dracus
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I like the abnormal stuff...
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Post by dracus on Mar 12, 2008 14:13:35 GMT -8
Im bout to get a baby Iguana and i was whandering in the terrarium if i could use something like a Calci-Sand as substate. If not could someone point out what i could use that looks natural?
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j5ive
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I know I've got to be right now, because I can't get much wronger.
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Post by j5ive on Mar 12, 2008 14:57:45 GMT -8
No, do not use ANY sort of sand nor any loose substrate for that matter. If you want to be safe go with paper towels or tile. Since you explained you want a "natural" look I'd go with repti-carpet. With the carpet you will have to clean daily. Check www.reptilesupply.com or your local petstore (petco, petsmart, petworld etc.) I see you talked about a terrarium? What size is it? Do you have all supplies needed? An iguana takes time, effort and love included with a bit of $$$. How long have you been researching on the Green Iguana? If you haven't check this site out. www.anapsid.org also greeniguanasociety.org these are two very helpful sites that can make your decision making process go smoothly and more efficent. Do you realize that that 7 inch cute baby iguana (estimated), can grow to be a whopping 6 feet? Hopefully you reply to this reply and get back with us on this. PS: Green Iguanas don't eat bugs.
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Post by prism_wolf on Mar 12, 2008 15:05:14 GMT -8
Welcome to the forum! The links you were given are very good links. I suggest you take a look and concentrate on: - Cage size
- UVB
- Temperatures
- Diet
These are the most important necessities in keeping an iguana. Substrate should never be sand, bark/shavings, or gravel. These can and do cause fatal impactions for many reptiles...and iguanas have very sticky tongues making the potential danger worse. We'll be looking forward to your return... ;D
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dracus
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I like the abnormal stuff...
Posts: 80
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Post by dracus on Mar 12, 2008 16:10:41 GMT -8
well i dont have anything yet i have everything picked out just makn sure on the stuff i'm not sure about. I've been resurching iguanas for a while and i still look stuff up and read books on them but everything is the same now... so i've learned as much as i can from them. so now i'm asking questions because, well... you cant ask a book a wuestion lol! i was just wandering about the calci-sand because it was pure calcium carbonate and it sounded logical just wanted a second oppinion... Ill update on here when i begin to puchase the supplies (before i get the iguana of corse). As for the tank its a 50gal reptile tank its the biggest one i could find... but when the iguana begins to outgrow it im going to buid one... the main thing i want is for the terrarium to be like a mini ecosystem with fake plants... Im sure the iguana would like it if it thought it is in the forest... lol and it would look alot better to. so pehaps a brownish carpeting would be better than using the sand then. and match the "theme" im going for. But again i will post what i get when i get it ill put pictures up to... this forum seems to be one of the better ones with ppl who know what theyer doing If i have any other questions, i wont hesitate to ask. Thanks
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Post by Jen on Mar 12, 2008 16:50:47 GMT -8
Calci-sand is dangerous for all reptiles, it causes impaction.
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dracus
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I like the abnormal stuff...
Posts: 80
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Post by dracus on Mar 12, 2008 20:19:33 GMT -8
Well ill just poast what i plan on getting... I'm board anyway.
50Gal Reptarium
UVA Basking light
UVA/UVB flouresent light
ceramic heater bulb thing
repti-carpet or whatever it's called
food/water dish (textured light rock or somethin)
place to clime/bask
place to hide or something
a variety of fake/safe jungle plants
thermometers/the humididty thing (forgot what its called)
for diet...
I want to try and use the watered pellets as well as freash greens, squach, carrots etc.
The pellets would save me some time just in case i gotta work early... Mainly a backup if i can't make the iguana a salad...
anything else lemmme know i might be missing something cause im tired... lol
I do have one more question though...
I live in Minnesota and it gets realy cold... and i live in a crappy Apt. So it can get quite cold in here. What is the best way to keep the cage at the correct temp. if the lights are not making it warm enough?
Lemme know i dont want it to get to cold, its gunna be my baby!
