# Amount of food for green iguanas.



## dodos9 (Dec 4, 2011)

Hi everyone! As a future reptile (lizard) owner I am getting all the info together to make a fully informed decision whether reptile is something for me (care-wise; finance-wise) and if yes then which one. 

I was really focusing on CWD some time ago however, I also wanted to find out about green iguanas. And I have to say that there's ,much more about iguanas. I actually read Melissa Kaplan's book 'Iguana for dummies' twice in the past week and there is a lot of info on her website too and there's at least several websites which have a lot of info about these lizards.

Anyway, I started the thread about electricity and food cost some time ago and it turned out very well. However, it focused on electricity, and food wasn't really mentioned there. Finding info about how much food iguanas eat and how much it would cost (weekly, monthly) to maintain the food supply it needs, seems impossible to me (it's not specified anywhere; I suppose it depends on individual and that's why). I found this link: Food Information Chart and I know what they should be fed and I know the prices, (asda.com; I'll do some serious research in the actual shops in town on Saturday; last Saturday I went to B&Q to check vivarium building prices) however I cannot possibly tell how much they eat. So, I have a table with food names and pictures in a spreadsheet document (that's the 2nd one actually; the 1st one is about vivarium & equipment cost) but I can't figure out how much it would cost. 

I am aware that prices vary, therefore instead of calculating the cost, perhaps, you could tell me the amount of food they consume and after going to town on Saturday I will calculate the cost myself; actual cost is absolutely fine too, but as above - prices differ.

I really feel like I have learned quite a lot in the past 10 days (that's how long I've been researching about lizards (mostly about iguanas due to most info); I actually knew next to nothing before about reptiles). I really feel that it's necessary to know everything before you decide to take the responsibility to take care of a reptile because as a lot of people say here: 'A reptile is for life, not just for Christmas' and I totally agree with this (it's not just reptiles actually; all pets). So, no matter how frustrated I get looking at people who already have them and are happy owners of those reptiles and wanting to have one now (literally, now), I know that it wouldn't be right at all and therefore I carry on with my research everyday (literally, everyday for 5 hours; absolutely honest here - 5 hours everyday) as I believe it is a must.

It was meant to be a very short post asking 'How much food does your iguana eat?', however I always end up writing an essay, for what I have to apologise. 

Thank you very much in advance

Dominik

Nota bene: by 'iguana' I mean 'green iguana'.


----------



## Iguanaquinn (Nov 13, 2010)

How much they eat depends on the Iguana to be honet, but one thing that you can be sure that it is a lot :lol2:

Young Ig's (hatchlings) will obvi eat no where near as much as an adult or a juvi. I will be honest, I have never weighed in grams or anything how much I am feeding, I just go on ££££. Well in the first instance I was spending 20-25 per month, which was rocketing as Igs to most of thier growing in the first few years. So you can be sure that your bill will end up at around £40 - 50 per month. Depending on how resourceful you are : victory:

You can save money, by growing your own......

Your question is a really difficult one to answer, as there are so many variables to take into consideration, age, size, husbandary, stress levels, time of year health and more....

Ig's shed (when young) roughly every 3 weeks.... That's a lot of growing which requires a lot of food! One thing that you can be sure is that a CWD is cheaper to feed lol......

Nice big health bowl of food everyday with a variety, is costly, possibly someone does weigh the food, but I don't sorry.


----------



## dodos9 (Dec 4, 2011)

Thanks a lot for your reply. Actually, I was thinking that it would be difficult to tell how much my iguana would eat, since everyone is different. That's why I only wanted to know how much others' iguanas eat. So, you're saying reaching 40 - 50 pounds a month. That's quite a lot I have to say. I was expecting half of it (20 - 30 pounds/month).



Iguanaquinn said:


> One thing that you can be sure is that a CWD is cheaper to feed


I wouldn't expect it to be cheaper to be honest, so thanks for pointing it out. But why is it cheaper? Is it because of the insects (they are omnivores unlike iguanas I'm sure) being cheaper than iguana's herbi-stuff? 

Also you said that it's cheaper to feed an iguana when you grow your won food. But I was thinking that it wouldn't save me a lot (I don't have a garden, so I could only sacrifice some space in one or two rooms to grow them in buckets/boxes filled with soil; is it worth it?). 

And also, are CWDs as tame and as personal as iguanas?

Thanks in advance


----------



## Iguanaquinn (Nov 13, 2010)

dodos9 said:


> Thanks a lot for your reply. Actually, I was thinking that it would be difficult to tell how much my iguana would eat, since everyone is different. That's why I only wanted to know how much others' iguanas eat. So, you're saying reaching 40 - 50 pounds a month. That's quite a lot I have to say. I was expecting half of it (20 - 30 pounds/month).
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Igs require a hell of a lot of time to become tame, even then you are not garaunteed to even tame your Iguana. CWD will tame and tolerate handling most of the time yeah. You are also far less likely to end up in hospital :lol2:


CWD only reach about 2.5' so are much smaller, Igs can reach around 5-6' so they will consume a larger volume of food. Also check out Australian Waterdragons good alternative to an Iguana. I own one at the moment, they get a decent size, easier to work with and tame well if time is spent with them.
Also if you breed your own food, i.e a Roach colony then your food costs are almost £00.00 just heat and feed the insects. Throw in a little veg now and then.

Grwoing is worth it I would say yes...


----------



## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Iguanaquinn said:


> How much they eat depends on the Iguana to be honet, but one thing that you can be sure that it is a lot :lol2:
> 
> Young Ig's (hatchlings) will obvi eat no where near as much as an adult or a juvi. I will be honest, I have never weighed in grams or anything how much I am feeding, I just go on ££££. Well in the first instance I was spending 20-25 per month, which was rocketing as Igs to most of thier growing in the first few years. So you can be sure that your bill will end up at around £40 - 50 per month. Depending on how resourceful you are : victory:
> 
> ...


 
^^this.
We grow quite a bit for our lot, and they can eat a fair amount of wild foods too if you do some research into that.

Overall Albus is just under 2 years old, I spend around £17 a week on food for Albus but I have water dragons too and they tend to devour some, and I have some food growing for him, so the extra cost steve mentioned would probibly add on a few more quid if your just buying it, some foods on the informatuon chart you can't buy over here so growing is a good option.

Albus can easily devour 4 plates of food daily sometimes more so they can eat quite a bit.

The price would depend on how you plan out the diet and what you want to include on a weekly basis, I have noticed Asdas and Morrisons prices have been creeping up lately though? anyone else noticed this?

As you have probibly relised from the reading you have done you can feed as much as your iggy wants.

Water dragons are also pretty awesme lizards, very active too.

Hope all goes well.
Take care.


----------



## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

If you buy livefood online for a water dragon it is cheaper, from the shop it isnt, especially if you go with the feed as much as they want within a 10 minute period routine, I buy all my live food online. (well mostly): victory: but again they can eat wild foods, earthworms, beetles, woodlice, catterpillars etc etc.(water dragons I mean)

My water dragons can sometimes easily devour a whole tub of livefood per feeding.


----------

