How To Keep Iguana Cage Humid? [5 Easy Ways]

Like any other reptile, Iguanas also have a lot of different requirements while living in captivity. One of the requirements for keeping an Iguana in an enclosure is the need for humidity. It is essential to properly regulate the moisture level inside their pen for their well-being.

Humidity plays a crucial role in maintaining their health while protecting them from various diseases. It is essential to keep the humidity level regulated and constant during the day and night to keep them from being sick and unhealthy pets.

Changes in humidity or inconstant humidity level will always pose health risks to your Iguanas. It can slow their appetite and create issues of indigestion. This is why, in this article, we will discuss how to keep Iguana cage humid.

You will also learn why humidity is essential for your reptilian friend and how to increase or decrease it. I will also discuss how to efficiently measure the humidity level in their enclosure and get accurate readings every time. To know all of this, keep reading.

What Should The Humidity In An Iguana Tank Be?

70-75% humidity level should be maintained in an Iguanas’ enclosure all day and night. But, their humidity level should be dropped for some time a day to let the tank dry and prevent bacteria & fungal growth. The baby Iguanas need more humidity than adults.

Iguana lives in humidity levels between 55-and 70% in their natural habitat. Therefore, your Iguana will likely need the exact humidity level living in captivity. If the humidity level gets too high, it will significantly pose a health risk to your pet.

In high humidity, Iguanas are bound to have respiratory infections and diseases. It can be challenging for you to maintain humidity sometimes, depending on your home in captivity. For the Northern part of the world, you should regulate the humidity levels throughout the year during the seasonal changes.

Therefore, regardless of what humidity level is in the room’s environment, you should adjust the humidity according to the season in their enclosure. Let’s talk about what happens if the humidity gets too low or too high.

What Happens If The Humidity Is Too High

If the humidity level of your Iguana’s enclosure increases, it can pose a health risk. The most common issue that we have found When researching is respiratory infections. Respiratory infections are prevalent in reptiles like Iguanas. Even Iguanas are from a high humidity level region; too high can make them stressed.

Plus, When the moisture is combined with warm temperature, bacterias proliferate. Hence Iguana is sensitive to high humidity levels; it is essential always to let the tank dry to prevent such bacterias growth. For 20-30 minutes, Iguanas can adjust to the temporary humidity. But, too high humidity for a long time will expose your pet to more significant threats.

What Happens If The Humidity Is Too Low

If the Iguanas tank’s humidity level drops significantly, it can create a huge problem. If you are Iguanas tank humidity level is below 50%, then make sure to adjust it as soon as possible. Low humidity levels will affect their digestion and appetite and their shedding capability.

Too low humidity will cause the old skin off your Iguanas to not peel off easily. Iguanas need to shed their skin throughout their entire life, and if it is infrequent, it will cause stress. For baby and juvenile Iguanas, the shedding will take place every month.

At this age, Iguanas shedding also increases, making the frequent shedding more critical. Therefore, too low humidity levels will always cause issues with shedding. Let’s talk about measuring the humidity level in an Iguana’s tank correctly.

How To Measure Humidity In An Iguana’s Tank?

As straightforward as it sounds to measure the humidity level in an Iguana’s tank, you will need to invest in a tool that gives you an accurate reading. It is essential always to have a good quality hygrometer to measure the humidity level inside the tank. There are two types of hygrometers available. One is analogue, and the other one is digital.

It is better always to get the digital hygrometer as it is straightforward and gives you more accurate readings. I have found this hygrometer on Amazon to be the best that comes with an alarm. If the humidity goes past the preset level, the notice will begin alerting you.

It is essential to have two hygrometers installed on both ends of an Iguana’s tank. One hygrometer should be placed in the warmer end of the tank while the other one should be in the more excellent future. Still confused? It would be best to consider putting one hygrometer with the basking lights in the area.

The other one should be placed where your pets like to go when too hot. The more relaxed side of the tank will always have a lower humidity level compared to the warmer end due to the basking light. It is always essential to maintain the humidity of both ends of their tank in an optimal range between 70-and 75%.

How to Lower Humidity In Iguana’s Tank

If the humidity level inside your Iguana’s enclosure is too high or over 75%, you will need to lower it to the correct level. There are many ways to achieve this, but we will discuss the more reliable and efficient ones here.

