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RE: New Iguana questions

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Posted by: varanus1980 at Tue Feb 2 14:00:59 2010  [ Report Abuse ] [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by varanus1980 ]  
   

If you want some really good information on care of green iguanas I would recommend purchasing "Captive Care of the Green Iguana" it's a video written by some of the top professionals in the field Dr. Adam Britton and Melissa Kaplan, only problem is it's in VHS format. It's an older tape, it was the one I first watched to get the info I needed for care of these amazing creatures. My first Iguana lived a little over 20 years and I myself have finally decided to get a new Iguana about 8 months old so i'd be glad to share my knowledge with you.



As far as cages go if you already have him in that 55 gal tank then I would leave him in there for a little while to get him acclimated to his new enviroment. Moving him around from cage to cage can become rather stressful. My iguana is 24" overall with a SVL (snout to vent length) of 8" his current cage is custom made which is 3'9"(tall) x 3'9"(wide) x 18"(deep, my question to you would be how big do you plan on making his new cage??



In my opinion the bigger the better and if you do plan on keeping your little guy for his whole life then i'd build a cage to suit him his whole life, it saves you money and it's not going to hurt your iguana in any way.



As for supplements it's really all about personal choice, I have always used Rep-Cal Calcium powder with Vit.D3 as well as adding T-Rex Iguana Dust VGF which is an all around vitamin supplement. The main thing to be aware of is make sure you give a good mixture of vitamins with every feeding. Also make sure you are giving him a good variety of dark leafy greens such a Mustard greens, Collard greens.. etc etc. I can even write you up a huge list of good greens and ones you don't want to feed him if you wish.



As for him not eating, don't be suprised if he doesn't take to food right away, he has been moved from place to place and became stressed, you just need to give him time and he'll come around and eat. Just make sure you give him fresh greens everyday. You can also buy dry Iguana food from just about any petstore which you can keep in a seperate dish off to the side for some added nutrition.



As for your lighting it sounds fine for now, one question would be how old is your floresent UV tube? If it is over 6 months old i would recommend purchasing a new floresent tube as the older the tube gets the less ammount of UV is put out. UVA and most importantly UVB is what the iguana needs to help produce the needed calcium for it's maintained health, it is also recommended once your iguana is calm enough to take him outside and get him atleast 30min of sunlight a week. more is better but this would be a good start, Also remember that they are quick and you'll have to make sure you have a good grip on him, would hate to see you lose him.



All in all just take your time with him and be patient, he'll come around and if you need any help at all i'd be more then happy to give you any advice. An iguana can be one of the best companions you could have ever hoped for.


   

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