Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a lot of experience with frogs and newts, but Sweetpea is my first Ig. She/he was given to me by someone who got tired of taking care of her. She came to me in a 30 gal tank, no basking light, and was fed only endive!! She's lucky to be as healthy as she is. She is supposed to be 2 yrs old, but the previous owner wasn't sure (couldn't remember when purchased)! I've done tons of research and my boss (i work in a vet clinic) has helped me with her. Did a fecal and she had hookworms, bloodwork was good.
My biggest challenge now is either building or buying her a decent enclosure as she can barely turn around in her tank. Any ideas for a quick and cheap solution?

Greenwicche

Welcome to the world of being an iguana slave. You have an advantage working for a vet clinic because that is the hard part. Being able to get to the vet for emergencies or health issues takes valuable time. Is your vet a herp vet? About the enclosure issue... do you have a Home Depo or BuilderSquare or Lowes near you? The usually have wood that has been cut and they mark it down real cheap because they can't sell it. In the enclosure you want either branches or ramps and shelves so he can climb. You need a basking spot for him that is under the uvb light and about 95 degrees. You probably know all this woking for a vet, but it never hurts to hear it again. There are tons of good ideas for enclosures in this forum. People are very helpful in here.
Here is a picture of my enclosure. It has branches and a couple shelves in the top half, and ramps and shelves with a pool in the bottom half. There are basking spots in the top and the bottom. My iggys didn't like the bottom so now it is closed off again and is used by my cuban rock iguana. Good luck with your iggy.

Thanks for the ideas. Your setup is functional...that's what I'm looking for! I can hardly wait to get started...
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Greenwicche
I'm old enough to do what I want!

I used screen to see through and keep them in, but I've been told that it isn't the best for iguanas. Their tail or claws can get caught in it. I've been really lucky with all my iggys. They are not quite the norm when it comes to iggy behavior. They all get along,they don't get stuck in the screen, and they don't eat the fake plants. My new cuban just rips right through the screen, but I let him roam the house so I just let him be. I thought about plexiglassing his cage, but I'd rather he be able to get out when he wants rather than get stressed. There are a bunch of pictures of their enclosure in the photo gallery. I've taken some out, but there are still some in there. Oh yeah, the heat lights in my enclosure should be more protected from the iggys, but they never burn themselves on them. I built platforms on top of them because they love to sit on them. anyway, I'll stop rambling on and on now.