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Iguana Lighting SetupsLighting is one of the most important factors in successfully keeping iguanas in captivity so it's vital you choose a suitable iguana lighting setup. Indeed, without such a setup your iguana really can suffer from the inability to be able to use calcium and phosphorus in the diet. All "reptile" quality lights are "strip lights" - that is to say that most suitable iguana lighting setups consist of tubes and the starter units. The starter units are preconfigured to fit a certain length of strip light and has two rubber "cups", one of each that fits over each end of the bulb. Once the cups are on, you can clip the bulb into place in the iguana cage and plug it on. These strip lights do not get very warm in use and so are unlikely to burn your iguana, however whilst a baby lizard can safely perch on one of these without causing it any damage, large iguanas may end up breaking the lighting bulb or fitting. It is therefore a good idea to provide some protection for your lights by buying or making a wire mesh cover for your iguana lighting setup. It is important you use wire mash than glass or plastic as these filter out the helpful UV rays which otherwise renders the main aim of having lights in your iguana tank pointless. So how much light should you have? I have to admit here that that's a very difficult question to answer, as there simply is to research on the matter, however as far as I am aware (and any other reptile book I've ever read - and I've read hundreds) you cannot "overdose" an iguana on light. Sure, they need a rest from it like the rest of us, so put the iguana lighting setup on a timer to ensure 8 hours of darkness and simulated night for your iguana but apart from this we're better to provide too much light than not enough. In a small iguana cage I use one or two tubes depending on the size that I'm using, and in a larger cage I use 3+ tubes to ensure all areas get a look dosing of UV light. Please note that setting up a suitable iguana lighting setup is not cheap, so it's best to do it right from the start. Firstly, if you have some electrical knowledge, I have friends who have rewired large starter units to fit a number of tubes. That is to say they've bought one for a 6 foot bulb which would never start in a hatchling iguana tank, but added two pairs of spare end cups so it can take three 2-foot long bulbs instead, which will fit in their tank, and provides a very good level of light. I don't have the knowledge to feel safe in doing this, but as all the starter units, irrespective of what size tube they're for, are similarly priced, it can save you quite a bit of money in buying extra starter units, and also saves your plugs which is always an issue when keeping reptiles. Why not search for iguana lighting setups by doing a search in the following box which will take you to the world's largest pet store and show you what they have available?
The most searched-for iguana light online, and for good reason is the zoo med iguana light. The Zoo Med brand is a very good one, offering very high quality products at very competitive prices. Virtually all of my reptile keeping friends use some zoo med products, and their lighting setups are very popular as their bulbs provide exactly what your iguana needs. I suppose the difference between zoo med iguana lights and any other brand is the amount of research and development that Zoo Med putinto their products, which is very reassuring, and also the number of satisfied customers they have.
If you'd like to check out these babies - the most searched-for iguana lights online today - then just click
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