Remove Water Dish

Basking light and water dishes can be the culprits of raising the humidity level in your Iguanas tank. As water tends to evaporate when it is too warm, it contributes to a significant rise in humidity levels during the summer months. Therefore, you should add or remove water dishes depending on the season. Adding a water dish in the winter will always raise the humidity level.

While removing the water dish in the summer will always drop the humidity level. Your Iguanas also need quick and easy access to freshwater daily; you should just put enough water in the bowl. Instead of filling the water bowl to the top, you should keep it to the half level of the bowl.

Basking Lights

If there is more than one basking light, you should consider turning it all off. It would help if you also considered turning off the basking light when not needed, especially at night. Basking light is alone enough to raise the humidity level in any reptilian tank significantly.

Usually, basking lights are made to produce a lot of heat for reptilian friends in captivity and mimic the Sun’s warmth. Therefore, keeping the basking light on for 24 hours will always result in high humidity inside that enclosure, which poses a health risk to your pet.

If your Iguanas seem to go hiding during the daytime, you can turn off the basking light. The same happens during the night time also. During the night, you can also turn off the basking light. Iguanas light should only be on for 8-12 hours, depending on the season and room temperature where your pet enclosure is kept.

Interesting Further Reading

• Iguana Vs Monitor Lizard: 7 Key Differences
• Can Iguanas Live With Other Reptiles?
• Are Bearded Dragons And Iguanas The Same?

Remove Cover

One of the most straightforward ways to lower the humidity level in any Iguanas enclosure is by removing the cover from the tank. If there is any cover, remove it. The cover is alone enough to prevent the moisture from escaping. Removing the cover will allow the water to get out of the tank resulting in the humidity dropping.

Turn OFF AC 

If there is air conditioning in your room where your Iguana’s enclosure is kept, it can be the culprit in raising the humidity level. The cool air from the air conditioner is alone enough to raise the humidity level in the room where the tank is kept. It would help if you considered turning the air conditioning off for a couple of hours.

How To Raise Humidity in Iguana’s tank

It is pretty common to see a drop in humidity level in your Iguanas enclosure during the seasonal changes. Therefore, you will need to raise it to the correct level. There are many ways you can take to achieve this. We will be discussing a few reliable and effective ways to increase the humidity level in an Iguanas tank.

If you end up with a humidity level of 30% or lower, you’ll need to raise it to the correct level. There are a few ways of achieving it. However, you’ll want to keep an eye on the humidity level, so it doesn’t get too high. Depending on the air conditioning, humidity can get high very fast.

Add Water Dish 

Add a water dish to your Iguana’s enclosure if the humidity level is too low. The tank made up of glass always experiences a quick rise in humidity level when a water dish is added. If you have a mesh tank, you might also have to wait a bit longer.

It is essential to not only place the water dishes but also to fill them only halfway. Always use a dish that is sturdy and strong. If the humidity level in your Iguana’s enclosure is still low, you can add more water dishes to the tank but never overcrowd.

Decrease Ventilation

One of the most effective ways to increase the humidity level in any reptilian enclosure is by covering it with a material like wood or cardboard. You can also take a piece of clothing to protect the screen lid. Placing any material on top of your Iguana’s tank will prevent the moisture from escaping. Once the humidity level is within range, you can remove the cover. If the tank is made up of glass, keep an eye on the readings as humidity can significantly rise when a material blocks the top part of the tank.

Misting Frequently

Another great way to raise the humidity of any reptilian tank is through misting. Depending on the current humidity level, you can mist their tank a couple of times a day. You can also mist your Iguanas a few times as they like to bathe. It is essential always to have a regular spray bottle to mist the tank down daily.

On the other hand, if you face a problem or issue on regular misting or lack enough time to pay attention to their needs, a misting system will be a great help. Going with an automatic mister for your Iguana’s tank is always recommended. Automatic mister is a great help in making your work a lot easier, especially when maintaining the humidity level.

Fill the automatic mister With water and set the timer. It is essential always to use the purified water to mist their tank or fill the automated misting system. Avoid tap water for misting purposes as it can cause spotting on your enclosure walls, decorations, and windows.

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