How To Set Up An Iguana Cage? (A Complete Guide)

If you’re planning to adopt an iguana then you need to consider putting together his new home before he arrives. However, it will be a daunting task because there are a lot of things you need to consider when setting up its cage. To find out what kind of material is suitable for housing an Iguana as well as what temperature is needed and how it should be controlled inside its enclosure or can you use sand. Here, we will discuss how to set up an Iguana cage.

How To Setup An Iguana Cage?

8 Supplies You Need To Set Up An Iguana Tank

Before your new Iguana arrives, you need to set up its cage using the following supplies.

• Enclosure   
• UVB light  
• Heating element, thermometer, and hygrometer 
• Basking rock or log  
• Flooring 
• Some shallow dishes for water and food 
• Live feeder insects and tweezers
• Adequate space in your home 

Enclosure 

Size

Most important decision you need to take when you are purchasing any tank for Iguana is what kind of material it should be made of. As your Iguana is going to run back and forth while spending lot of time here and there, it is essential to also take the tank’s size into your consideration. There are many factors that you need to consider to choose the best enclosure for your Iguana’s tank setup. The very first thing that you need to consider is the size of the tank where your pet is going to spend its rest of the life.

As Iguana can grow up to more than 5 feet, it is best to have a tank that is at least 75-125 gallon. This is what keep your Iguana happy and active all life long. In addition, Iguana also need some time out of its tank to explore.

You can have 40 gallons tank to house baby iguanas. For juvenile, it is better to have a tank with an adequate size of 55 gallon or more. If Iguana surpass it’s 2 year age of Mark, It is likely to have a house as large as possible with lots of vertical space and climbing gears as they are arboreal. The tank height is needed to be considered when choosing such a large tank for keeping an Iguana. For now, you can have a 40 gallon tank as you will be adopting a baby or young Iguana less than a year old.

Material

It is better to have a tank that is made up of glass as it is very good for having an exposure of your pet all the time. Glass tank gives you a clear visibility of you pet and what he is doing for the time. The glass tank is also a very popular option as it is widely available and come with the screen lid to prevent any escape. You also get a front opening glass terrarium that gives you an easy access to your pet. The only disadvantage of having a glass tank is its poor heat retention capability.

Location

Another factor that you need to consider when place you their in your home is the location. It is recommended to avoid placing the tank near direct sunlight. As you need to provide UVB light 12 hours a day to your Iguana, there is no need of giving any further sunlight exposure.

Although the sunlight is good for your pet in the wild but in captivity, it can quickly become deadly. The Heat coming from the direct sunlight will be soon trapped in the tank especially if it is made up of glass. Thus it will rise the temperature to a life threatening level for your Iguana. Therefore it is best to have UVB lamps if housing them in captivated.

• Make sure to keep their tank away from the kids or other pets reach.
• You should also keep their tank from where you have a big screen TV or music system.
• Placing their tank In a place where there is too much traffic will put a lot of stress to your pet.

Avoid Cohabitation

You should also avoid having multiple equivalence in a single tank. Please do not house male Iguana together as it is really a bad idea. Male Iguanas are highly territorial and could kill each other. Keeping two female together will put a lot of stress on less dominant Iguana. The dominant female Iguana will always take over the food bowl and the basking spot. On the others hand if you have one male and one female together, mating and reproduction will result. You might have to take care of many little Iguanas in the future.

Iguana Tank Setup: Flooring

Another critical component in giving your Iguana a comfortable home is choosing the best flooring. There are quite many options available, and unfortunately, not all of them are safe. When you think about what flooring you want to use, the most critical factor is what is best for your Iguana? What will help your Iguana feel happy and comfortable in their new home? What will keep them clean and safe? What flooring is safe for them and easy for you to take care of? Let’s get to the “bottom” of it. 

Some trendy options are not safe for your Iguana, and some are. It’s best to do your research and be fully informed before you decide. You can even give your local vet or reptile shelter a call and weigh their opinion.

Best And Worst Flooring Options

The substrate is a hotly debated topic among Iguana Keepers. Many substrates are genuinely unsafe for Iguanas for the following reasons: 

• They can cause impaction, eye and nose irritation, and even internal injury. 
• They can also be tough to keep free of bacteria and parasites. 
• Live insects can easily hide in the substrate. 

If you choose to use substrate, you must do your research and make sure that you are choosing the safest option for your Iguana.

Sand is one of the most common substrates used for their Iguanas. But it is hazardous for your Iguana. While sand is part of Iguanas’ natural habitat in the desert, the sand you see for sale at pet stores and online is not Australian desert sand. It can cause gut impaction and can easily be inhaled, causing respiratory issues; not to mention, it can also get stuck in your Iguana’s eyes, irritating.

