# General Husbandry and Supplies > DIY Forum >  35 tub ASF rack

## spitzu

Almost completely stolen from MarkS's rack.  I just had to use my own measurements since I used different tubs, and made it 5X7 instead of 4X10.  My carpentry *sucks* and this took me forever, but I'm almost done!  Just have to finish up the plumbing and buy a few more tubs.  Yay!

Thanks for the write-up Mark!

----------


## Jeremy78

Only 2 recommendations.

I hope you used 1/4" hardware cloth.
I would install some food hoppers.

Other then that, that babies sick!!!! Unless the picture is deceiving that is some handiwork and patients wrapped up in amazingness!

----------

_spitzu_ (02-07-2011)

----------


## Mitch21

Real nice rack! If you were using tanks/tubs before this, you're going to absolutely LOVE having a rodent rack!

Jeremy, just out of curiosity why do you think food hoppers are necessary for racks? Most people just put the food on the top and the ASFs can eat right through the screen... I don't mean any disrespect by this--just curious like I said.

----------

_spitzu_ (02-07-2011)

----------


## anatess

If I'm not mistaken, that's what Jeremy means - a section on top for food.

So, basically, it's the exact same thing you got now - except you put a piece of wood across to act as divider so that you won't fill the entire top with food keeping the air-space food-free.  Otherwise, the food will spread across the top blocking air.  Also, it makes it so that the food is piled up in one section so that you can pile the food thick.  When it gets low (thin), the rats will have a more difficult time grabbing the food because it rolls around with nothing pinning it from the top.

Yeah, that looks awesome, man!  GREAT JOB!

----------

_spitzu_ (02-07-2011)

----------


## spitzu

All done!  Just need to add water and hope I don't have to fix leaks.

Don't laugh at my plumbing.  I didn't feel like going to look for one of those elbow/tee combo pieces for the top and I ran out of regular tees  :Very Happy:

----------


## spitzu

Oh, and I thought about doing hoppers but I decided to just toss a measured amount of food in the tubs every few days while spot cleaning.

----------


## daveadk

what size tubs are those?

----------


## Powerspythons

> Oh, and I thought about doing hoppers but I decided to just toss a measured amount of food in the tubs every few days while spot cleaning.


Wait a minute...you SPOT CLEAN your rodents? Now THAT is dedication. Most ppl I know just clear out the entire tub once a week or so.

----------


## spitzu

> what size tubs are those?


They're 26qt tubs from Lowes.  I thought they were a little big at first, but they turned out to be a good size to let a few litters grow up with the parents. 





> Wait a minute...you SPOT CLEAN your rodents? Now THAT is dedication. Most ppl I know just clear out the entire tub once a week or so.


Most of the older groups seem to be utilizing one corner for peeing, which lets me just take care of that area with the shop vac every few days before it starts stinking.  I only wipe down the entire tub every 2-3 weeks, if not longer.  Depends on how many of those nasty critters are in there making a mess.

----------

daveadk (02-07-2011)

----------


## twh

> All done!  Just need to add water and hope I don't have to fix leaks.
> 
> Don't laugh at my plumbing.  I didn't feel like going to look for one of those elbow/tee combo pieces for the top and I ran out of regular tees


 

just wondering how deep those tubs are,can the babies reach the water nipples?

can you pull a tub out without hitting the water nipple?

----------


## spitzu

> just wondering how deep those tubs are,can the babies reach the water nipples?
> 
> can you pull a tub out without hitting the water nipple?



The tubs are about 6 inches deep.  The newer weanlings can't really reach the nipples, so I just keep the substrate thicker in the front and leave them in with the parents longer.

The tubs come out perfectly due to the rail being about 6" shorter than the support/spacer.  You can kind of see that from the picture.

----------


## twh

> The tubs are about 6 inches deep.  The newer weanlings can't really reach the nipples, so I just keep the substrate thicker in the front and leave them in with the parents longer.
> 
> The tubs come out perfectly due to the rail being about 6" shorter than the support/spacer.  You can kind of see that from the picture.


i see,nice job on the rack.

----------


## azmodane

Hows this working out? any chewers yet?

----------


## spitzu

> Hows this working out? any chewers yet?


No chewers at all.  The tubs seem perfect so far.  The only problem with them is the lips of the tubs have these little plastic tabs that protrude down.  You have to cut them off or the tubs won't slide.

