# Iguana Enclosure



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

I bet you've never seen a thread like this before...

BACKSTORY:

This is my personal troublemaker:










She's a green iguana, native to south america. Requires temps constantly above 80*, humidity over 70%, etc. Her name is Codie.

Formerly, she was allowed to free-roam my bedrooms. I had a space heater and humidifier (even in summer... :S) to keep her cozy. I can afford to sweat a little if it keeps her healthy.

However at the end of the month I will be moving back in with my parents, who do not approve of her free-roaming. No big deal to me really.

THE NECESSITY:

Iguanas get large. And as such they require a very large enclosure - my plans are roughly 6x6x2.5 or 3 feet. I'm not 100% sold on the dimensions but I don't want to go a lot smaller or larger than that.

However, I have never built anything in my life. But I also don't have over 2 or 3 grand to spend on getting one built (and shipped to me).

If anyone is able to help me construct plans for her enclosure, that would be amazing and I would be forever grateful, as would my little green lady.

SPECS/REQUIREMENTS:

The enclosure needs to be water proof, sturdy, and at least somewhat insulated. Depending on costs, 1 layer of foam in between 2 layers of...some kind of material*...would be nice, although not required. Probably a sturdy material would provide good enough insulation for it?

I would like to have cabinet style doors that open from the middle, rather than sliding glass or one door in the middle of multiple glass panes. Glass vs plexiglass doesn't matter to me though. Basically I want to be able to open the front and reach her without too much hassle. She has a very strong 'flight' response and having to maneuver around sliding glass doors could be a pain.

The top must have holes cut out of it for lighting and for cords for various fixtures (humidifier, heater, lights).

I want 4 shelves going up the sides. The shelves should be able to hold a good amount of weight, especially one in particular which will be holding a humidifier and heater. I can draw a picture if you like.

The floor will be some kind of laminate - something waterproof that is easy for me to wipe down & sterilize for when she makes her "business".

The primary lighting element will look something like this: http://tortoiseshack.com/store/images/R Zilla T5.jpg I may get two. Either way, I have to make it so that she can't climb onto them and hurt herself, whether by getting a toe stuck or falling to the floor. She is VERY DUMB and has done this before - lost 2 claws as a result of getting one of them stuck in her old bulb fixture. A wire cage around it somehow would suffice keeping it safe.

It should primarily be functional, although I don't want it to look like naked particleboard, either. Something that isn't an eyesore.

*I know nothing about making anything. I don't know anything about wood, screws, nails, glue, glass...etc. However, my dad has a bunch of tools (power and otherwise), and I will be able to use those. He won't really be much help on this project because he isn't a very good handyman 

I have heard that melamine is a good construction material for these projects, but again, I know nothing, so feel free to steer me away from that vein.

My guess is that this is very similar to building a free standing cabinet or wardrobe, but every google search I try comes up with nothing helpful - either too small, wrong materials, too vague, or I have to pay for the plans :/

Has anybody got any ideas?


----------



## H. A. S. (Sep 23, 2010)

Get a dog?:huh::laughing:


----------



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

Hi RaefWolfe I drew up a simple sketch for one in Google sketch up. All you have to do is go to Google 3d warehouse and search iguana enclosure . It is fairly simple to make just a wooden frame with rabbets (aka groove on edge of board) that the plexa glass will fit into and be held in place by strips of wood. The top is 3 pieces of flex that fit into rabbets but are not help in place by wood just clips so you can open the top. You would have to drill plenty of air holes. You could probably just use flex for the floor. Making cabinet style doors sounds like a pain to try and do. One thing you need to figure out is what tools your dad has. Does he have a table saw ,router ,jointer , jig saw, and miter saw. You might be able to get away without needing a jointer or miter saw but they really make life easer and can be found on craigslist for around hundred bucks for older craftsmen jointer miter saw probably 60 and a good craftsmen table saw around a hundred. Routers are on there sometimes for under 40. A rabbeting bit will cost right around 20. The one other thing you have to think about is will you be able to use these tools safely because if you cut off a finger its going to cost a lot more than 2 grand. Just something to think about.and remember be safe


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

Woodworkingkid said:


> Hi RaefWolfe I drew up a simple sketch for one in Google sketch up. All you have to do is go to Google 3d warehouse and search iguana enclosure . It is fairly simple to make just a wooden frame with rabbets (aka groove on edge of board) that the plexa glass will fit into and be held in place by strips of wood. The top is 3 pieces of flex that fit into rabbets but are not help in place by wood just clips so you can open the top. You would have to drill plenty of air holes. You could probably just use flex for the floor. Making cabinet style doors sounds like a pain to try and do. One thing you need to figure out is what tools your dad has. Does he have a table saw ,router ,jointer , jig saw, and miter saw. You might be able to get away without needing a jointer or miter saw but they really make life easer and can be found on craigslist for around hundred bucks for older craftsmen jointer miter saw probably 60 and a good craftsmen table saw around a hundred. Routers are on there sometimes for under 40. A rabbeting bit will cost right around 20. The one other thing you have to think about is will you be able to use these tools safely because if you cut off a finger its going to cost a lot more than 2 grand. Just something to think about.and remember be safe


Umm.

