For the love of your iguana throw that stuff out!

I know it looks great and claims to be 'safe' but so does calcium sand and we all know that that is an almost certain death sentence for any animal. The people who market the product arent required to put any warnings on it and they take advantage of that by claim it is 'safe' just because it is made from natural things. Arsenic is a naturally occuring thing but we as humans understand that just because it is natural doesn't mean that it is safe. The same goes for that stuff.

A little bit will go a long way and if you truely care for the well being of your iguana you will listen to the experts and go witha non-particulate.

I will give you a few examples of how they do this so you can understand why everyone here is telling you to get that stuff out of the tank.

Here are some products on the market that state they are safe. I will then tell you why they are not.

Heat Rocks: Heat rocks emit a "belly" heat that aids in digestion with many species of reptile. According to the manufacturer, this is the ideal product for all sorts of reptiles! What they don't tell you is that iguanas have "heat sensors" located in the upper portion of their body and not in their belly. So an iguana will lay on the heat rock for hours and hours oblivious to the thermal burning that is occurring. This is especially true when the heat rock overheats. A more natural approach to heating for many species of reptile is overhead. This helps to mimic the sun and how they would warm themselves in the wild. The product is not good for many herps, but the manufacturer doesn't tell you all this.

Crushed Walnut: 100% digestible! They aren't lying. It IS 100% digestible, if you eat one grain of it. Its made from 100% organic crushed walnut shells. What they don't tell you is that when eaten in any type of quantity, the sharp edges can act like mini razors and cut up the intestinal tract. It is also not at all natural for any enclosure. If this material gets wet, it also has the nice feature of molding. (I guess they forgot to print that on the bag!)

Calci-sand: Another product that is 100% digestible. Again, this is a true statement. Calci-sand is made of calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate is the main ingredient in many antacids because of its ability to neutralize stomach acids. So what does this have to do with reptiles? Everything! As your reptile is eating this stuff, it is losing the ability to digest its food properly. As the calcium carbonate neutralizes the animals stomach acid, it is also helping to defeat its own cause because it is also losing the ability to digest the same calcium carbonate it is ingesting! This is where the impaction begins to take place. This stuff comes in an array of colors to make your reptile enclosures look "cool". They forgot to mention that the dies used also stain your reptile. The stains will come off as the herp sheds, but in the meantime, you may end up with a lizard that has red feet, etc.

The stuff you are using is garbage. As I said in another thread on HH, you really are not in a position to be telling people what is and what isn't safe. Just because you read the bag doesn't mean you know the answer. You are reading what the manufacturer wrote. You are not the first person to read a bag and think a product is safe and you won't be the last. Unfortunately, manufacturers are going to continue to misrepresent their products because that's how they make money.

In the short, you need to start listening to the advice people are giving you. No one is trying to make your life harder. They are all trying to tell you what is and what isn't safe or adequate.

__________________
Leopard Gecko Care Guide
Volunteer Your Time

I'd take it out....definitely. I know from experience that just because you never see an animal eat something doesn't mean they don't do it. And it doesn't have to be a huge amount to cause serious problems. I'd be too afraid to risk it. It's just not worth it.

__________________
~Juliane~

ya I took it out I noticed that he was eating it more than his food which was not good so I took him to the vet right away and told him about it and told him about the substrate and he said that my ig is fine. i took out the substrate instead and I am sticking with the mat in there. anyone have any ideas of how to keep the humidity level up constantly? i am having trouble with it and I am moving him into a 30-40 gallon tank and I will need to know how to do this properly without making it too wet.

How long will he be in that size of tank?

__________________
MARSHA

Hokey Pokey Anonymous, A place to turn yourself around!

i was wondering if I should put I humidifier in or around his tank? if so can u suggest any?

he will be in that tank only for a couple of weeks so that I can finish building his new cage

I don't know if you would have room in a 30g tank for a humidifier, but it may be an idea for the final tank, just go for a cool mist humidifier to reduce the likelyhood of your iguana being injured by it.

Hello,

In that 5.5 gallon tank, there is nothing we could suggest that would allow you to maintain a proper heat gradient or adequate humidity levels. That is just too small of an enclosure.

In the 30-40 gallon, you will have more room to create a decent heat gradient as well as to regulate the humidity levels.

When will you be moving the ig into the 30-40 gallon? Once the iguana has been moved, and you have the temperatures regulated (which does impact the humidity levels), we should be able to offer more advise.

In the meantime, I would make sure you are giving the iguana plenty of fresh water and a daily bath. You should also run the iguanas salad under water and toss it directly in the food dish from there. Don't shake all of the water off. This too will help to keepo him hydrated.

I would like to see pictures of the 30-40 gallon when you set it up. This will help us offer advise on that as well.

__________________
Leopard Gecko Care Guide
Volunteer Your Time

Might I direct your attention to this thread:

http://www.forums.repashy.com/showthread.php?t=4735

Granted that is of a Uroplatus butthe same still rings true. It may come to haunt you later.

Warning: graphic pics