Pebbles and rocks are a big no as well, and these can cause impaction and break your Iguana’s teeth.  

Walnut shells, for similar reasons, pose an extreme threat to your Iguana’s health.

Other substrates are available for Iguanas as well. These are often made of wood chips, calcium powder, coconut fibre, or edible material. We highly recommend consulting with your vet if you are interested in using this kind of substrate. While the ones made of edible or calcium-infused materials are dangerous, some of the wood options may work well for you, depending on your situation. 

Some substrates, including wooden chips, are pretty absorbent and easy to clean, but there is still some risk of impaction, and you must be vigilant about cleaning them when your Iguana goes to the bathroom. 

The other issue you may run into with these softer, dense substrates as they retain moisture, which can raise the humidity levels in your Iguana’s tank. If you go this route, use your hygrometer to monitor the humidity.  

It would help if you kept in mind that loose substrate is live insect feedings. Live insects such as crickets, Dubia roaches, and worms will try to escape your Iguana during mealtime. This chase can be fun to watch and is part of the natural order of things, but it’s dangerous in a loose substrate setting. 

The insects can quickly bury themselves in the substrate and hide until long after feeding time. They will either bite your Iguana (crickets are notorious for this, and their biting hurts!), or they will eventually die and rot in the tank, causing a smell and posing a threat to your Iguana’s health. If you have loose substrate, use a specially designated area away from the substrate for live insect feeding. A large plastic container works quite well for this. 

Sand mats are not a great option either, and they can harm your Iguana by scratching them or causing impaction or internal injury when your Iguana ingests dislodged pieces.

A reptile carpet is an excellent option for your Iguana. It doesn’t cost much, it’s easy to clean, and most options you will find are designed to prevent odours. You do have to remove it to clean it, so it’s best to have at least one different carpet on hand. If you have a baby Iguana, you may want to keep more than two carpets since babies go to the bathroom more often than adults.

Tile is a trendy choice among Iguana Keepers. Dark-coloured ceramic and slate tiles are ideal choices. Both materials provide your Iguana with traction to move around comfortably, and dark colours will prevent the tile from getting cold.

Make sure you don’t use vinyl or linoleum, which are too slippery for your Iguana’s claws to gain traction. The other issue with those materials is they retain a lot of heat, and there is nowhere for it to escape in your Iguana’s tank so that it can burn your Iguana.   

Be very careful when putting the tile in your Iguana’s tank. It can scrape or break the terrarium floor, especially if it’s glass. Using a thin towel or newspaper between the floor and the tile can help protect the tank’s bottom. 

Clay is a fun option for your Iguana if you have time and are willing to put in a little extra effort to set it up. You can get creative with it and sculpt an exciting desert-like terrain with caves, hills, and hideaways. 

Once you purchase the reptile excavator clay at your local pet store or online, mix it with water and let it dry in the tank. Your Iguana can burrow in the clay, but it will not break off and cause impaction. The only issue you may run into with clay is every few months; you have to remove and replace it, which can be a hassle if you don’t have a lot of extra time to take care of that. 

Newspaper is easily the cheapest option for your Iguana. It’s an excellent choice for babies since they go to the bathroom often, and newspapers are incredibly easy to replace.  

Iguana Tank Setup: Proper Lights, Heating, And Humidity 

Iguanas are cold-blooded creatures native to the Australian desert. They don’t generate their body heat, so they need proper heating and lighting mimicking their natural habitat to survive. Poor lighting or heat can cause metabolic bone disease, a severe condition that warps your Iguana’s skeletal system and inhibits digestion and absorption of nutrients. Metabolic bone disease can paralyze and kill your Iguana if left untreated.

Here are some things you’ll need to maintain the proper heat, lighting, and humidity that your Iguana needs to stay comfortable and healthy:  

• UVB lamp. Many vets recommend a self-ballasted mercury vapour UVB lamp because they emit heat along with UVB rays. It’s best to replace the UVB bulb every six months to ensure your Iguana’s best quality rays and heat.
• Heat lamp and a UVB bulb. If you are not using a UVB lamp that emits heat and UVB rays, you will need a heat lamp and a UVB bulb. 
• Ceramic heat emitter. You will need this if you cannot maintain a temperature above 65 degrees in your home at night.
• Thermometer. To ensure your Iguana is getting the proper temperatures at any time of the day or night, you’ll want to have a good thermometer. You could place a couple of digital thermometers at either end of your Iguana’s tank or use a temperature gun to scan different areas of the tank quickly.
• Hygrometer. It’s helpful to have a hygrometer to measure the humidity in your Iguana’s tank. 