This:










will not work.

It needs to be 6 feet *tall*. Iguanas are arboreal. Sorry, I thought most people knew that or I would have specified. They basically only come to the ground to lay eggs and excrete waste.

Here is an example I found on sketchup of something that is close in size/shape:










(Keep in mind that that will not work for my purposes and is only for showing size)

As far as "air holes" I forgot to add that I would like to put vents in the bottom sides. Too many holes and you forget the point of it being insulated for humidity and heat.



As far as get a dog...my parents hate 'em


----------



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

Sorry I thought you ment six feet long not six feet high

Sent from my iPod touch using Wood Forum


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

Woodworkingkid said:


> Sorry I thought you ment six feet long not six feet high
> 
> Sent from my iPod touch using Wood Forum


It's OK. I mentioned it being like a cabinet or wardrobe but since I never specified I understand  I have another lizard and if he didn't already have a home that would have been perfect for him, haha.


----------



## Masterofnone (Aug 24, 2010)

Do your parents have a basement with a window well? Put her in there and get one of those plastic covers. That's what my cousin did with Iguana. Gets rather "tropical" in there, even in winter.

I'd try and find the plan of that "cabinet" in your second post and modify it. You're going to be hard-pressed to find anything better.


----------



## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

Basically just build a frame and enclose most of it with glass. Have a lot of foliage, and some logs built up, or a tree limb to climb on. I've got Iguanas wild in my yard.

This is one of the small ones:
.








.
This one is a bit bigger:
.








.








.

















 





 
.


----------



## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

I made this one for the wife's Iguana. MAN those things are high maintenance 





It was made outta junk wood, and a sheet of 3/4 Birch ply. (shoulda got 1/2") the top is poultry fabric and the doors have that as well, I ended up changing the door to plexi.


----------



## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

Bearded dragons are much easier to maintain. 
heres the custom cage for Goliath. Im not trying to hijack your thread i swear. I am proud of the rock wall I made.


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

I started out with a beardie and got an iguana a few years later. QC (the beardie) is WAY easier  I LOVE your sandpit and when I build the house for Codie I planned on using the leftovers to do something similar for QC in his tank 

Your iguana is (was?) so little and a baby, haha. Codie is much larger. Here is a picture of her investigating my sleeping boyfriend:










She is much heftier since that photo was taken (she was not eating much as it was her breeding season). And if you really want a treat, check out the present she left me in her laying box last year: http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/27695_1273671766718_1377630008_30660202_7717926_n.jpg

I could go on and on about her 

masterofnone - My parents do not have such a window and even if they did it would not work; my parents do not like her and she will be in my room. I could go on about the health reasons for not putting her in a window, too, but I will skip it for you. I have done my research (and spoken with a number of herpetologists, including her vet) and know what I need. I just do not know how to build it. I appreciate suggestions for alternatives, but I would like to have what it is I described.

As far as being hard-pressed to find anything better than the example I found, that is why I am here. I am looking for help on the subject because I have not found anything like I desire to create that gives me the details I need. There are vague explanations of other people on building large enclosures but they do not include the level of detail necessary for a complete noob to woodworking. I will try to see if there are any plans for that model, but...I doubt that will be the case, especially since I would have to make so many modifications; it's clear that one is meant to be outdoors and not indoors. On the other hand if I play with it in sketchup and post the results here it will help people see what it is I am trying to do. Thank you 

cabinetman - You tell me to "just build a frame and fill it with glass" but I do not know how  As I said, I know nothing about these things and really do need a thorough explanation. What kind of wood, what do I use to put it together, how do I treat the wood, etc. Plus, isn't glass more expensive/heavy/breakable and wouldn't it be easier to build most of it with wood and have only a glass front?

I love that second picture though. S/he is growing what looks like the start of a lovely rostral horn


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

OK here is my sketchup model, hopefully this will help.










http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=84fdad8b33688a8be991601c4c05e90c


----------



## Woodworkingkid (Jan 8, 2011)

ok i get what you are trying to do you could just make a face frame out of 1X2's and nail the ply to it then for the doors make another frame and cut dados in it so the glass fits indont forget to put the glass in befor the last side for the door.you could use l brackets to hold the shelfs. because this is face frame i would recommend buying a kreg jig it makes building frmaes a lot quicker


----------



## cody.sheridan-2008 (May 23, 2010)

could you make the whole thing out of plexi?


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

cody.sheridan-2008 said:


> could you make the whole thing out of plexi?


I could, theoretically, but I would prefer not to. Isn't working with plexi/glass more complicated than working with wood alone? Also, heat dissipates through glass, making it less insulated. I just want a glass front.



