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Post by EsotericComposer on Sept 30, 2004 19:38:56 GMT -8
So we've had Eki going on two months now. He has a great tank, I keep him misted throughout the day and keep his light on all day. Which is bad but it's what we had to work with.
Tonight we set up a night light (ceramic bulb that's years old but still keeps the temps at 80-95 degrees). And his Zoomed basking lamp which will now turn on in the morning and off at night and this way he'll now have a day and night which we weren't able to provide earlier.
The bad part......
We haven't been able to afford a UVB hood for the tank, nor am I finding a lot of reasonable prices. He has no UVB light yet. That's why I use to take him outside for 15-30mins several days a week. I know it wasn't best. But I need some links wiht some decent prices. The pet stores around here are SO OUTRAGEOUS with prices. So I'm lacking a humidity gauge, and a uvb hood, and light bulb.
Any and all suggestions are welcome. I know we need one asap. But money is a bit tight atm. I'm a college student and he's supporting himself with bills and what not. So in a bit of a bind.
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Nanshe
Senior
I am owned by Elvis & Angel :)
Posts: 167
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Post by Nanshe on Sept 30, 2004 20:14:45 GMT -8
You can go a few ways with the UVB. The absolute best UVB out there is the Mega Ray, which you can buy at www.reptileuv.com - if you get the Self Ballasted bulb, it will run you $40.00 plus shipping. If you go with the External Ballasted bulb, it'll run you $75.00 plus shipping to start with, but I believe to replace the bulbs is cheaper. You can also go with something like the Powersun - which is also a Mercury Vapor Bulb like the Mega Ray, but it doesn't put out as much UVB as the Mega Ray (Mega Ray puts out between 200 & 300mw, while the Powersun puts out about 50mw). It'll run you about $32.00 plus shipping at www.reptiledirect.comAnother option is the tubes/fixture route. Ultimately, the tubes are cheaper to replace when the time comes, but the Reptisun and Iguana Light 5.0 lights put out about 10mw per bulb - so you really should have 2 bulbs burning all the time. The bulbs will run you about $18.00 apiece plus shipping, and the hood you can buy at a hardware type store like Home Depot, Lowes etc... for around $20.00. Your final option is the coil lamps - some people really like them a lot, others don't. The problem with them is that they dont' cover a very large area of the animal, projecting the UVB only onto PART of the Iguana, not the whole Iguana. The ESU coil lamps are not that great, they put out like 3mw - if you go with a coil light, try to go with the Reptisun 10.0 or something. Here are some links to online reptile supply places: www.reptileuv.comwww.reptiledirect.comwww.4littlepets.comwww.healthyherps.comwww.reptilesupply.comOthers may have better links & info though! Good Luck! ~Nan |
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Post by mar on Sept 30, 2004 20:20:40 GMT -8
I am in about the same boat as you. I did long term pricing and found that making the jump to the $75 megaray was the cheaper way to go.
Two reptisuns run about $45 on sale at lllreptile.com, then they need replacing about every 6 months so you are looking 90 over a year with an initial $20 light fixture. Looking at $110 for the first year and $90 for the second and there after.
Megaray is $75 with the ballest unit and guarrenteeted for a year with the ballest guarrenteed for two. A replacement bulb is ~$45. From reading on the uv_meter_reader's group it looks like the ballest has a few years worth of life rather than just the two.l
Unfiltered sun is the best way to go but 30 min a day is a little short. While it is still great vs no UV try to stay out longer. I was keeping Bob out for 90 minutes minumum over the summer (and closer to 8 hours on the one or two days a week I did not work) when I had no UV in his cage.
Avoid physical petshops as they have huge markups. Try searching for "reptile supply shops" online. The first I ordered online I used lllreptile.com, second time I used reptileuv.com for the megaray.
Mark
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Post by mar on Sept 30, 2004 20:28:03 GMT -8
Wait until tomorrow at least, the reptileuv.com page seems to have a bunch of bad links on it -- the contact link is not even working.
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Post by EsotericComposer on Oct 1, 2004 6:20:25 GMT -8
I don't have an outdoor cage for him. My neighbor is giving me a few iguana items before they move including an outdoor cage for the summer. But with the temps only at about 60-70 degrees outside and barley warm enough in the sun for me when I'm wearing black. I won't keep him outside long. I'm very pale and I avoid the sun. So me taking him outside was a huge jump.. I'll sit downt and look at all of these with my bf. We both agreed we needed to get something uvb. And we plan on building a new cage soon because we don't want to keep him in the glass tank (atm it fits perfect).