Once you have the necessary supplies, keep these lighting, heating, and humidity guidelines in mind for your Iguana tank setup:

• UVB exposure. Whether you get a self-ballasted UVB lamp or another kind, ensure your Iguana gets 12 hours of UVB ray exposure a day.
• Humidity. The ideal humidity for Iguanas is 35 to 40% because that mimics the humidity levels in their natural habitat. This is often easy to achieve by providing adequate ventilation (for example, your glass tank screen lid), placing the water dish away from the basking spot, and not misting your Iguana’s tank too often.
• Red lights. You may notice in your research that some Iguana tanks have a red light on at night. Although many Iguana Keepers choose to do this, it’s not necessary and can be stressful for your Iguana. Iguanas would go to sleep in total darkness in the wild, or perhaps under soft moonlight and starlight. You can get red lights or other night lights for your Iguana aren’t the same. Iguanas have trouble sleeping when there is too much light, especially from a bulb or screen. So it’s best to avoid adding a red light or night light to your Iguana’s tank.
• Daytime temperatures. Every Iguana needs a basking spot, and this spot should be between 95 and 110 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. Other parts of the tank should be more relaxed, so your Iguana can regulate body temperature.
• Nighttime temperatures. The entire tank should range from 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit at night. Of course, you don’t have to keep a basking spot at night.

Interesting Further Reading

• 5 Reasons Why Do Iguanas Bob Their Heads?
• 5 Humane Ways To Dispose Of Dead Iguana
• What Fruits Can Iguanas Eat? 2022 Updated List

Iguana Tank Setup: Decor

The most fun part of setting up your Iguana’s new home is selecting the decor! When it comes to creativity, the sky’s the limit. Some Iguana Keepers opt for a laid back, simple environment, while others choose an elaborate theme such as exotic desert or tropical rainforest. If you are a first-time Iguana Keeper, you may want to keep it simple to start, but it’s entirely up to you. 

Regardless of your style or theme, here are some items to include in your Iguana tank setup:

• Basking log or rock. Your Iguana will need a large surface beneath the heating lamp to bask. A record or rock is perfect for this.
• Hideaway. For bedtime, brumation, and following burrowing instincts, your Iguana needs a hide. There are plenty of options available, so you can find one that matches your tank’s style. 
• Things to climb on. Whether it is branches, rocks, logs, or other fixture that matches your decor theme, Iguanas love to climb on things. Of course, make sure there is still room on the ground for your Iguana.  
• Hammock. Iguanas love hanging out and lounging in hammocks. Place one in the corner of your tank opposite the heating lamp, and your Iguana will thank you. 
• Plants. Many Iguana Keepers enjoy decorating the terrarium with plants, live or fake. 

Live plants can affect the humidity levels in your Iguana’s tank, so use your hygrometer often. Keep in mind that your Iguana may eat some of the live plants, so it’s important to keep live plants and herbs that are safe for your Iguana to ingest.

Safe plants include:

• Aloe vera (If your Iguana overeats this, she may get diarrhoea, so keep an eye on things) 
• Herbs such as rosemary, basil, oregano, and parsley (they may wilt in the humidity, so replace them when they begin to go bad)
• Turtle vine
• Succulents such as echeveria and haworthia 
• Prickly pear cacti (with spines removed)

Another thing to keep in mind if you are interested in using live plants is that you will have to water and care for them and care for your Iguana. If you’ve never taken care of plants before, you may want to start with a plant outside the terrarium and go from there.

Usually, it’s safest to use plastic plants. Ensure they are high quality to minimize the risk of your Iguana biting off a piece and choking or becoming impacted. Impaction can kill your Iguana, so it’s essential to take steps to prevent this. 

Iguana Tank Setup: Feeding Essentials

• Shallow dishes. You’ll want at least three or four shallow containers on hand for greens, fruits, insects, supplements, and water.  
• Insect tweezers. For live insect feeding, it’s helpful to have one or two pairs of tweezers on hand. It can be fun to feed your Iguana with tweezers, but it can protect you from insects that can pinch or bite, and it’s also a good option for those who would rather not touch live bugs with their hands.
• Container for feeding. If you are using loose substrate or want to get more up-close and personal when feeding your Iguana, or if you don’t want to unleash live insects into the terrarium and prefer a more contained environment, you’ll want to have a large, shallow plastic container on hand. 
• Live feeder insects. Whether you are getting a baby, juvenile, or adult Iguana, you must include live insects in your diet. Crickets and Dubia roaches are the most popular staple insects, and there are plenty to choose from as treats and supplements. Decide ahead of time what insects you will start with and see how your Iguana likes them. And make sure you understand how to keep and care for the insects you choose. 

Healthy Iguanas can live upwards of ten years with proper care. The terrarium plays a massive role in giving your Iguana a healthy, happy life. Now that you know the basics of creating the best Iguana tank setup, you can provide your reptile with a home where she can thrive.