Woodworkingkid said:


> ok i get what you are trying to do you could just make a face frame out of 1X2's and nail the ply to it then for the doors make another frame and cut dados in it so the glass fits indont forget to put the glass in befor the last side for the door.you could use l brackets to hold the shelfs. because this is face frame i would recommend buying a kreg jig it makes building frmaes a lot quicker


Ok, I will try to understand what you wrote here. Keep in mind that I'm not familiar with a lot of wood working terminology, and your post was a little erratic on the English usage. So if I don't understand something, feel free to correct me 

-A face frame, from what I can tell, is what it sounds like: a basic frame onto which you attach the rest of the box, whether it's a cabinet or a chest of drawers or an iguana home.

-Once the frame is done, nail plywood boards to the exterior on the top, bottom, back, and left&right sides.

-Make a separate frame for each door. In the frame, cut dados in them to slide the glass into. Dados are basically grooves so the glass will stay in place. Make sure to put the glass in before putting the whole frame together (so make 3 sides, insert glass, then put the last frame side on).

-To hold up the shelves use L-brackets, which are bent pieces of metal with screw holes.

-To make a frame you suggest buying a Kreg brand jig. I really don't want to have to buy an expensive tool I will only use once. Is there another way to make a frame?

More questions:

-What sort of wood would I use for this project?
-How do I treat the wood to make it so it won't warp or rot when it comes into contact with water?
-How do I make dados? Alternatively, is there a simpler way of affixing glass than making them?
-Is a 1x2 frame with plywoood going to be sturdy enough for something this big? Keep in mind one of the shelves is going to be holding a space heater and a humidifier full of water, both of which are going to be heavy. Others are going to be holding up branches and other heavy objects.
-Is something made of 1x2 and plywood going to be particularly stable? Won't it have some wiggle if it's not made of stronger stuff? Or, do I just have to build cross-braces and it will be sturdier?


----------



## Glidden (Dec 2, 2010)

I've owned a few iguanas in the past and have build enclosures to house them along the scale that you are talking about so I've got some tips to pass along.

1: Try and source cheap windows out on craigslist, people are always looking to replace old single pane windows with newer, more effeicient windows, so if you look around or contact a window installer I'm sure you can find some econmic windows that are already framed so that will simplify your project. 

2: You're going to need two different light sources, one for the UVB and then some sort of infra-red head source, but you'll need to keep these separated from the iguana so they don't hurt or burn themselves on the bulbs. So in addition to your enclosure plan to build a box to sit on top that houses the lights keeping them away from the iguana with some hardware mesh. 

3: Keep in mind that you will be cleaning the enclosure out regularly, so having an easy full access to it for cleaning will be worth planning around. 

Depending on what tools you have, I would start by just building a frame out of some 2x2's, capped on the bottom and 3 sides with plywood. The front you will want to be glass, and if you can find enough glass putting some on the sides will be good too. The top you will need to cap with hardware mesh, big enough that the iguana won't get it's toes caught. I would paint all the wood with a durable exterior paint because you'll be trying to keep the inside as humid as possible, which is tougher than it sounds.

You'll also want a large tree limb, about 6-8" in diameter, lenthwise about 12" under the heat lamp, this will be where the iguana will spend 90% of the day just lounging. It may take a few weeks for the iguana to get used to the enclosure especially after being able to roam at will, but eventually they will get used to the glass.

Good luck!


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

1. Interesting thought on the windows. I wonder how big they make them? Alternatively,what about shower stall doors? Those would be mostly pre assembled. May save me a lot of time. I will look into both options. Thank you!

2. Yes, I know all about their requirements...here are a few things I said in my posts.

UVB:
"The primary lighting element will look something like this: http://tortoiseshack.com/store/image...Zilla%20T5.jpg I may get two."

Protection:
"Either way, I have to make it so that she can't climb onto them and hurt herself, whether by getting a toe stuck or falling to the floor."

Heat:
"The shelves should be able to hold a good amount of weight, especially one in particular which will be holding a humidifier and heater."

Wiring:
"The top must have holes cut out of it for lighting and for cords for various fixtures (humidifier, heater, lights)."

Other considerations:
"Others [shelves] are going to be holding up branches and other heavy objects."

I also mentioned her vet. So, I do know what is required to take care of them.

3. Cleaning is why I want double opening doors. So I can open both doors to access everything and clean it out. That is why I also mentioned laminate flooring to keep it sterile. It's very important to me that she live in a clean environment.

I heard that bathroom paint may work for painting. Exterior paint is a good idea since it's meant to hold up to both water and wear & tear. Iguanas are not gentle and exterior may be a much better option. Thanks 

My big problem is, I don't know how to prime wood or what else to do to it before painting it and putting it together...nor do I know how to put it together.


Anyway. I will try to describe this picture better:










The plan is for the upper-left shelf to be her 'basking' shelf. A large, flat area is best for her since she has a lot of balance issues. As previously stated she is missing two toes. When I adopted her (she is a rescue from a bad home) she was missing more than half of her tail. Sitting on a 1.5 x 3 foot shelf is going to be much simpler for her than a thin branch for basking.

