Gator's new home

[gatormom]

I need suggestions on what to put in my little guy's home. It really looks bare in there, and I think he is really bored. He went from his 50 gallon tank to a 6 foot by 4 foot cage. Here is what it looks like

[Patrick]

Looks Great~!

Maybe a Tub for the Floor like a little litter pan with water?

Patrick

[blood2086]

Maybe some sticks to make it look a little more natrual.

[brad]

It all depends on what you would like to do.

Personally, I really like the look of a painted mural in my iguana's cages. (thanks to my girlfriend's talent, my cage is painted!)

You could also add some plastic plants, interesting logs or vines, or a water feature. It is all up to your imagination and how much money you are willing to spend.

I do have some questions/ suggestions about your new cage.

1) I dont see any thermometers... I suggest you invest in some quality digital thermometers so that you can monitor the basking temperature and the ambient air temperature.

2) You should have some source of water in the cage. My iguana drinks daily and I believe that all iguanas should have access to clean water. This will also increase the humidity of the cage.

3) What is the ambient air temperature? With all of that mesh on the front of the cage, I can see some issues with keeping the cage warm enough.

I think you have a great start with the cage, some refinements and it will serve you and your iguana well for years to come!

[Tengtou]

Thats a nice cage. I once had my Iguana in a huge cage like that and he kept getting lost. He couldn't find the basking spot and he kept falling the bottom and couldn't find his way back up and kept getting cold . So I had to put him back in a smaller cage until he gets bigger.


I know what you can do. You can get Jungle wall paper and put it on the back and the sides.

[joshua12]

i like it a lot, looks better than the one i did. I like the jungle wallpaper idea, and yeah maybe a water tub in the bottom. again i really like that cage though, are you going to paint or urathane the wood to seal it out from the humidity?

[slavehack]

That looks good.... just a question though.... why does the pic say 7/24/07? its not the 24th yet....

[seany2k2]

hy i getting an iguana and i need to make one of these big cages and i was wondering the lamps you put they are the ones to heat it but wont the heat get out of the cage because its lige a mesh thing i just need advice

[joshua12]

The heat lamps are near enough to the iguana to heat sufficently, iggies thermoregulate so they will move away from the heat when they feel warm enough. Keep in mind you want to keep your UV lighting within about 8 inches of where the iggy will bask in the lamp till it wants to cool off then it will move to the cooler spots. They have Threads in here that give you the exact temps that iguanas need. This is very important when it comes time for you to build your cage...

[prism_wolf]

seany2k2 said:

hy i getting an iguana and i need to make one of these big cages and i was wondering the lamps you put they are the ones to heat it but wont the heat get out of the cage because its lige a mesh thing i just need advice

PLEASE use periods to end your sentences. Geesh...there seems to be a lot of this going around... ;D.

Yes...the heat can escape making mesh a poor choice compared to what Plexiglas offers, BUT...at the same time...the basking area maintains the proper temps when the right heat sources are used. Humidity is the hardest to maintain in a mesh covered enclosure. If you make one with Plexiglas...I would strongly suggest doing that. If you use mesh...you just need to work a little harder at getting the temps and humidity leveled out.

[gatormom]

Hey thanks everyone for the advise. I don't have batteries in my camera or I would update what I've done. I moved all the shelves to one side and he has hammocks on the other side, to let the heat and light filter to the bottom. I also got some thermometers in there on both sides, and he is right in the areas where he basks. As far as the humidity in there, alas, I do believe I will have to splurge on plexiglass on the front, since the house cat seems to like to climb, and the humidity is slightly lower than it should be. I make sure to spray him at least 3 times a day, and he absolutely hates water. I put a great big tub in the bottom, along with his water bowl, but he wouldn't be caugth dead going near it. I have tried to coax him into it, but I just get whipped with his tail. Of course I get whipped with his tail when I am trying to bathe him, feed him, pet him, etc...lol. Anyway, just wated to say thanks, and I will try to get pics on here sometime, when it is completed. I also need to paint it, it is pretty boring looking.

[brad]

Sounds like you have done some worthwhile improvements. You should be able to get plexiglass to fit the front doors for about $60. You could also just plexiglass the top half of the doors to help keep some of the heat in the cage.

[prism_wolf]

gatormom said:

I make sure to spray him at least 3 times a day, and he absolutely hates water.

Do you use warm or cold water? Most igs do best with a warm mist. Keep in mind by the time the mist hits him it may be cold so fill the bottle with slightly hot water if you don't do this already. If you do...it could be the sound of the mister bottle. Sometimes the hiss scares them. Setting up a drip system, automatic misting system, or vaporizer can also help add moisture to the air.

[bandit258]

It wont just be the hiss from the water bottle he dont like he will be stressed from the CAT aswell sort that asap...