We live in a 3-story condo. Fio's greenhouse is on the lower level, where is cool and dark. The middle floor is warm and sunny - a much more suitable place for a tropical beast. There's an alcove with windows on 2 sides that would be perfect place for Fio to live. But how to move him upstairs?
Our first idea was to build a plexiglass greenhouse from a kit, but the ones that fit the space would be smaller than his current greenhouse. So, why not wall off the room? But what material would contain him while allowing light into the rest of the room?
Here's what we came up with:
](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BLY1MWLH?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1)
The Red Lantern store on Amazon offers a room divider that uses clear acrylic panels:
We bought 2 of these to span the 12 feet of the enclosure.
](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MD7GB4B?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details)
For the overhead lights, we found a garden trellis made by Outsunny. The Reptifiles website was a good source of information on the type of lights and the temperature. There is an extra-long UVB bulb above his basking spot as well as a heat lamp with a thermostat to keep it at or below 92 degrees. Currently the house temperature is set to 78 degrees at night but when the weather is cooler there is a ceramic heat emitter that we can turn on for nighttime heat. The UVB and basking lights are set to 22 inches above his highest perch, copying the dimensions of his previous enclosure.
For perches and basking spots, we used several wire shelving units from Home Depot.
We covered the open shelves with plastic chicken fencing to make a smooth surface that could also be cleaned. A fallen branch from the field outside was cut in half to make two basking logs.
We protected the floor and walls with a piece of vinyl flooring, plastic sheeting and puppy pads.
Moving Day
Transferring a large, grouchy iguana to a new home is not a easy. My daughter wrapped him in his going-to-the-vet towel to carry him upstairs. When she released him in this strange new place he was angry and confused. At first he just prowled around the floor trying to get out and bobbing his his head. After a few days, though he figured out how to climb up the ramps to the basking logs, where he has spent most of his time ever since. About once a day he climbs down and makes the rounds, and to see if there are any extra bowls of 'dessert' fruit.
He has also had to endure a parade of curious visitors - our condo is now a popular destination for neighbors with visiting grandchildren. After a while, he just bobs his head a little and goes back to soaking up the light. Is he happier? I have no way to know. Am I happier? Absolutely.
Of course there are new concerns - Willow is very curious about Fio and wants to play. The sentiment is not shared. Fortunately, a little bit of contact paper resolved the conflict.