Between the shelves on the upper left, middle right, and lower left, will be large tree sections. A few years ago my father cut down a birch tree and I have been saving the trunk for this project. I will likely wrap thick rope around the trunks to help her get a grip on climbing, just so I know she will not have issues.

The upper-right shelf will be what I call the 'utility shelf'. It will hold a humidifier and space heater. I plan to surround it with something like plastic coated hardwire mesh so she cannot access it. And if she somehow did manage to climb onto it, the plastic coating would help ensure that she does not get pinched.

I do not want to keep the top entirely hardwire mesh because that completely negates the point of having a heater and humidifier. it totally prevents any heat (which rises) from staying in the enclosure. It makes keeping the humidity up impossible. Partial mesh to allow for the light on top (rather than inside) is a good idea though.

Amusingly enough, Codie really doesn't "roam at will" that much so I don't think adjusting to her new space will take much time. She sits in her basking spot, moves somewhere else to poop (and by that I mean she moves, and I go give her a bath, because I know what that means). Then she climbs over to my desk to eat when I bring food out. Otherwise she watches traffic or TV with me. The only variance in that behaviour is when she is in mating season and gets aggressive and restless, and when she laid eggs and became very restless and dug everywhere (I found her in my pillowcases a number of times before she finally figured out what her egg box was for and laid them).




Anyway, any thoughts on my questions specifically - rather than suggestions or thoughts on what I could do - are appreciated. I know what it is that I want (evidenced by my long-winded responses and my google sketchup model). However I struggle with knowing what sort of wood (I don't mean 2x2 or whatever, I mean like...kind of wood? species of wood? whatever it's called), what kind of nails/screws, what kind of paint (to which Glidden has helped me), how to put the front doors together, how to set the shelves up (to which WWK has helped with L brackets), etc.


----------



## tomaasbark (Aug 4, 2011)

Sorry I thought you ment six feet long not six feet high

Sent from my iPod touch using Wood Forum


----------



## Glidden (Dec 2, 2010)

For the species of wood you'll probably want to stay economic so pine will be your best bet. You can usually buy bundled 2x2s at Lowes or HD. For plywood you will probably want BC pine, 3/8" to 1/2" thick should be plenty. For primer and paint I would talk to someone in the paint department about your requirements and let them advise you as to what products. 

I would also hesitate about putting a space heater into the enclosure, you are running a pretty high risk for fire with something like, not to mention the amount of heat contained in a small space versus an entire room. The humidifier won't be bad, but you could end up with some mold and mildew problems down the road without decent air circulation. I typically just kept a small shallow pan of water in the bottom that was easy to clean/change daily and that kept the humidity around 60 to 80 percent.

As for the iguana perches, I've found they prefer logs over shelves because they can stretch out completely. My last iguana got to be about 4.5 feet long and liked to just stretch out as long as she could, you don't typically find them coiled like snakes so depending on the width of the shelf they may prefer something much straighter and longer. A great source is to go look for some driftwood at a nearby lake or river that meets the desired lenth and diameter.

This is all advice from building 3 fairly extensive enclosures in the past, keep in mind you could end up building and enclosure much larger in time as your iguana gets larger.


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

Codie is missing more than half of her tail and most of it will not grow back. She's grown back six inches of it, all within her first six months with me. Nothing since, and it's been 2 years. She is not really very long. Her SVL will not get any bigger, at the very least. If she had a full-sized tail my guess is she would be about 4 feet long. I still do not want her on a round log that requires grip to stay on because I have seen her fall *a lot* due to her inability to properly climb things.

Here is a picture from when I first got her. You can see how stumpy her tail is:
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/phot...3/1377630008/n1377630008_30119364_1958096.jpg

Here is a picture of how much of her tail has grown back:
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/31945_1279329668162_1377630008_30673292_4266481_n.jpg

As you can see, it is not very much. She is not even 3 feet long. If she sits on my arm, she does not stretch from my fingertips to my shoulder. It's really sad...when I got her she was confined to a 3x3x1 mesh cage, she was missing 1/2-3/4 of her tail, and was terrified of people. Lord knows what happened to her before she came into my care.

I've also noticed that when she is at her most comfortable, she folds her arms back along her sides (almost like she is swimming). If she is on a log that requires her to grip she will not be able to relax this way.

As far as a space heater, I do not plan on getting one of those jumbo-sized guys meant for heating a whole room. There are 2 types I am considering: one is a small, personal spaceheater that is meant for keeping you warm at a desk but not meant for heating a whole room. The second option would be one of the flat-panel heaters that hang on walls that is also meant only for heating tiny areas. I would hook either choice up to a gauge that would shut off when the correct temperature has been reached, and turn on when the temperature has dropped. I do not plan on skimping out on such a heater or gauge because buying something cheap means more likely fire hazards.

