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#2267523
Jokerlover93
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Need Iguana advise. 
I have 2 young Iguanas I have had them for about 2 years. When I got them I was told that one was a boy and the other a girl. They never had problems before but the past few months they have been fighting ALOT it has started to worry me and I got them a 130 gallon tank for the both of them it is more then big enough for them but what I thought was my girl is getting more and more agressive by the day. It has now gotten to the point of her bobbing her head, charging, biting, and she no longer likes to be held or come out of her cage. I am worried that I am not giving them the life that they need and even though I love them dearly I am contimplating selling them. If someone will please respond to me and possibly answer my endless questions I would be very grateful.
Please and thank you
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05/24/12 05:40pm
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#2267525
IguanaRama
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Message To: Jokerlover93 In reference to Message Id: 2267523
Need Iguana advise.
Well first of all Two iguanas in a cage regardless of being opposite sex is a HUGE no no, even females like to have their own territory and some are dominant and even then if the male was more dominant and wanted to mate he could potentially stress the female to the point of almost dying because he would want so much sex so either way you should NEVER keep two iguanas in the same cage. That said get another cage and separate them asap they can cause extreme damage to one another and you’ll be taking one of them to the vet if you don’t move one of the out of the enclosure. Are you SURE that they’re male and female? Pictures of their vent area would be helpful we could tell the genders just to make sure the femoral pores of males are much larger and tend to poke out a bit and also a males jowls are larger than females so pictures and we could help you determine the genders. She could be aggressive towards you because she’s stressed having the other iguana in her enclosure and she’s letting you know "hey get this thing out of my cage or I’ll be mad at you and everything else till you remove it". You shouldn’t sell a loved pet just because of sudden mood changes all of this is easily fixable with getting them their own cages and then time to calm down and readjust to things. If you cannot provide two large enclosures for them then I suggest you get rid of one of them or if you really think you can’t handle them get rid of the both of them. Also You’re going to need a much bigger cage soon most aquariums are not even suitable for iguanas due to not enough height and not enough turn around room I can’t imagine two 2year old iguanas in a 130gallon tank it seems really small for two iguanas.
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05/24/12 06:04pm
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#2267531
Jokerlover93
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Message To: IguanaRama In reference to Message Id: 2267525
Need Iguana advise.
thats another thing that bothers me. they arent that big. my "girl" had a calcium problem when i got her and she has doubled in size but they are no more then maybe a 18 inches long. they have lived in the same cage the entire time that i have had them and just the past few months since she really started to get some size she has decided to get agressive. and the only reason i am considering letting them go to someone else is the fear of not giving them the life that they need. I have no idea how i would even start to decide on which one to give away and with us moving right now and most likely again in another year I am worried about the moves stressing them out. I have always been a reptile lover and I know what they require but I never knew that they wouldnt be able to live together. the top picture is Izzy "girl" and the bottom picture is Lou "boy".
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05/24/12 06:22pm
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#2267546
Tempestborn
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Message To: Jokerlover93 In reference to Message Id: 2267531
Need Iguana advise.
well, you aren’t giving them the life they need. you were just given a whole lot of good advice and replied to it with the reasons you don’t think it applies.
EACH of those iguanas needs a cage at least 6 feet tall, by at least 3 by 3. each one needs its own good uvb light, as well as a proper diet and proper supplementation. unfortunately, the people who sell iguanas to the general public aren’t truthful (or knowledgeable) about just how expensive it is to keep even one (and they prefer to be only children) properly. it also requires a great deal of space. an 18-inch-long iguana is a juvenile. they are sexually mature when their nose-to-vent measurement is 7 inches or more. they will only grow less tolerant of each other with time.
if your iguanas live in separate cages--and thus each have their own personal territory--there is every chance they can free roam together without problems, with supervision, of course.
i don’t doubt that you love them, but if you honestly do, then be willing to toss what you’ve assumed or been told, and learn what they really need. if you keep them in an improper environment on grounds that you love them, that’s just selfish. several of the people on this forum have years of experience in keeping these big lizards happy and healthy. if you’re going to ask our advice, be willing to listen to what we have to say.
jesse
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05/24/12 07:44pm
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#2267561
Really
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Message To: Tempestborn In reference to Message Id: 2267546
Need Iguana advise.
You definitely got some good advice.
As far as moving or other travel, if their own cage moves with them they can do just fine. I’ve been visiting my mom and I brought Tazumal with me. He was a little stressed the first day but being in his own cage (a reptarium) has allowed him to adapt well. He’ll be a bit stressed for a day or so when we go back but then he’ll be okay. I know of a young man who took his iggy back and forth to college in a collapsible cage and that iggy did fine. I’ve also travelled with Kismet, my female rock iguana and she does great. Sooooo, moving doesn’t have to be all that stressful if they have familiar things with them.
But, as others have said, they do need to be separated right away. Very rarely do two iguanas ever do well together and NEVER in such a confined area as a 130 gallon tank. To have even a slight chance of keeping them together you’d need a MUCH bigger enclosure with separate basking and feeding areas.
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05/24/12 08:58pm
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#2267564
Jokerlover93
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Message To: Tempestborn In reference to Message Id: 2267546
Need Iguana advise.
Thank you Jesse I do understand that what I was told was wrong and I really wish I would of found this site MUCH sooner. I am not trying to give excuses as of why they are being kept this way and I am trying to find a home that is suitable for 1 or even both of them. I have the means to have one in all of the proper cages and as for the lights they have all of the uvb lights that they need and a heat lamp. I just came on here so that I can find the right information. If it seemed like I was just making excuses for what they are in now I am sorry I did not mean to come off that way. There are alot of things that I have questions about and I have tried to reach out to alot of other sorces but I have yet to find anything like this. I am already working on selling the huge tank and finding a better home for one of them minimum. If anyone will just take the time to answer my questions and hopefully give some advise or sources where I can find Information I would be very grateful. I love all of my animals and I knew they were going to get big and I am more then ready for that but under the wrong impression of two of them housing together I made a huge mistake and I am trying to make it better.
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05/24/12 09:45pm
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#2267615
Tempestborn
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Message To: Jokerlover93 In reference to Message Id: 2267564
Need Iguana advise.
no worries. do you happen to have a closet you’d sacrifice? two, actually. i did that for my big male when he outgrew his smaller cage. for a non-builder like me it was perfect. i just took the one apart and stapled the caging to the front of the closet. it still had the same door it had before, but turned into twice as much cage. the closet went from this:
to this:
easy-peasy!
{cringe} i called the reptarium a p.o.s. in the other post. i could have at least specified imo...
read both of these sites until your eyes roll back in your head:
Link
Link
jesse
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05/25/12 01:33pm
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