I sure hope when you both write "veggies" you mean:

'a variety of good, leafy dark greens, with some squash or other hard vegetable grated and spinkled on top, then topped off with a bit of fruit every once in a while, as a treat'

Also, when you refer to "hard food" you actually mean:

'A good-quality commercial iguana food that has been soaked in water prior to feeding and provided as a supplement to the already well-balanced diet'

Also, Iguanid, a few things:

-Non-natural D3 = Bad for health.
-Basking temps = 90-95F (low 100's is way too hot for iguanas).
-Fresh vegetables, freshly chopped or grated are far better nutritionally than frozen.

What brand and model of UVB lamp are you using? What is the distance from the lamp to the basking shelf? How old is the lamp? How long do you keep it on during the day?

Just a few thoughts. I hope you don't mind.

__________________
Regards,
Dominick
_____________________________________________
"Do you watch too much television? Did you do so as a toddler? Evidence tonight that it could be the cause of learning disorders, like attention deficit and hyperact-Ooooh, a kitty!" - Keith Olbermann

I'm always willing to learn so I don't mind at all. Yes the veggies are in a variety. He gets fruit every 2 or 3 days. I checked the calcium and it doesn't have D3 in it. That was from when I owned Leopard Geckos. The basking temps are usually around 95, and rarely hit the 100's. They are about 10 inches from his basking spot(the UV and light). They are on for about 12 hours a day. As for the frozen veggies, I asked around on the net and got the suggestion to use a supplement that had B1 in it. The hard food is a top quality brand, but is only made wet by the veggies. I think that about covers the points you made. Thanks for bringin it up Dom, it gave me a chance to double check a few things to make sure I had em right. For future referance, if anyone has any suggestions or notices I'm puttin something down that I shouldn't, tell me. It's a great way to learn.

Thanks
Jordan

What brand is the UVB bulb and how old? All bulbs are definately NOT created equal!
What brand of pellet are you feeding. Even some of the "name brands" have animal protien in them as a filler. I recommend RepCal pellets and they should be soaked in water to aid in hydrating the ig.

__________________
Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Ah yes diet. There is a lot of work you need to do to the diet but it is too much info to cover in a small thread like this. I suggest going over the the Green Ig Society's Diet and Feeding pages (click here), another easier to use diet site is that from The Iguana Den (click here for the diet page).

Re-read what Dominick put up in the previous post. The basis of the ig's diet should be dark leafy wet greens such as:
Collards
Mustard
Turnip
Dandelion

These greens should then be topped with a large and rotating variety of veggies specifically hard winter type squash like butternut or acorn.

The hard pellets can be ok for the ig but should be soaked and wet when they get eaten. As they are dry in the can they are just awaiting moisture and will soak it up like a sponge. When the pellets are eaten dry they suck the water out of the ig and push the animal to a dehydrated state. Many of us us a little bit of Rep-Cal brand Pellets which we soak in water for about 5 minutes before adding to the salad. I use about 1/8th of a cup of dry pellets, then soaked, per full dinner plate of greens and veggies each morning later in the day I usually put down a second plate of greens.

About the UVB lamp. What brand and model do you use? Most of them have the brand stamped on it, you can turn it off and then read that label. Is there anything like a glass or plastic cover over the lamp?

__________________
~ Mark

Hi Jordan-

Thanks for the reply and not minding my tongue-in-cheek interrogation.

I think you can see that we are getting to UVB lamp use by asking very specific questions. As the others said, UVB lamps are not created equal, generally the cheaper they are the poorer the UVB output and since UVB is critical to the iguanas lifespan and health, it is important to use the right lamp and use it properly.

So, the three main questions about UVB:

What specific brand and model is it (some are way better than others)?
How old is it (age determines output in many lamps)?
How close is it (using the correct fluorescent lamps at the correct distance is necessary for correct UVB exposure)?

Ditch the calcium and D3. Exogenous D3 can be harmful to the iguana. All you need is plain old calcium carbonate, and then only if the diet is inadequate and the UVB exposure poor. If diet and UVB are correct, you don't need to offer extra calcium unless the iguana is ill or gravid.

Supplementing B-vitamins to frozen veggies is acceptable, but frozen veggies should really only be used in an emergency. Fresh is best, and more nutritious.

RepCal Iguana Food is recommended most for having the best amount of the "right" ingredients. Also, as Mark pointed out, it is critical to soak the pellets for a few minutes before feeding, for all the reasons he stated. Dry food dehydrates, and dehydration is the number one most chronic problem with captive iguanas.

__________________
Regards,
Dominick
_____________________________________________
"Do you watch too much television? Did you do so as a toddler? Evidence tonight that it could be the cause of learning disorders, like attention deficit and hyperact-Ooooh, a kitty!" - Keith Olbermann

Ok well I'll check on all these things and make some adjustments for tomorrow. He's already eaten today. Anyways, thanks for all the pointers and helping me give him a better place to live.

Jordan