The big reason I want one heater over many bulbs is because it is going to be very difficult to reach the temperatures necessary for that space without a very large number of bulbs, which is just as much a fire hazard as any space heater.

As far as a pool of water vs a humidifier, I already have a humidifier anyway, though I was planning on including a small tub of water for her use. If I find the enclosure is too humid, I will remove the humidifier or set it to a lower setting.

To combat mold/mildew I mentioned a while back wanting to put vents in the bottom sides. However the more I think about it, is that if I plan for many vents (perhaps one on each side going up the shelves), then I can always keep them closed or open depending on how much ventilation is necessary.

Thank you for the information about the kind of wood to use and how to get it  I appreciate the help.

I think at this point I will start researching material cost and draft up a second sketchup model. I will post when I have finished it.


----------



## Glidden (Dec 2, 2010)

Built propperly you'll be surprised how little it takes to maintain heat and humidity in an enclosure. Between a florencent fixture and 2 100-150 watt IR bulbs will create nice hot spots for the iguana to move in and out of. A small space heater on a thermostat control isn't a bad idea, but if there is a problem could easily overheat an enclosure. 

Even though your iguana is small now with an adequate diet she will continue to grow for as long as she lives, you could easily end up with a lizard 5 feet long even with a stumpy tail, so keep that in mind as you build this enclosure.


----------



## screamon demon (Feb 18, 2011)

I have built enclosures in the past. That last one I made I built to come apart easily so I could move it around it was 6 feet tall 4 feet wide and 2.5 feet deep. (That takes up a lot of space.) What I found is that I needed ventilation and a lot of it. All that heat, vegetation, waste, food, etc can create some interesting ordors. I used peg board bolted to a 2x4 frame. I painted the peg board so it was somewhat water proof. I used 3 pieces of 2 foot wire shelving on pivots for the front. This way I could easily reach in anywhere in the enclosure to clean or grab the iguana. It was simple and cheap to make. Nothing that you would want in a living room but it held up really well. One thing that did not work out great for was mice. I always feed my iguanas live mice for protein and this enclosure had too many escape routes for the mice. I had to be creative so they did not get out. Good Luck.


----------



## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

1 sheet of birch 3/4 or 1/2 ply
4'X4' back panel
2'X4' side panels
2'X4' bottom make sure its 3/4
Do not use pine for a face frame it is SH!^ (I hated it and re-built my face frame and doors with poplar)! go Poplar or better, stain it if you want, paint it if you want.
Primer them with whatever you want and paint them whatever you want just make sure you use some kind of non toxic sealer (preferably water mildew friendly). do this as the pieces are cut to allow for odor to go away.
Build a poplar face frame with 1 verticle support in the middle and two door frames (that fit the oppenings of door) with 1/16 plexi (I would go thicker but that raises the budget a lot). look around locally for a plexi supplier (HD will rape you on pieces that size) and the plexi supplier I go to will sell me and cut for me any size I ask them to and charge me accordingly. most have a scrap bin you can go through and a little cheaper.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE VENTILATION mold will surely make your iggy sick! so use poultry fabric across the top, easy to poke holes to add and drop lights into the cage. And if you are losing too much heat or getting too humid or not humid enough, cardboard on top of the cage (leave openings in the cardboard around where the heat light is) in multiple sections to allow adjustments in temp/humidity.
On each level where you have your shelving have one Hygrometer/temp gauge.
For your UVB I would use 2 - 3' 10.0 UVB tube type (not screw in) one in the top front corner of the cage (hidden behind the top face frame stile) aimed downward and toward the back of the cage. The other UVB mount on the inside vertically on the face frame middle rail centered horizontally with the floor and roof of cage.
Back to the doors. If I was to do it over for another iguana, I would make each door with a vent on the bottom of each door that you can open or close at will. 
all in all the material cost including plexi was around 170
and I don't use it much but I had a Kreg pocket hole jig and it made life so much easier and it eliminates any shelf supports you would need.
If you use a tree branch, de-bark it and use a 50/50 mix bleach/water liberally soak the branches and let it dry, do it again let it dry and then rinse it very good with water, let it dry. other option is to buy the expensive pet store stuff, or bake it in the oven.
Use linoleum on the floor, and caulk around the bottom corners
let it air out a couple days put a fan on it to speed that up.
about your humidity, dont use a humidifier style. you will be taking it apart to clean it every week. I had a pan of water on the floor of it (changed daily) with a small aquarium pump to flow water over a rock. that raised the humidity nicely for the lower area, but I had to add a bowl of water to the top near the heat bulb to give it the proper level. but if you dont want to go through all that, spend some money on a water vaporizor place it on top and allow it to vent downward through the tank.. these are much easier to clean then a humidifier.
as far as heat I used a 100 watt heat lamp during day, and a 50 watt at night.
this gave optimum temperature and humidity throu-out the entire cage, giving him his cool spot, and basking.
do yourself a favor and pick up a IR thermometer. these are priceless when setting the lighting optimally.
Hope this helps. it worked great for mine but like I said these things are high maintenance!

