Im new here and also new to this community so I'm not real sure this is even where I should be posting this at but I have a few questions that I figured could best be answered by people with first hand experience. I haven't purchased an iguana yet and am about to start building a cage. Its going to be 2' x 3' x 5' tall with a wood and wire mesh construction. For lighting and heating I was planing on using a mercury vapor light, does anyone else do this? My only concerns are that the light should be turned off at night and therefore so will the heat. Will this hurt my iguana. If anyone has any tips or constructive criticism that may help me please feel free to tell me.

Try checking the reptileuv website, they sell both mercury vapor bulbs that produce the UVB iganas need, and heat emitters that wont burn at the touch.
Another option is a ceramic heat emmiter. But ill let the ig owners chime in here.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

I swear by the bulbs on reptileuv.com.
For night heat I just keep the room warm, but some people use ceramic heat emitters for night heating.

Be warned that you will have to upgrade your tank, a 2x3ft footprint will not be enough in the long run. If you are going to start out so large you might want to just go all out, if the iguana is allowed plenty of time out you can get by with a 4x4ft footprint, although I found it to be inefficient by the time my iguana was 4 years old and went with a 4x6ft.

Have you got a source for the afore mentioned iguana? I ask because it is a great idea to adopt an unwanted iguana from a rescue rather than supporting the pet trade by purchasing from a shop.

Kudos to you for researching rather than impulse buying!

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Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it.

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

I also swear by the Reptile UV lights. At night I use a ceramic heat emitter (Ceramic Heat Emitter) in the winter, but not in the warmer months.

I'm happy to hear that you're researching BEFORE purchasing! I'm sure one of the things you've discovered is that iguanas need very large enclosures. I'm also glad to hear that you're not planning to put your ig in a 10 gallon tank! But in a few short years, you'll need a larger cage than what you currently have planned.

In my opinion, a solid enclosure is much easier to regulate for heat and humidity. Wire mesh is fine if you live in a warm climate, but should be avoided or covered for winters in cooler areas. There are a few important things to note about wire mesh:
-Anything less than about 1/2 inch will filter too much UVB.
-Chicken wire will cut your iguana's toes as he gets older and heavier
-You'll want to use welded wire, not woven wire (pictures attached) because toes can get caught between the weave
-plastic or rubber coated wire is fine, but you'll need to keep an eye on wear (UVB is very harsh on most materials.

Welded Wire


Woven Wire


Oh, and welcome to Herp Center!

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~~Steph

"This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." John Steinbeck

What Lacey said. Please consider adopting. I know our local rescue has a dozen that need homes. They range from small to full grown.

Also on reptile UV, there is a non-light heat emitter. I have it for my frogs and works great. Its promised not to burn.

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My name is Liz
Do what's best for the animal, not what's best for you.

I, too, use a Megaray from reptileuv.com for my iguana. It's the only UVB I've used and have never had any problems. For nighttime heat I use a Ceramic Heat Emitter.

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Valerie

I will also recommend the Mega Ray by ReptileUV. I use it with all of my UV requiring reptiles and love it.

The heat shouldn't be turned off at night unless you intended on using JUST the light. The light wouldn't even be enough heat for an enclosure made of mesh. The heat will simply go right through the mesh and into the room.

It could however, pending its wattage, be enough for an adequate basking spot alone. I doubt that would be the case though.

I suggest using the Mega-Ray HP (Heat Projector) in addition to the light. You may find, pending the rooms ambient temperatures, that you require even more heat to maintain a proper gradient.

In addition to the heat issues, you are also going to have humidity issues. Unless you intend on keeping the room extremely humid, you will have an extremely hard time getting the humidity correct.

My suggestion is that you scrap your initial plans and rethink this construction project.

You should have 3 solid walls wich would include the back and sides. The front could be plexiglass, lexan, or glass. This type of structure would keep heat and humidity in.

You can add several "vents" for air circulation on the sides and the front or back of the enclosure.

To save additional money in the future, you should build the enclosure for the adult size the iguana will reach. If you build too small now, it will need enlarging in the future.

Just a note: Iguanas don't grow to the size of their enclosure. If being cared for properly, they will grow to their adult length regardless as to the enclosures size.

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I live in south-east Texas so humidity is no problem seeing as how we live with 60 to 100% humidity 98% of the time. It is also a very warm climate here with mild winters. From what I read about the mercury vapor bulbs they provide alot of heat and UV. My house stays at about 75 to 80 degrees most of the time, would this be ok as a temp range for an iguana other than the basking lamp?

As far as adopting. I looked on the internet for some but didn't find any in my area and am not going to drive a long way to get one. None of the places I saw would ship and some even wanted to come and inspect my home before I could adopt. That is a bit more of a hassle than I care to deal with but would bemore than happy to adopt if it could be a little more convenient.

My last iguana was 5'5" but I was uneducated when I owned her and I ended up giving her to someone with more time and experience. That was about 10 years ago and now my daughter and myself would like to have one. I plan on doing things the right way this time. My last one was a free roamer but also had a 4x4x6 pin. It was made of plywood and had two wooden sides, a welded wire door and a plexie glass front. The thing about the heat and humidity is what I am wondering about. When I had my last one she didn't seem to mind the the temp and humidity in the house and really only chose to go back in her pin to eat and do her business.

I know that this cage will only be livable for about 2 years but I am currently remodeling my shop and the iguana will most likely be moving out there when it is completed simply because I have alot more room out there.

I based most of what I am attempting on Mellisa Kaplins writings, she seem to know what she's talking about.

I want to thank everyone for their input and would love to hear more tips and info it any of you would like to share.

Most good rescues will want to check your house out before you adopt, its less of a hassle then it sounds, and there usualy willing to work with you if they think you'll make a good house for the animal.
Rescues want to place there animals in homes, but not if its somewhere worse then where they already are. From the sounds of it, and the research your doing, i'm sure you'd be given the okay.

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"Nobody can do Everything, but Everybody can do Something."

Keep an eye on your local classified ads and craigslist... I often find iguanas at both.

Regarding temps: 85 F is about as low as you want to go for daytime ambient temps, of course the basking area needs to be about 95-98 F. For night time, you can allow the temps to drop into the mid 70's.

Do you have a copy of Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owner's Manual by James W. Hatifield, III? It's a great book, and a must-have resource for all iguana owners.

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~~Steph

"This I believe: That the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world." John Steinbeck