I've been doing some research(kaplan / green iguana society) toward becoming a new iguana owner and I have a question that hopefully this board can help me out with. I was hoping to go through two cages for my iguana's lifetime: an initial conventional terrarium of some kind and then a large custom enclosure. Is there a maximum size for a terrarium for a new iguana? If I say went with a 100 gallon tank as it's first home would it feel too overwhelmed by its size? I'd like to maximize the effectiveness of the initial conventional enclosure before moving the custom build. It's approximately 5ft x 2ft x 2ft (LWH). Also, do Iguanas like the sides/back of the cage to be covered as some snakes and other reptiles do?
I plan on purchasing a baby and was curious whether or not a large size cage that could potentially house it for 1+ yrs was too overwhelming for a little guy. Thanks!
You may be better off using a smaller cage (20L) until he starts to grow a little. A smaller cage is easier to maintain for you, and it keeps the food and water closer to the iguana. There is still plenty of room for hiding places such as plants and vines etc.
For a baby a tank that large would be stressful most likely, start with a smaller tank and work up - or section off smaller parts of the tank and increase the size as he grows.
For a baby a 20 gallon is usually good, easy to clean, yet large enough for them to get away from their basking light and cool down when needed. you may need to go through more that 2 enclosures for its lifetime. I really like MinC's idea, though it would have to be down carefully.
I wouldnt go any smaller than a 55 gallon tall. This gives him plenty of room to climb and plenty of room for you to put a good size water dish in his cage. Also it is easier to keep temperatures where they need to be. Go to this website and read read read....it is great info, Melissa Kaplan is very knowledgeable about iguanas, she has been rescuing them for many years. She has even written the book "Iguanas for Dummies" which is the #1 Iguana Care book on the market. Here is the link....Melissa Kaplans Herp Care
I agree with IguanaKing, 20 gallon tanks are way to small for a baby iguana. They grow very quickly and need plenty of room to move around. Also, they can't properly thermoregulate with a 20 gallon tank. Your iguana would cook if you had the proper lighting. You can get as large of a tank as you want - my juvenile iguana has a 100 gallon tank - because they are very curious little animals and it will be less stressful on them to have a large tank. You also won't need to keep buying new ones. But, anything less than 50 gallons is far too small. Baby iguanas need a water dish to lay in, a basking area with a log to climb, an area to hide, and room to walk. Let us know when you get your set up!