Here is the only pic I could find during construction









The shelving and stairs for him to get around were made too small, but using the pocket jig it was east to replace as he was getting bigger


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

"Even though your iguana is small now with an adequate diet she will continue to grow for as long as she lives, you could easily end up with a lizard 5 feet long even with a stumpy tail, so keep that in mind as you build this enclosure. "

-shrug- she hasn't grown in about a year now, and any growth she has will be slow. SVL she is full sized, give or take two inches or so. STL might change but they do not grow back their tails entirely and that is also unlikely to change by any more than 6 inches. That being said, I plan on building something about 6x6x3 and not smaller. Even if Codie doesn't grow anymore, she will appreciate the extra room, so why not make it this big?

"I always feed my iguanas live mice for protein and this enclosure had too many escape routes for the mice. I had to be creative so they did not get out. Good Luck."

Wow. I have absolutely no words for the horrors you just said. So I will skip your post.

"about your humidity, dont use a humidifier style. you will be taking it apart to clean it every week."

I've been using a humidifier for as long as I've had her and never had a problem. Some people have issues, some have not. Maybe I have gotten lucky. If mine ever breaks or if I run into complications then an alternative is certainly something I will look into.

I've got plenty of heat bulbs as well as CHEs from having both the iguana and the bearded dragon. I don't think they will keep it as warm as I would like. The reason I am skeptical is because I struggle keeping my bearded dragon's 75 gallon tank at the right temperatures without using at least 2-3 bulbs. I can't imagine that a couple of 150 watt bulbs are going to get the 6x6x3 feet of space warm enough. The floor is likely to end up much chillier than the basking spot by a wide margin. yes, they need a thermal gradient for heat regulation, but using a few bulbs makes me think that the floor will end up room temperature, especially with a lot of ventilation.

Did you folks have a hygrometer in your enclosure? What was the humidity like inside of it, using numbers and not words? I plan on keeping one in mine so I can keep a pretty good eye on it to reduce the risk of mold/mildew/etc.

Poultry fabric is likely going to be a bad idea. Codie can and will climb everything and anything and she will attempt to climb that too, I almost guarantee it. She is extremely good at being extremely dumb. Plus I have heard horror stories about iguanas pinching themselves on the stuff.

I think what I will do for ventilation is include a number of these on the walls:










They're grates meant for air vents, made of plastic. If I include a number of them built into the walls I can cover them up or open that up as necessary. If I find it is still too stuffy it would be simple to cut out more slots to pop these in. Alternatively, hooking up small fans (think cpu fan size) to encourage air flow should be pretty easy.


----------



## Glidden (Dec 2, 2010)

No offense, but you don't seem to have a lot of experience in building enclosures the scale you intend, and you seem to be rejecting a lot of sound advice out of hand from those with more experience. You should try and keep an open mind about what is desired versus what is practical before dismissing information out of hand. I've built 3 enclosures of increasing size as my iguanas would grow and learned a lot along the way. Most of the advice given is very practical and simple because we don't know what experience you have woodworking, what tools you have available to use, etc, so most of what I describe will be based on doing the construction with very basic tools such as a jigsaw and cordless drill, which is very doable on a tight budget and meeting all the requirements to keep your iguana healthy. Slick's advice and picture give a really good starting point, as do many of the other posts here.


----------



## slicksqueegie (Feb 9, 2011)

RaefWolfe said:


> -shrug- I plan on building something about 6x6x3 and not smaller. Even if Codie doesn't grow anymore, she will appreciate the extra room, so why not make it this big?"


By the time she is full grown, she will probably be spending equal time inside and outside of the cage. So the cage will simply turn into a "bedroom" for your Iggy. It would simply be a waste (unless you plan on not spending any time with her, or your a zoo) go ahead and designate the floorspace! If I was going as big as you want, It would be a build-in. then you could use a corner of the room and save quite a bit in material.



RaefWolfe said:


> Wow. I have absolutely no words for the horrors you just said. So I will skip your post.


Its best to keep that kinda stuff to yourself. Remember, you came here for help.:no:



RaefWolfe said:


> I've been using a humidifier for as long as I've had her and never had a problem. Some people have issues, some have not.


I'm glad its working out for you. The vet bill for a cared about Iggy can be tremendous. A hell of a lot more then a CVS water Vaporizer. 



RaefWolfe said:


> I don't think they will keep it as warm as I would like. The reason I am skeptical is because I struggle keeping my bearded dragon's 75 gallon tank at the right temperatures without using at least 2-3 bulbs.


I have a 120 gallon tank for my Beardie, and 1-75 Watt heat bulb on his Basking spot and one UVB screw in type next to the basking and more central in the cage. And the temperatures are exactly right for his habitat.



RaefWolfe said:


> I can't imagine that a couple of 150 watt bulbs are going to get the 6x6x3 feet of space warm enough.


