Iguana lighting, Too much or not enough?

Question

I have two pet store UVB lights (flourescent coil types). How many lights are normal at a foot or so away? Also, how does one tell if one is peeling too soon?

Answer 1

For iguanas, one 10.0 UVB bulb should be sufficient. Two could really be overkill and is unnecessary. I'de use the repti-glo 10.0 compact at about 14 inches away. These bulbs don't provide any heat, however, so you may need a seperate bulb and fixture just to provide heat, however, household bulbs can be used for this instead of fancy UVA reptile bulbs.

This is the bulb I reccomend..http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/compact_bulbs.php

Coil bulbs are fine, and 10.0 at 14 inches is perfect, too close and their eyes start to irritate and get puffy. The reptisun 10.0 has caused a lot of problems in turtles. I keep my 5.0 at ten inches for my turtle and do change every six months, even though the bulb is lighting they lose their UVB output dramatically.

Answer 2

Get a Reptisun 10.0 or Reptiglo 8.0. The coil lamps don't give off enought UVB and are not recommended. The lamp should be within 12 inches of the basking spot to be effective. The bulbs will lose potency even though they continue to give off light, so changing every 6 months is recommended.
As far as "peeling", I assume you mean shedding by the Ig? They will shed frequently as babies, and less as an adult. Many factors will contribute to frequency of shed.

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Answer 3

The two UVB lights you have should be fine. Just make sure you have a heat bulb set up to create a basking spot.
If one is peeling too soon? If an iguana is peeling, it is peeling. There shouldn't be a problem unless it's having trouble peeling.