So we will get one soon. He's had an iguana before and had to go a while without a uvb. But they went years and the ig was fine. I know that's NOT RIGHT. I don't plan to go more than a month. But atm. Just having a lot of bills to be paid that if not cause trouble. So I'll get right on it asap.
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Nanshe
Senior
I am owned by Elvis & Angel :)
Posts: 167
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Post by Nanshe on Oct 2, 2004 4:01:07 GMT -8
I'd be willing to bet that even if the Iguana looked good on the outside - that after being without UVB for "years", internally the lack of UVB was definatly taking its toll. Iguana's can be very very sick and not show any outward symptoms at all until it's too late to save them. I'm glad to hear you'll be getting UVB soon  I read in another thread where someone, Prism I think, suggested taking an Ig outside on a cool, sunny day with a heat lamp to shine on him and keep him warm - that might work for your Ig too! Just an idea Best of luck! ~Nan |
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Post by EsotericComposer on Oct 2, 2004 5:42:40 GMT -8
That is a great idea. My time is often limited during the day with classes. So I do my best. My bf and I need to sit down and talk. I like the ubv vapor bulb. But we need to build a REAL habitat before buying one. He's currenting in a tank for his size. So we couldn't actually buy one of those asap with our current set up.
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Post by Yoda on Oct 2, 2004 5:55:16 GMT -8
I had met quite a few Iguanas before I got Yoda and I can tell you they looked fine to me ...none of them had a proper UV light . It wasnt untill I read up and visited forums like this place that I had a true understanding of what a Happy Healthy Iguana should act and look like...
The Iguanas I had met were not the friendly happy
green darlings that many owners here enjoy.
I was amazed at how much people we interacting with the Iguanas without being Bit..or tail whipped then it came to me ....after learning proper care
The Iguanas I met were probably suffering to some extent with health problems ..and it stands to reason a animal in pain is a cranky animal.
The Iguanas I had met ...seemed to look fine at the time ,however once I started talking to more people and seeing pictures of these huge well developed colorfull Iguanas with amazing dorsal crests and amazing spikes ...I realized that the Iguanas I had met were simply "surviving" and not "Thriving"
They looked like a different species ....color,size everything.
So what was the differance.?
#1 Diet
#2 The supplemental UVB lighting.
#3 Cage size ...
So you see a Iguana is a hearty animal with a amazing survival instinct and strong will to live and they can infact "Survive" for quite a while on poor diet and lack of UVB .in a undersized cage ,however you have the ability to allow this amazing animal to "Thrive" and the rewards are far greater than the sacrifices we must make in order to provide . Make no mistake..." it is proven" ...your Iggy will not "THRIVE" without enough exposure to UVB lighting and proper "Herbavorious" diet and a living environment that allows the Iggy room to move and "thermoregulate"
It might survive ...but will not THRIVE
Cheers
James and Yoda
Ontario Canada.
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Nanshe
Senior
I am owned by Elvis & Angel :)
Posts: 167
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Post by Nanshe on Oct 2, 2004 10:29:46 GMT -8
 Extremely well put James! You explained that perfectly!  ~Nan  |
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Post by EsotericComposer on Oct 2, 2004 14:55:48 GMT -8
I plan on getting a ubv light. No question about that. I don't doubt the stories. So far, the habitat is perfect sized, and diet is right. I'm missing the uvb light atm.
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Post by mar on Oct 2, 2004 16:54:43 GMT -8
As well as a heat lamp over Eki it will help a lot to shelter him from the wind while basking outside.
If you were to put him in something like a steel tub -- about the size of one used at parties to pack ice around a few cases of , um, beverages -- then you get a bunch of benefits. The tub leaves plenty of exposure from above for UV while the steel will "collect" the heat creating a warmer local area. The walls help to slow the escape of the ig and the heat.
Plastic has a different effect as it will help insulate Eki from the cool ground and you probably have one sitting around anyway.
With either of them you can put about a half inch of warm water in the bottom so he gets a bath as well as UV and the added thermal ballast. Remember the longer he is outside in the direct sun the better.
Just some ramblings…
Mark
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Post by WillemsMom on Nov 7, 2004 12:34:06 GMT -8
Mark, is it a waste to bring Willie out in in large black mesh enclosure? How greatly is the uvb reduced?
BTW, how did your exams go?
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