Hey. i am a new iguana owner and got alot of bad information from the pet store on how to care for it and proper housing so now I am building him a new home. His name is Bart and he is a healthy green iguana. his skin that he seems to be trying to shed isn't falling off though. i don't know what to do. i let him swim in the bathtub everyday to get exercise and help him shed and he seems happy while doing that. i live in whitecourt alberta and here we have hard water but I have a water softener which is supposed to help him out alot. i purchased it right as soon as I knew I wanted an iguana. I am building a 5' by 5' deep by 6.5' tall habitat which will be ina corner of my room. he is eating squash, broccolli, cauliflower, bell peppers, and other vegetables. i was wondering if I should include some fruit in his diet? if anyone has any care sheets or books for a green iguana can u please mail them to me because I do not have printer. Please send me anything u want. thank you. i really appreciate it. i will be making the habitat out of 2 by 2's and was wondering what type of wood I should use and wut sort of wire I should use for the doors the rest of it other than the top and the front will be solid plywood. should I insulate it? my room is always at about 30 degrees celcius. just to make sure htat it is warm enough in there for him. he is in a 5 or 10 gallon tank so it should be warm enough in there for him. i keep his tank at 60 percent humidity. is this alright? Please send me any information u have. i need to know this so I can keep him alive I have had him for about 2-3 weeks now and I am getting concerned. one of his toes had fallen off before I got him and he was very skinny I have got him to a healthy fat size but I need to know how to get rid of the infection of his toe. it goes away a little bit but comes back how can I get rid of it completely? please help. thanks chris.

Hello,

Welcome to the HC Network Chris. I have to be honest bud, but the questions you are asking about diet and other "basic" care you should already know. Iguanas are not easy or cheap to keep. You have ALOT of reading to do on this species. I will start you out with this:

Iguana Care Information

If you don't have a printer, then take notes. You will notice I removed your address information from the post above. That isn't allowed.

Read that caresheet several times, and you need to go out and purchase some literature. I suggest getting "Green Iguana, the Ultimate Owners Manual" by James Hatfield as well as "Iguanas For Dummies" by Melissa Kaplan.

There is a lot to know about Green Iguanas in order to provide for them correctly. A simple post won't be able to answer everything.

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i have been doing research ever since I got the iguana and he is healthy. i just need some advice on the cage.!!!

Welcome to HC Network. Congrats on your new little green guy...but I have to agree with Rich....you need to read the care sheet ...you didnt mention greens in your diet at all...that should make up the bulk of his diet. You also mentioned an infected toe...for that he needs a vets care...without proper care, the infection will spread and he will die. He also needs UVB lighting which will cost anywhere from $20 to $80 depending where and what kind you buy. If you have specific questions, let us know,...we are here to help you....good luck and enjoy the site.....

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

welcome to HC! glad you joined us. good luck with the ig.

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Chris,

Welcome to Herp Center! Please read ALL that you can and you will do just fine.
Pet stores tend to give alot of incorrect information due to lack of knowledge and because it's a bussiness. Good luck and keep us posted!

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Steve

Welcome to the HCN

Welcome to HerpCenter.
I am sorry but based on the information you have been posting and the questions you are asking you haven't done NEAR enough research. You have no idea about UVB lighting. Your iguana's diet is drastically in need of an overhaul. And the fact that the iguana's toe has "fallen off" and the infection continues to spread indicates the need for a visit to a vet. Iguanas are a complicated, difficult and expensive animal to properly care for.

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Merlin,
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