----------


## takagari

way to go big or go home  :Smile: 
Thats pretty well how I plan to build my rat rack, just planning to install hoppers  :Smile: 

looks great. post more pictures when you get the chance.

----------


## spitzu

> post more pictures when you get the chance.


Only because it was cleaning day  :Razz: 


I have about 11 tubs of 1:3 adult breeders so far after starting with one group of 2:3 and a bunch of babies in October. The 2nd row is full of juvie 1:3 groups, and the bottom is pretty much all adult males waiting to be eaten.






One of the rails.  Easily one of the most important things to take your time with... make sure all of your rails are spaced _perfectly_.





The tubs drop off of the rails right here, easily clearing the nipples.  You can also see the remnants of one of those annoying plastic tabs that I had to cut off of the tub so that it slides.











Huge litter!  Yay

----------


## Kymberli

Great job on the rack it looks beautiful.. but I don't think I could ever raise mice/rats for feeding :/ I'd get too attached to those little things. That litter is just so cute lmao but it sure would save a lot of money

----------


## spitzu

I lost all sympathy for them about 50 bites ago.   :Rage:

----------


## Kymberli

> I lost all sympathy for them about 50 bites ago.


Lmao yeah that'd do it

----------


## smilin-buddha

Nice love that rack

----------


## spitzu

FYI, this is now a 30 tub rack due to me cutting the top row off.

The top row started sagging quite a bit more than I liked due to the weight of the water tub.The water tub itself was sagging around the 2x2s that it was resting on.  It needs to sit on a flat surface.It is REALLY annoying to have to stand on a ladder to check the top row.

I added 2X4s that rest across the top like I originally intended (but forgot), with some old recycled particle board on top of that.  I also rigged up a new, smaller water tub.  I guess I'll see how this holds up now.  Hopefully it works out since I'm going to have to build another rack within the next few weeks for grow-out tubs.

----------


## jsmorphs2

WOW! Great rack Adam!

----------

_spitzu_ (05-16-2011)

----------


## spitzu

Thanks!  I still need to build another one that's just a bit smaller... one of these days I'll stop procrastinating.

----------


## deathadder1069

I noticed that you and Mark used pvc and went through all that but would like to know why you guys didnt go with the regular 3/16 tubing and valves. Either way its an awesome rack and maybe later if i decide to do asf or mice rack might just steel your idea on it. I do use the tubing on my rat racks and havnt had any problems but did place a cut piece of melamine under each tub to avoid the whole sag problem.

----------


## spitzu

> I noticed that you and Mark used pvc and went through all that but would like to know why you guys didnt go with the regular 3/16 tubing and valves.


I read in another thread that some people were having issues with the smaller plastic lines clogging.  I wanted to avoid that, as well as the possibility of escapees chewing through the lines.

----------


## MoshBalls

Great Job!!!  

Question if you let the litter grow out with the parents, how do you keep the young females from becoming pregnant too soon?  If they do become pregnant have you had any problems with them?  Just wondering, not judging.  So far I have been seperating mine but I wondered what would happen if I didn't.

----------


## spitzu

I have all 30 tubs full of 1.2 - 1.5 breeding groups now, and there is a separate rack for grow outs that has more accessible water nipples for the smaller guys so there is no problem removing them as they are weaned.

----------

_MoshBalls_ (06-10-2011)

----------


## deathadder1069

so far i havnt had issues with them nibbling on my water lines or anything getting clogged up but i do have an issue with the valves themselves...ive had 3 floods so far and one was bad as i had 4 racks flood from the same rack which i have 2 racks seperately. Turns out it was the smaller valves which were for some reason getting stuck in the open position. I removed and cleaned them but decided to get the larger valves which are recommended for rabbits and with those so far havnt had any floods on that rack.

----------


## spitzu

I have some flooding every now and then too, but I like the small nipples for ASFs.  Sometimes they just need to be tightened a bit.

----------


## azmodane

I commend you on the great rack glad it's working out for you, also I commend you on breeding ASFs, I did them for about 2 months.  I was bit more in 2 months from the ASFs than I did in the year I had rats.

----------

_spitzu_ (07-12-2011)

----------


## spitzu

Eh they're not so bad once you learn to watch out for the girls and always pick them up by the base of the tail.  I only get bit like once every few weeks now  :Very Happy:

----------

