I will take him out as much as possible but that isn't always possible because there are other things in life like work that I must take care of as well. The problem I have with the emiter is that while it seems to make the temperature gradient just right, it really really evaporates water. I have to constantly mist the enclosure many times a day. I don't know, maybe a bulb will do the same. Regardless, in case I need to get a bulb, any idea of insulating materials etc? Or do I have to shell out again for a new florescent tube fixture?

If I simply use the heat emitter, will the iguana still want to go to the basking spot? I mean, the florescent tube doesn't give off much "sun tanning heat from above" feel, and I don't know if the ig will be attracted to lie there if it doesn't feel those rays like a lamp would give, or is it just the heat that attracts it to lie there? It IS the highest part of the enclosure, unless it climbs on the mesh.

OK so you have a Ceramic Heat Emitter right? What wattage is it? You can run the Ceramic Heat Emitter and the tube at the same time. Just make sure there is open space between the tube fixture and the Ceramic Heat Emitter. For instance, I would put the tube light against the wall over the basking shelf but would have the Ceramic Heat Emitter down facing in the near center of the cage top.

If the Ceramic Heat Emitter is in the middle of the top and the cage is somewhat solid then the warmest place with be the top shelf. This top shelf will be the spot the ig spends much of its time and where the UV tube should be.

If you don't have a Ceramic Heat Emitter one would be a good choice for heating. I have used household bulbs for about all 10 years I've had my ig. Water dragons and igs have almost the same housing requirements so input from keepers of other lizards can help you. You want the cage to stay above about 75 F or 24 C at night and with a dark heater (non light emitting) for this a Ceramic Heat Emitter is great but I would not go over 100 W. If you need more than 100 W of power for heating during the day using a common house bulb is not a problem.

You mention insulating materials, you have many options. Are you trying to insulate the cage or the tube fixture? For the cage it depends on what you have the walls made out of. If the cage is made with a mesh wall anything you wrap around the cage to slow the air flow will help a lot. Any type of wood paneling or plexi-glass will work to replace mesh in the walls. I use a heavy canvas fabric but I won't use a heating element over 75 W. If your walls are solid wood right now more traditional building techniques can be used, such as ridged pink foam-board insulation around the outside of the cage. If you have a mesh top to the cage you will lose a lot of heat off the top. Just like your mom may have said, put a hat on. If you start to close off the top it will become much easier to heat.

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~ Mark

To rip this thread back to the topic in the subject line.

I run a much stronger UV lamp 12 hours on 12 hours off.

Take the lizard outside into the sun when you can. We all understand that this is not daily, or even weekly, because of seasons where I am my ig won't be back outside for about 4.5 months. One half hour in good-bright-unfiltered-natural sunlight (can I qualify this anymore when I am just saying outside? ha!) is worth about the same as a whole day under the tube light you bought.

__________________
~ Mark

As requested these are pictures of the flourescent fixtures I use. As you can see this is not the one in the cage but it is the same fixrure.

Attached Images

	DSC01024.JPG (12.7 KB, 4 views)
	DSC01025.JPG (9.9 KB, 3 views)
	DSC01026.JPG (9.4 KB, 7 views)

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!