Hey! I took my ig to the vet in edmonton today to find out what the black spots were on the side of him and they said that it was a fungal infection and gave me some antibiotic to get rid of it so he will be alright. he said it comes from either high or low humidity. he asked what type of flooring I was using and I told him. He suggested some other stuff. it is called "Forest Floor, Expandable Substrate" it is a "T-Rex" product. it helps to keep the humidity level constant is easy to use and is 100 percent organic! it is also highly absorbent and is harmless to them if ingested. and it expands 7 to 8 times its original packaged size so it doesn't take much to fill the bottom of your tank. You guys should check it out. My ig loves to dig and bury himself in it for the wetness and humidity and to hide in without having to go in his cave.you can check it out at www.t-rexproducts.com under the reptile products section and then click on T-rex Substrates. this stuff is awesome. i strongly recommend it for anyone who has a hard time with humidity or with a reptile that likes to dig and bury himself underneath stuff. can someone check it out and tell me what they think?

Seems alright to me, though I dont keep iguanas, i know only what I read about them, maybe one of the other ig owners can give some more advice...

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Jayr & Mandy Robinson
J&M Herp Shack
"Are you watching closely?"

Sorry but the best substrate for iguanas is newspaper, floor tiles etc. Anything particulate is not safe ...even if it says so. They can still ingest it and they can still get impacted. My iguanas have been on newspaper for years...no fungal infections ever.To keep humidity up, spray the cage several times a day.... I would seriously suggest NOT using that stuff....good luck with the fungal infection and glad your vet knew what to do......(for the infection anyways)

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Warmest Regards from Lyn

I'm always worried about products that expand lke that. What if they swallow a piece and it expands in the digestive tract?

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Chris there is no particulate substrate that is safe for iguanas. You are just going to have to live with a bare type of flooring. It isn't the prettiest but it is safer for your iguana.
There are all sorts of things on the market in pet supplies that claim to be safe but really aren't. The same truth in labeling laws that are in effect for human products are not applied to pet supplies,...unfortunately.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

this stuff is supposed to be safe and was recommended by an iguana vet. And as for the expanding in the digestive tract, that won't happen beccause you are supposed to let it soak for about 1 or 2 hours so that it is fully epanded and if it looks like it is still expanding you just let it soak till it stops then it stays that size even when it dries. A friend of mine use it for their lizard and nothing has happened to it yet and it loves it.

I would advise against using it also. it is clear that you reallydo care for your iguana and if you want him to be safe and healthy you will get rid of any particulate substrates. It may not look like he's going to eat any of it, but he may lick a bit here and there and that adds up. Cocoa fiber has also been attibuted to eye infections.

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my water dragons are on a similar product but ive mixed mine with peatmoss to keep humidity up and when the humidity is down the stuff looks like dust
still unsafe but they dont eat in there

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ok I won't use it for now. is shredded news paper okay to use or should I just use normal sheets?

Normal sheets of paper or tile floor are the best. Anything else can be easily ingested by the Iggy, either intentionally or by accident. The forest litter also can harbor bacteria if not cleaned regularly.

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