Mercury vapor...POWER!!!!(question on positioning)

[RaptonX]

well it finally arrived today, and not broken as that does happen on rare occasions.

Curious about position though, I measured it from dead center of the celing of the enclosure down to a point on the log of 12 inches.....which is the min. I got the external ballast version which means no heat coming from it, so I use the reptile heat lamp for that... Some say the clip on is the best way to go, but there is nothign ot fasten it with....Could I use one of those bulb socekt adaptors that turn it at a 45 degree angle, its the kind with two bulbs adapted from one, but one of them I put a dummy plug in. Just out of curiosity.

PS, that thing is bright @.@, and no I did not stare directly into it.

[prism_wolf]

Not sure what you mean exactly. Does it just fit into the clamp fixture's socket? This may not work right either, if so. The weight of the lamp pulls it down so it tries to aim straight down still. Those bulbs are heavy and gravity will have it's way. Can you place some kind of a brace in Raz's enclosure for this to hook, too?

[RaptonX]

The socket is a ceramic mount that screws into the ceiling of the enclosure, pointing straight down. His back would be approximately 12 inches from it, which is the minimal distance. Should I have it pointing down at an angle further away from its point or should
I keep it where it is? The ceramic heater is at one end mounted on the ceiling, the UVB in the middle, and the heat lamp at the other end. I'm sure either would work.

[prism_wolf]

One thing you need to be sure of is to get the bright basking light and the MR aimed in the same spot. Igs are attracted to heat - not UVB...so the additional adjustable socket should be able to aim the MR right into the basking area.

[crazybaby]

I'd say have it pointing down straight but place it to where the back of the iguana will be and he/she will have lots of space to laze under it. If you can post a picture of the enclosure we could possibly find a way that suits both the bulb and the iguana. I found that puting mine at an angle is a bit hard but I eventually got it to stay put. And yes they are extremely bright...its amazing the diference between and incandesent and a MR. lol

[RaptonX]

This be the setup....should I move the UVB back towards the ceramic heater and point it at an angle using an adapter, or should I move it close to the heat lamp?

I'm aware he needs a better cage, I am working on that....I do let him out when he wants.

[Jen]

WOW!!!!!!!! He is huge!!!!!!!!!!!

[prism_wolf]

Raz is NOT the same ig I remember from even a couple of years ago. He's gotten huge! Good job... ;D.

Now I see what you're dealing with. Moving the MV over to the other light would be great. Have you thought about placing a light guard up to keep it from being so blinding for you? Placing some other accessories would make it more comfortable for him, too...such as other climbing things and even painting some kind of simple mural. I know you have a creative side...I've seen it...even as weird as some of that was... ;D.

[RaptonX]

ya, he is giaganitc....

Oh, and Dr greenberg revealed a lot of things about iggies that I never even knew........The humidity being too low means a shorter life because their kidneys become so full of waste products, even with all the supplies in the world...there is no way to replicate the amazon, or wherever they are from.....

Also, that nice iguanas are usually sick iguanas....but raz is a bully and acts all tough, even though he never bites or whips at me..... And that their general life span is usualy 10 ot 12 years, which made me kinda sad , I thought they lived longer then that.

He is currently on Baytril for what could be a minor infection, but not mouth rot.


also, an idea for an out door cage, would be to have dirt on the bedding, have it wet, and have some kind of heating source to make steam....as having an enclosed cage outside is a death trap.

Dunno......still need to build an indoor cage.... I could buy one, but they are costly......need step by step cage design that is both able to keep the lizzy in, and the bad things (like cats) out.

[prism_wolf]

Your vet has gotten humidity and hydration confused. Humidity doesn't have a lot to do with the kidney. Humidity is external air dampness - hydration is internal and obtained orally. He's right about the rest of it. I hate to talk against a vet, but sometimes even vets don't get their info exactly straight.

Remember the probiotics we talked about when you were first asking about the symptoms for mouth rot. He'll need this being on Baytril.

[maccha]

low humidity does affect the hydration. when they breath in dry air it will take more moisture from the lungs meaning they need that much more water intake to replace it.

[Merlin]

Wrong. Humidity and hydration are too very different situations. Humidity is air moisture. While low humidity can affect the lungs to some extent it isn't going to put enough of a strain on the igs body to make a difference in that respect.
Hydration is how much fluid the ig has in its body. This is based on the foods it eats and the water (if any) it drinks.
You can have an ig living in a situation of 100% humidity that is still chronically dehydrated.

[maccha]

try a google search
(iguana humidity hydration)

[Merlin]

At your suggestion,....
the only thing I saw was that both humidity and hydration were important and the point was that coming from an extremely humid environment the air in our homes was rough n them.
I saw nothing that pointed to humidity as being the cause or cure of dehydration.

[maccha]

www.greenigsociety.org/habitatbasics.htm

Iguanas require high humidity as well as high temperatures in their environments. One of the most common problems seen in captive iguanas is dehydration. Iguanas don't seem to be programmed to drink very much, perhaps because in their native rainforests there is sufficient humidity in the air and moisture in their food to keep them hydrated. Captive environments tend to be much drier, and with a lack of desire to drink, even if water is made available, many iguanas spend much of their time at least mildly dehydrated. Chronic dehydration taxes the kidneys, and can contribute to kidney failure at fairly young ages. For this reason, it is important to provide your iguana with a humid environment. High humidity also helps loosen shedding skin, which makes the shedding process easier and helps prevent retained shed. Humidity levels in your iguana's environment should be 65-75%. For ideas on how to provide humidity, see the Heating, Lighting and Humidity section.