# Does reptile clamp lights work for fish tank?



## EntoCraig (Jun 7, 2010)

Yes, I have used these in the past on several tanks. Just be aware that little droplets of ware love to work there way into open lighting and cause rust or water buildup. Not a major concern in most cases but worth noting.


----------



## diwu13 (Sep 20, 2011)

Yes a lot of people do use these. They remove the clamp and instead attach it to some fixture for a more stylish look. I wouldn't really worry about humidity though, if you have a glass cover or if the lights are far enough away from the water.


----------



## Michiba54 (Nov 24, 2011)

You can buy slightly different looking clamp lights at home depot for 3~5 dollars an get some grill spray paint. Zoo Med also makes a stand for those kind of lights, but I donno if they can go high enough for most planted tank needs.


----------



## aweeby (Oct 1, 2011)

Michiba54 said:


> You can buy slightly different looking clamp lights at home depot for 3~5 dollars an get some grill spray paint. Zoo Med also makes a stand for those kind of lights, but I donno if they can go high enough for most planted tank needs.


+1 to that. 
You can make a rack for hanging those lights pretty easy. Just get some metal piping and screw it into the stand. I used yardsticks and and spare lumber for mine but it's in the garage so it doesn't have to look great.


----------



## somewhatshocked (Aug 8, 2011)

Check my 12gal journal for more details about the lamp stands. I'm using two of them. They come in two sizes and can extend to quite high.

The black light fixtures work pretty well. Some come with highly polished interiors that reflect quite a bit more light than the standard hardware store clamp lamps. Most of the ZooMed line have ceramic parts that both insulate from movement and protect against moisture damage (as many of them are used in high humidity environments).


----------



## Algae Beater (Jun 3, 2011)

in a word ... yes! i have used these domes many times over various tanks. CFLs are PAR monsters!


----------



## Linsanity (Feb 23, 2012)

Thank you all for the input!
I thought those are specifically made for reptiles and produce extra heat, and I really don't want more heat since I'd seen my fish tank water goes up above 90f in summer time...I have no working space to do the paint job so I might just get these if I can't find what I wanted for my new tank.


----------



## Michiba54 (Nov 24, 2011)

Linsanity said:


> Thank you all for the input!
> *I thought those are specifically made for reptiles and produce extra heat*, and I really don't want more heat since I'd seen my fish tank water goes up above 90f in summer time...I have no working space to do the paint job so I might just get these if I can't find what I wanted for my new tank.


No, they can use a hotter bulb then a desk lamp without your house burning down, but they don't aid in add to it. That being said CFL don't really get that hot... at least the one I just touched isn't :biggrin: Think its 13w


----------

