Iguana Enclosure

reptileking · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 51 Location: Indiana

Ok, I am in the process of making a new enclosure for my iguana that I got last week. I have the framing done and I am adding the walls now. i just dont know how to do the inside of the cage such as the basking spots, climbing things, decorations, etc. If anyone has any pics or ideas on what I can do, please share them.

The new enclosure is 7ft high by 8ft long by 4ft deep. So there is plenty of room to add things. I am adding a 4ft flourescent fixture for UVB and several heat lamps for heat. Everything is enclosed except for the front, which has a door to access the cage and the rest of the wall is screen. I am a little worried about humidity, but I will do multiple mistings a day and later down the road (when I get more money, lol) I plan on making a waterfall feature in the corner.

All ideas welcome.

Brad
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Brad

1.0.0 Woma Python - Oz
1.3.9 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 A. versicolor - Blue
0.1.0 Bouvier des Flandres - Lexi
1.0.0 Cat - Sigmund

reptileking · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 51 Location: Indiana

Ok, I finally finished the cage. Here are some pics of it.

I have around $275 in the whole thing. I dont think that is too bad, being so big. Eventually, I would like to make a fiberglass waterfall and small pool area in the corner. That has to wait until I get more money though

Brad
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Brad

1.0.0 Woma Python - Oz
1.3.9 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 A. versicolor - Blue
0.1.0 Bouvier des Flandres - Lexi
1.0.0 Cat - Sigmund

nicolerussell · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:23 am Post subject:

very cool!!!
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Nero557 · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 2:28 pm Post subject:

in one of the pics it looks like you have a halogen work lamp. I'm assuming (if that's what it is) you are using it for heat, for they get extremely hot. You might want to add a cage around the entire fixture ( and yes i see the one by the bulb) but the back of the fixture also gets scalding hot, and knowing that iguanas are climbers and love to explore, i wouldn't want one to get burned. Anywho, the cage looks great, tons of room for your ig, good work. Maybe for the humidity you could block off some of the screen with plexi or something similar on some sides, i don't know, just a suggestion. Good work though. -Art-
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Daggit_Columbian · Honored Member Joined: Oct 10, 2006 Posts: 251

niiiiiice!

reptileking · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 51 Location: Indiana

Thanks guys. It is a halogen work light. I monitored the temp before I put her in the cage and had to get a lower wattage bulb for it. She cant get up to it. I made sure of that but just to be safe, I will add one. I need to put a vent up above it though just to make sure the wood doesnt get too hot.

As for the Plexiglass, would just covering half of the screen actually help that much? Or should I just cover all of it?

Also, I was thinking about purchasing a small humidifier to add humidity. Will these work or do they not provide enough to make a difference?

Thanks again for the suggestions.

Brad
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Brad

1.0.0 Woma Python - Oz
1.3.9 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 A. versicolor - Blue
0.1.0 Bouvier des Flandres - Lexi
1.0.0 Cat - Sigmund

Nero557 · Posted: Mon Jan 29, 2007 1:28 pm Post subject:

covering just parts of it will be better than wide open, if you do cover all of it, just remember to leave vents, one on the bottom of one side, and one on the top of the opposite side, then an air flow will be created between the vents. You don't have to cover any of it, but its going to be next to impossible to maintain a high humidity, so i was just mentioning it for your sake, because you will have to go through a lot of trouble to keep the humidity up like that. Try covering just some of it, and see how the humidity is, if you think you can handle it then leave it, but if it's still too much of a pain, put a lil more plexi on... if you use plexi instead of glass, my personal opinion would be to keep it on the outside of the screen, that way it won't get scratched up as quickly and then you won't have to keep replacing it to make your cage look as good as it does now. you should check out the book, "Green Iguana: The Ultimate Owners manual" it has a lot of useful info on the animal itself, plus it has a habitat building chapter in it. You could use that chapter to slightly modify your cage from what you have, and that would probably help you a lot. You wouldn't have to do any major reconstruction, but it could help you with placement of certain things inside and with how you should go about the plexi placement. Just a thought, but its a great enclosure you got going now, so don't change it too much.

-Art-
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-Art-

reptileking · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 51 Location: Indiana

Thanks Art! I am kinda low on money right now, so I cant afford the plexiglass right now (I used to work at a hardware store, so I have an idea of how much that is going to cost!), but I have noticed I am having problems keeping the humidity up. I put my digital hygrometer in there this morning and it read 22%

. So I ran to the Ace Hardware just down the road and purchased a plastic drop cloth and stapled it to the front. This has helped so much! Humidity is up to around 70% already! I also purchased a cheap ultrasonic humidifier to keep it humid in there and appearantly it is working great!

THanks for the recommendations. I wil be getting plexiglass as soon as I can (this plastic looks soooo cheap

).

thanks again
_________________
Brad

1.0.0 Woma Python - Oz
1.3.9 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 A. versicolor - Blue
0.1.0 Bouvier des Flandres - Lexi
1.0.0 Cat - Sigmund

Nero557 · Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 11:35 am Post subject:

your welcome, and yeah, i know how being tight on money can be, sometimes we just have to make do with what we have. besides i've noticed i'm really creative when i'm broke, using old shelves and spare wood to make some decent stuff. good to hear you found a solution, he'll be fine with the plastic for a while, so no rush to get plexi, some people prefer lexan, but it's all personal choices. just make sure there is some air flow in there. other than that, great job. -Art-
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-Art-

reptileking · Member Joined: Nov 09, 2006 Posts: 51 Location: Indiana

I just drilled 2" holes at the bottom and at the top like you said. I think I will make them a little bigger and put a register vent over them to make them look nicer.

I wouldnt have been able to make the cage if it wasnt for birthday money. Being in college takes quite a bit of your money

_________________
Brad

1.0.0 Woma Python - Oz
1.3.9 Crested Geckos
0.0.1 A. versicolor - Blue
0.1.0 Bouvier des Flandres - Lexi
1.0.0 Cat - Sigmund

Nero557 · Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2007 2:22 pm Post subject:

that's great man, and stay in college, you can never have enough schooling.

-Art-
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-Art-