The Iggy needs cool spots. It works!:yes:



RaefWolfe said:


> The floor is likely to end up much chillier than the basking spot by a wide margin. yes, they need a thermal gradient for heat regulation, but using a few bulbs makes me think that the floor will end up room temperature, especially with a lot of ventilation.


Whats wrong with "room temperature" are you a Penguin? My living room temperature right now it a nice 71 this morning, the cool spot for your Iggy should be around 65-70 degrees.



RaefWolfe said:


> Did you folks have a hygrometer in your enclosure? What was the humidity like inside of it, using numbers and not words?


??? What??? you dont even know the ideal humidity for an Igg and you have one as a pet? :thumbdown::furious: that's just irresponsible!
55-80 percent humidity is ideal and that would be throughout the cage.



RaefWolfe said:


> Poultry fabric is likely going to be a bad idea. Codie can and will climb everything and anything and she will attempt to climb that too, I almost guarantee it.


Like a parent to a child you need to keep her from any and all dangers. you can get plastic poultry fabric as well, but you could simply not give her a place to climb up to the ceiling.:huh:



RaefWolfe said:


> She is extremely good at being extremely dumb.


:shifty:



RaefWolfe said:


> Alternatively, hooking up small fans (think cpu fan size) to encourage air flow should be pretty easy.


:no:I think you have overcomplicated this build...


----------



## screamon demon (Feb 18, 2011)

_



Wow. I have absolutely no words for the horrors you just said. So I will skip your post.

Click to expand...

_ 
_I originally had an enclosure of Water Dragons and an enclosure for an Iguana. One day while feeding the water dragons mice the Iguana went nuts trying to get out of the tank. So i looked it up and talked to some more expereinced folks and all agreed that live mice, birds, fish,etc were a better source of protein than monkey chow or dog food. The iguana loved it!!! _

_For your enclosure; you are posting on a web site for woodworking. Most of the guys on this site (my self not included) are very talented craftsman. Most of the advice you are getting is very sound. I would think most of the guys on this board would build an enclosure like a functional piece of furniture worthy of being displayed in a living space. I assume you are looking for a simple functional enclosure. You have received some great advice from the folks replying. If you are not comfortable using the tools required I would suggest you sketch up what you are looking for and post on Craigslist. Any handman could build you a simple structure with the features you are looking for. _

_Good Luck _


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

Wow, so I just typed out a huge response, but then when I hit submit it told me "your message is too short" and killed the whole message. Ugh. My guess is that it was too long for some reason.

I will summarize. I apologize if I come off as snippy - my initial message was much more polite, but as I said, the forum killed it:

-This is not an iguana care forum. This fact is painfully obvious given that one person told me to put my iguana behind a plastic window thing (which blocks UVB and makes it impossible to control the temperature) and another admits to feeding his iguana live mice (which will shut down their livers and lead to a slow and painful death, as they are herbivores). If you don't believe either of these points, then here: http://www.greenigsociety.org/habitatbasics.htm (go to 'lighting') and http://www.anapsid.org/iguana/animalprotein.html (re: mice)

-Since it is not an iguana care forum I don't expect folks to tell me how to care for my iguana, especially since I have spoken with numerous veterinarians, zoologists, and herpetologists with decades of experience about how to care for her. I will trust the opinions of those individuals over your own when it comes to things like how much ventilation I would need, the right size of the enclosure for my animal, etc.

-If I came here for sound advice on building an enclosure (and I got a lot of sound advice - thank you ), what would you do if my vet told me 'no, build it out of tarp and wood glue' and then I did? Clearly my vet knows nothing about wood working or building anything, yet I took his advice over the combined years of experience of folks on here. Isn't that what's happening when people tell me what they think is best for the iguana in my care?

-If you were living in a studio apartment and wanted to adopt a child, would you move it into the studio apartment, then move into a 1 bedroom place, then move into a 2 bedroom place? No, you would start out in a 2 bedroom before adopting the child. So why would I put my iguana in an inadequate environment? What is "easy" or "practical" for me does not matter. Owning any animal, let alone one as complex as an iguana, isn't about being easy or practical. What about a large herbivorous cold blooded animal screams 'practical'? I want what is best for her. This is the first place I've come to where people don't think that's the way to go.

-If I came here asking how to build a couch frame, would you give me responses like "couches are too hard make a chair" or "no make a stool" or "no make a bench"? No, because that wouldn't be particularly helpful. However, that is what is being done here.

-After I build the enclosure, I do not just plan on throwing her in there and forgetting about it. I will monitor it very carefully. Enclosure will have multiple thermometers, hygrometers, and emergency shut-offs.

-I will also monitor HER carefully. If I notice that she spends no time on the top level, it is too hot and I need to lower the temperature. If she yawns a lot, then she may be developing a respiratory distress and I need to increase ventilation or lower the humidity. If she is always basking with her mouth open and dewlap tucked in, it is also too hot. If I see her rubbing her nose against things it means she is agitated by something - perhaps her reflection, or the heat level. However if she lays flat, arms against her side and legs tucked against her tail, she is happily relaxed. If she sits up with her eyes closed and her dewlap extended, she is enjoying basking.

