hang your bulbs and heat emitters safely above your box turtle’s home on this Reptile Lamp Stand from Zoo Med. No more bumping lamps attached to the cage. Or having to move hot lamps to get access to the cage (because face it, planning far enough ahead to turn them off & let them cool just doesn’t happen!).

This stand is also invaluable if you’re using self-ballasted mercury vapor bulbs, which need to point straight down. That’s a whole lot easier when it’s hanging instead of clamped to the habitat.

And it just feels safer to hang hot lamps rather than set them on top of the cover. Call us crazy, but we’re just not big fans of fire!

Keep reading for more about Zoo Med’s Repti Lamp Stand:

Jump to the Section You’re Most Interested In
.                     Sizes                     Features                    Using it Safely
.                         Pros & Cons                     Where to Buy

This Lamp Stand Comes in Two Sizes

We know that when it comes to box turtle habitats, one size does not fit all. Depending on the space you have available—along with time, energy and money—your boxie’s homes come in all kinds of shapes and sizes.

So we’re happy to see this very convenient item is even more useful in two different sizes:

• Small: Adjusts up to 24 inches tall and 12 inches long (arm length). According to Zoo Med, it’s suitable for terrariums up to 20 gallons.
• Large: This stand is adjustable to between 20 and 38 inches tall. Yhe arm can extend between 8 and 15 inches. It works well for terrariums between 20 and 100 gallons.

Of course, many boxie owners don’t use standard terrariums. If that’s you, you’ll just need to do some height and width measurements to figure out which one’s best for you.

Keep in mind that your lamp fixture is going to hang down from the arm. Take into account both the length of the lamp fixture and how far above the top of the cage you want it to hang when deciding how tall your stand needs to be.

For example, if your habitat is 18 inches tall, you’re using a 9-inch tall lamp fixture and you want it to hang about two inches above the top of your habitat, the lamp stand needs to be about 29 inches tall. You’d need the larger size.

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Lamp Stand Features

This stand is made of steel for strength and long life. It’s painted to protect the steel.

The wide base helps keep it stable. But the base does need to be weighted down.

Both the height and arm length are adjustable. So you can set them just how you need them to keep your box turtle warm and cozy. And readjust as needed.

It has safety clips to hold the lamp cord securely out of your way (and out of the way of any little hands or paws that might be tempted to play with it).

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Thoughts on Using the Reptile Lamp Stand

You will need to put the stand together when you get it. But it’s pretty self-explanatory and for the most part takes just a minute or two.

Paint Overspray

A few reviewers had trouble with the screw holes being painted closed or almost closed. This can make it hard to screw in the nylon knobs without breaking them. Gently working them back and forth will usually open up the holes. Or take a screw driver or file and open the holes before putting it together.

Keep in mind that when items with holes are spray painted, it’s almost impossible not to block those holes a little. This isn’t really a defect. It’s just an annoying side effect of a common manufacturing process.

Sturdiness/Stability

A few reviewers also found it somewhat unstable/not very sturdy. It’s possible they were not weighing down the base. And that set-up is indeed unsafe.

This stand is not designed to be free-standing. It needs weight on its base for stability. The best way to do this is to rest the terrarium or other cage on the base. If your set-up doesn’t allow you to put the base under the habitat, the next best solution is to put something heavy on it to prevent accidental tipping.

Adjustments/Final Setups

Once you have the base stabilized, just adjust the height and arm length so your lamp hangs where you want it. Keep in mind that many heat lamps should not be placed inside the habitat. Make sure you make it tall enough that the bulb hangs above the cage and doesn’t create a fire or burn hazard.

Thread the power cord through the guides/clips to keep it neat, secure and out of the way. This helps prevent accidental tugs that could unhook the lamp from the hook. Or tip the whole thing over if it’s not weighted down correctly.

Although the stand is obviously designed for hanging lamps, clamp-lamps can still be used with it. One possible solution is to clamp the lamp onto the arm and fit the loop on the clamp over the hook.

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Pros and Cons of the Zoo Med Reptile Lamp Stand

 
In terms of safety and simplicity, this stand has a lot going for it. The cons are, for the most part, minor and easily fixable.
Pros:

• Strong and durable steel construction.
• Easy to put together and adjust (in most cases).
• Keeps bulbs safely above your habitat and pointing straight down.
• Safer than a clamp lamp, which could come unclamped and fall into the habitat, burning your pet or starting a fire.
• Keeps lamps off the habitat cover.
• Helps prevent accidental burns (to you or your pet) or accidentally knocking lamp off cage
• Helps minimize bumps and vibrations to your bulbs. And that can help keep them from burning out too early (some bulbs are very sensitive to movement, especially while hot).
• Works with a variety of lamp fixtures, including metal domes and wire baskets. Will work with clamp lamps, too.
• Keeps lamp cord neat and contained by the safety clips.
• Adjustable knobs make it easy to change the height/arm length. So you can set it up to fit your habitat now. And if you rearrange later, you can readjust it to keep your boxie warm and cozy.

Cons:

• It does require assembly, and a few reviewers had some trouble with this.
• If paint overspray is blocking holes, you’ll need to be careful not to strip the nylon screws.
• If you’re using a double lamp (like the Deep Dome Combo fixtures), you’ll need to find another way to secure the second cord. The included clips only secure one cord. But black wire ties or Velcro fasteners work well and are mostly hidden against the black paint.

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Check Prices and Availability

Are you ready for a simple solution to keeping your boxie’s heat and light bulbs safe and secure? The following retailers had the stand in stock as of this writing.

We link to the larger size, but some sellers also have the small one in stock.

• PetSmart appears to sell only the large size lamp stand
• That Pet Place also sells only the bigger size
• Entirely Pets sells both the large and small sizes of this stand
• Amazon also sells both sizes of the reptile stand

 

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