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Post by EndVision on May 6, 2006 15:19:39 GMT -8
what is a good humidity percentage for a baby iguana?
also if the humidity is too low how could i raise it?
and one more question im not sure how old my little guy is he/she is about 3 inches SVL anyone have any ideas based off of that?
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Post by MAR on May 7, 2006 7:02:04 GMT -8
Chances are your humidity is too low just by the nature that the cage is in a house and houses are horridly dry.
The humidity for any iguana cage should be elevated but not constantly wet but it is hard to pin a number to. Remember humidity is measured as a percentage relative to what the air at that temperature will hold. As the air wars up it will hold more water in it and feels dryer regardless of how the air is heated.
As with any iguana cage you will want three thermometers and at least one hydrometer in the cage to watch the thermal gradient.
How I run my cage: - > drys out to the upper 30% range RH overnight - > first thing in the morning when the lights come on I mist the cage heavily which spikes the RH easily to the 50% range - > over the rest of the day I typically spray a few more times and empty at least one full 44 oz spray bottle into the cage
When I spray I get everything dripping wet not just a few squirts as that won't do much of anything.
If I remember correctly you use a glass fish tank, ventilation is key with high humidity. Without proper ventilation dark areas can grow mildew and all areas are prone to things like mold and fungus.
For humidity I use a pump type sprayer though this is the small version without the wand. Mine has a 44 oz bottle and cost $7 at Home Depot. This type of pump sprayer will last for years and requires more time than a humidifier but less than a trigger sprayer. You can pick up a trigger sprayer for about $1 but usually your arm gets tired using it and I find they only have a 6 month life span when spraying this much water.
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Cage materials
On the other forum I saw you posted about building with glass and were told to use tempered glass but this should have a caveat. Tempered glass is great when the edges are protected as if in a window or door casing. If the edges are exposed like with a glued fish tank or china cabinet shelf they are prone to easily chipping and the use of un-tempered glass is suggested.
With plexi you avoid this who thing but spend much more money and it will scratch easy. With about any ig cage I have seen after about 3 years the plexi almost looks etched and fogged/frosted.
Glass is a great building medium if you have the tools to cut it and take care when working with it not to mention how easy it is to clean. The down sides are the shear weight and fragility of it.
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Age vs Size
Size really can't show how old the lizard is because of the care of the lizard will effect how fast ig grows but when only 3” SVL that is a STRONG indication that the lizard is no more than a few weeks old.
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Post by EndVision on May 7, 2006 14:06:59 GMT -8
wow that is alot of information thanks though
right now i do mist using a hand spray bottle i bought for a dollar, i figured this is good enough for now since it is only a small tank as he/she gets bigger ill probably invest in something better i was atcually checking out a humidifier they had at petco for 20 bucks (you have to buy a pump seperatley)
the humidity right now ranges from about 30%-45%....early this morning it reached up to 50% but is now back down to about 30%
and thanks for the estimate on the age, s/he is a tiny guy/girl so i figured s/he couldnt be too old, petco of course didnt know the age
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Post by prism_wolf on May 8, 2006 4:28:43 GMT -8
Make sure you have no less than a 50 gallon tank to hold even a baby in. Though it would fit in a smaller size, there is no way to meet the three different temp gradients in anything smaller. Spraying works well for out humidity, but pretty much sux for internal hydration which is what many igs chronically suffer from. Humidity is best achieved in the 60% - 80% range. I can't get that, but Zair does spend time in a humid bathroom in the tub to soak. I agree with Mark on the age. It's very close to hatchling size. By the end of the first year you should have an ig 2'+ total length... ...with the right care, of course.
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Post by EndVision on May 8, 2006 14:22:09 GMT -8
i know im not really going by the book but because of money issues at the moment s/hes in a 20 or 30 gallon im not sure which now because i bought cage carpet for a 20 gallon and it didnt fit but the 30 gallon size does,when i bought the tank they told me it was 20 eh
im not going to keep him/her in it for long, as soon as i get the money i will definatley get a larger one
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sierraflowr
Junior Member
“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes
Posts: 13
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Post by sierraflowr on May 15, 2006 11:37:02 GMT -8
Thank you! that is exactly what i do. i always thought the humidity had to be higher though. Chances are your humidity is too low just by the nature that the cage is in a house and houses are horridly dry. How I run my cage: - > drys out to the upper 30% range RH overnight - > first thing in the morning when the lights come on I mist the cage heavily which spikes the RH easily to the 50% range - > over the rest of the day I typically spray a few more times and empty at least one full 44 oz spray bottle into the cage When I spray I get everything dripping wet not just a few squirts as that won't do much of anything.
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