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Post by Merlin on Mar 13, 2008 9:55:35 GMT -8
The 50 gallon tank will maybe last you a year with a hatchling. You mentioned in your other post that you are considering a loarger one. If so the tank is out. You do understand that an adult iguana needs the equivalent of a small room to live in? Sounds like you need to review the diet requirements. Carrots are not that great. And not all greens are created equal. If you build an adult sized enclosure you cut out the expense of coming up with a new cage every few months. These guys grow FAST! Heating is going to be essential. If you make the cage an enclosed unit it wil make it much easier to control heat and humidity. A wooden "box" on top bottom and sides with a glass or plexi door wil be the easiest Moistened Rep Cal pellets are fine as an addition to the salad, not as a sole food. And they are the only brand I would recommend. many others are full of dangerous additives. Anything to make a buck!
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j5ive
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I know I've got to be right now, because I can't get much wronger.
Posts: 128
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Post by j5ive on Mar 13, 2008 12:40:14 GMT -8
The 50 gallon tank will maybe last you a year with a hatchling. Are we talking a Reptarium or Tank? I don't even think their are 50 gallon reptarium's. A reptarium would be better than a tank in my opinion. If you can keep it humid and warm enough.
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dracus
Full Member
I like the abnormal stuff...
Posts: 80
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Post by dracus on Mar 13, 2008 18:51:22 GMT -8
well it said reptarium on it and i thought it was 40 but my girlfriiend said it was 50 so i want know for sure untill i see it again but it is pretty big and it looks bigger than a 40 so... but i dont know. i am gunna go for the baby, i wanna challange... lol it will give me something to do with my boring life...
and i do understand that the 40 or 50 gal(whatever it is) wont last long but its just untill i can build a giant one and ill have more than enough time to build it. Im handy ( takes false pride in himself...) lol jk but i can do it im confident ill be able to handle it, i know it will be hard but, well my life is too easy... need more...
also the topic kinda exploded lol so im still reading all the stuff lol TY!
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dracus
Full Member
I like the abnormal stuff...
Posts: 80
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Post by dracus on Mar 13, 2008 22:09:46 GMT -8
I was thinking and... if you can use newspaper what about a colored paper? to make it look better? or somthin... Because a carpet would be kinda anoying i guess.
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j5ive
Senior
I know I've got to be right now, because I can't get much wronger.
Posts: 128
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Post by j5ive on Mar 14, 2008 3:17:24 GMT -8
I wouldn't even worry about how it looks. I would be more concerned about the lively hood of my iguana. Papertowels may not "look" good, but at the same time they are safe and non-toxic. Repti-Carpet looks nice inside of cages, because it comes in assorted colors, you just have to be careful about which brand to use because some may contain loopholes.
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Post by prism_wolf on Mar 14, 2008 6:25:24 GMT -8
I was thinking and... if you can use newspaper what about a colored paper? to make it look better? or somthin... Because a carpet would be kinda anoying i guess. Colored papers bleed when they get wet. Not really a good choice. Using the astroturf is fine...but as stated...watch the loops. Ig claws can get hung up and torn out. Repti-carpet is usually a better choice. Whichever one you use of those you want to make sure you catch any threads unraveling before the ig ingests it or it gets wrapped around the toes.
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Post by maccha on Mar 14, 2008 11:08:34 GMT -8
Newspaper is probably a lot more absorbent than the colored paper would be. There is a lot more liquids than you would expect and you would be going through reams of paper. Kinda bad for the envioment as well as the ink to your Ig. I still use for for my Sulcata but not the colored advertisements.
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Post by tammyjam on Mar 14, 2008 13:19:40 GMT -8
Hope all goes well with your baby ig!!!
Never ever put anything in his enclosure that he could swallow except his food and water.... Lots of iguanas die from impaction, and please do get him a nice pool big enough to soak in. (And poop in, as he probably will)
Mine love their pools.
Pumpkin or yellow squash is better than carrots. Check a good iguana diet sheet. Alfalfa is great, and collard greens, mustard greens, okra, canteloupe. No spinach nor anything related to cabbage! No lettuce, it has nothing for them.
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