Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was wondering what your opinions of this setup are.
We would insulate it and finish the inside, plus add some more windows on the side. Also flat rock tile the floor. Probably a small window AC unit along with the fan wired to a herpstat so they won't overheat.
We could even make mesh boxes outside the side windows like jf for warmer weather.
http://www.backyardbuildings.com/solar-shed-greenhouses.cfm
Home Depot sells a DIY kit.
Thanks!
Sean
enclosure

It might make a nice start. Two things come to mind based off of what I have learned with mine. Insulate the floor, you will lose a ton of heat and if you can add a floor drain its a huge help when cleaning. I should have but I couldn't afford it and I still regret it. the other thing is double pane glass. You could make it four season instead of just winter.
Also provide a hide box with a heat source. Oh, basking lamps too

Thanks.
I never even thought about a floor drain. The more I think about it, might as well go for 4 seasons.
Good point on the double pane glass. I was searching for UVB transmitting acrylic, but that stuff is WAY too expensive. I like the hide boxes Tom showed in his pictures, I think you use Kane type pig blanket on rheostat/thermostat to heat the hide box? We use the UVB, heat, and color correcting bulbs for our green igs (except separate fixtures) like mentioned in the reptiles magazine article about rhino's. Do you like the pro exotics heat panel? I also am not sure how to incorporate a nesting spot. Sorry so many question.
Sean

I give large wooden boxes half-filled with a soil mixture both for inclement weather and nesting built on the outside of the enclosure with an entrance on the inside. I can lock them in or out at will as well...thanks..In your case they will nest in an elevated nest box with soil to nest in totaly on the inside....
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Tom Crutchfield
www.tomcrutchfield.com

yeah I looked at the UV glass too, $$$. I have Kane pads on rheostat. Works great. I dont use PRo Exotics, never tried it. I would think more indudtrial. I have a 4.5' radiant panel designed for patios in my enclosure on a thermostat. Its mounted about 6' feet up on the back wall. It will heat the whole enclosure and completely inaccessible to the igs. So pads in boxes, basking lamps and a radiant panel for the ambient temp. If you put side windows in on the sunny side, the boxes I built I would recommend. they get used daily.
If you are thinking of tiling the floor, get the roughest tile you can. With hard floors I got nails growing too long and turned toes as they grow cuz the nails are long and nothing to dig into. their feet are designed for dirt and karst rock.

You can also put in a little chain link kennel or pen on the outside of the structure that is accessible by a cat door. then you dont have to worry about getting that UV glass.

I thought we would still need UVB bulbs for winter. Are you saying they build up enough vitD3 from summer sun to get through winter?

"Are you saying they build up enough vitD3 from summer sun to get through winter?"

I think so.

I'm not positive on this due to the lack of research, but I have ran (on some lizards) no UV during the winter and they seem fine as long as they go outdoors in the spring-summer-fall, weather permitting. Cyclura and they Bay Island iguana group (bakeri, palearis, melanosterna, oedirhina)seem to be more tolerant of less UV then ctenosaura's of the (similis, pectinata, hemolopha) group.

Thanks. That makes sense. I bet you would still recomend imature ones under UVB all year? Are you the Mark with the WCIresearch site? Very nice if so.
Sean

Yes. Also, I always keep juvenile iguanas (cyclura and ctenosaura) indoors with UV bulbs until they are large enough as to not squeeze through a 1 inch x 1 inch wire mesh.

Where do you live?

Hi, we are near Columbus, Ohio. Its sean46877@yahoo. com. Are you the one with the nubula nubula pair? sorry if I got that wrong.

UGG, that should be Nubila Nubila Cuban.

Sean,

I live in CO and also deal with a cold winter. Your biggest challenge is going to be in keeping the floor warm. The ambient and basking temps can be perfect but the floor can be so cool that it causes problems. I had a radiant heat system built in to the ground under the floor in my barn. It's worked really well and allows me to control substrate temps. It's also inexpensive to run in the winter. Here are a few pics:

This is the boiler. It heats 2,000 sq of space and is overkill for your application. You can go much smaller:

Here's the enclosure. There's no cement slab. I have foundation footers that go down about 8 ft. Way below the frost line. Radiant heat pipes are buried 4 feet undergound allowing me to control the substrate temp. Chicken wire covers the pipes so the lizards can not dig into the pipes. The other great thing is the fact that I can soak the substrate and drainage is not an issue. Water drains through the ground as it would outside.

A few years ago I missed a clutch of lace monitor eggs that had been buried in the substrate. After 300 days they actually hatched in the enclosure. I was very surprised to see hatchling monitos running around.

I don't keep Cyclura today. Here's the last pair that I kept about 12 - 15 years ago:

Thanks. Cold floor does seem to be a concern. I love your pictures. Were the igs pure Lewisi or hybrids? I am so glad I asked here before jumping into things. Thank you everybody!
Sean

i keep mine in there own room in the winter id like to build a greenhouse to keep them out longer say to like december or so, but i use good metal halide bulbs plus mecury vapor bulbs plus 6 4ft uvb bulbs, room easy 90 degrees plus... wich is good for i heat my house with wood.

If you live in a cold climate ambient temp doesn't always mean that the floor/substrate temps are warm enough. It's one thing if the enclosure is in your home. If it's outdoors the floor needs to be heavily insulated or heated.

DNA tested pure Lewisi.

Awesome. We can't use concrete footers or slab because it would be a perminant structure. But, there are a few methoods I found that you can still heat the floor with.
http://www.infloor.com/gypcrete.html
Would we still need to heat the hide boxes if they are on the floor like that?
radient floor

That's perfect. No need to heat the hide boxes. Good luck!

Thanks. Looks like we need to get another section and make it 10x12 to have room for the boiler and a nest area if needed. Plan on running natural gas line, electric conduit, and water line underground to it. Everybodys ideas will probaly be used in one way or such if we can do it. It will take a while....
Sean