-In short, I know how to take care of my iguana. I have done a lot of research and spoken with a lot of very knowledgeable people, all of which have given me nods of approval on my enclosure plans before now. If I took them my version 2 mock up it is likely that they would be very pleased with it. Too often, enclosures are the wrong shape (like a telephone box) or too small (smaller than 5 feet) or made up of too much wire (so heat & humidity escapes). These are common problems they ave all told me about and that I hoped to avoid with my plans.

-So what am I here for? Help on building an enclosure. I got help. I have heard of 2 good kinds of wood to use, I was told the best kind of paint, and I was given suggestions on how to build a frame and go on from there. I was told how to make shelves work. Slick gave me a good tip on going to a plexi supplier instead of going to HD to get it. I was given a lot of help and I am thankful for it.

Any additional advice is welcome, assuming it is pertaining to the construction of what I requested and not additional changes to my plans. When I start building I plan to take a lot of pictures in case I run into problems or need help. I just hope that I can get sound help and advice after I start building, and people won't try to get me to go in another direction again.

I apologize if I come off as frustrated or snippy, like I said. But do you understand my rejections now, at least? I understand why it must look like I'm a newbie shrugging off sound advice from your perspective, but try to understand that from my perspective, it looks like people are trying to give me potentially damaging advice for my pet. I hope that folks don't take my comments about iguana husbandry the wrong way. I tried to avoid the topic as long as I can because I know it's a can of worms. But the issue kept getting pushed, so there it is. I don't want this to become a discussion on why whatever method of caring for iguanas is the best. It's not the place for it. I want it to be about building an enclosure. End o' story.


----------



## RaefWolfe (Aug 1, 2011)

slicksqueegie said:


> By the time she is full grown, she will
> probably be spending equal time inside and outside of the cage. So the cage will simply turn into a "bedroom" for your Iggy.


Codie does not appreciate handling very much. It stresses her out a lot. She is not domesticated or tame. Most of her time will be spent in the enclosure, with occasional jaunts when I feel I have the time to carefully watch her.

I also cannot build-in because it will not be in my house, it will be my parents.



slicksqueegie said:


> I'm glad its working out for you. The vet bill for a cared about Iggy can be tremendous. A hell of a lot more then a CVS water Vaporizer.


I am aware. X-rays on a gravid iguana aren't cheap.



slicksqueegie said:


> Whats wrong with "room temperature" are you a Penguin? My living room temperature right now it a nice 71 this morning, the cool spot for your Iggy should be around 65-70 degrees.


I live in a part of the country (NY) where certain mornings may be way too cold - 50 or less.




slicksqueegie said:


> ??? What??? you dont even know the ideal humidity for an Igg and you have one as a pet? :thumbdown::furious: that's just irresponsible! 55-80 percent humidity is ideal and that would be throughout the cage.


Umm, I know? I was referring to the others. They keep telling me "the humidity was fine" but without a hygrometer reading I can't really trust that it was "fine" since I don't know! I have one of my own. I am not so irresponsible.



slicksqueegie said:


> Like a parent to a child you need to keep her from any and all dangers. you can get plastic poultry fabric as well, but you could simply not give her a place to climb up to the ceiling.:huh:


Let's say I stick with my plan and the highest shelf is 1.5 feet away from the ceiling. Codie can EASILY stand up and grab something 1.5 feet off the ground. Even if she could not stand to reach it, she is a pretty good jumper.

I did not mean bad things when I said she was very good at being very dumb. I love her to pieces. But she is not the smartest animal around. So I have to baby-proof everything for her.



slicksqueegie said:


> :no:I think you have overcomplicated this build...


-shrug- Attaching fans is hardly that difficult. I am better at being a technical/mechanical person than I am at working with wood. I can whip up a computer in no time. I cannot build a birdhouse without plans.


----------



## Glidden (Dec 2, 2010)

We're not trying to discourage you from building an adequate enclosure for the health of your lizard, but there is a lot of difference between someone like slick or myself, who has personal experience with building and maintaining an adequate enclosure, to someone who would just tell you to build a box. If you want to incorporate some of your ideas that's up to you, but don't make the mistake of discounting relevant advice because it doesn't fit what you've read on-line or picked up from an animal vet. We have practical experience in something that you are just starting to learn about and our knowledge is based in learning what works and what doesn't, what's safe and what isn't. 

I've never had an iguana lose a finger or toe, or have any health problems that were a result of either diet or environment. My largest iguana was very docile and enjoyed each enclosure I made for her as she grew, but was always happiest outside her enclosure wandering around the house. Regardless of the size enclosure or features you are able to build in, they will be happiest when roaming. Unless you are willing to provide an entire room dedicated to an iguana, the advice you've gotten here will help you build the next best thing to keep your iguana healthy without trying to over complicate what you are building.


----------

