Rats keep flooding tubs, advice

Ive only had my rats for a little over a week. But have been having a problem already of them flooding their tubs with the water nozzles. I’ve been having to Change their bedding every other day as its soaked on the front half. The nozzles are new and don’t leak. Just shoot out lots of water. It might be a matter of them just learning how much to press of the probe. But in the mean time, do you all see any tweak I can do to keep from them soaking the bedding? I went ahead and closed the valve to about half to try reducing pressure. I could put a bowl under each nozzle to collect the excess water that drips out when they use it.
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Thanks,
Kyle




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I don't know what to suggest, as I've never used automatic watering. The water bottles I use were improved upon many years ago with the addition of a metal
drink tube that has 2 metal ball bearings inside to regulate the flow, so they cannot do this. :confusd: I doubt that the rats will "know" not to do this, & putting a bowl
under the tap might work...IF they don't push the bowl around? Rats will be rats, lol.

Ya, I don’t expect the bowls to stay in place very long. I will say it’s funny watching the females will babies act like bulldozers pushing all the bedding into a pile to hide the babies when I crack their tubs open. So it expect them to push the bowls around the same.

Kyle


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Most nozzles are adjustable. Idk what brand you bought, but mine came with a little white plastic allen wrench that you can use to tighten/loosen the nozzle to change the flow. You would have to remove each nozzle to adjust it though. The part you adjust is a little plastic thing inside the metal where it connects to the water hose.

Some rats are just better at drinking from these than others. I have a few who like to moisten their bedding regularly, even though other rats have no issue in the same tub, with the same nozzle. So even if you tighten them there may still be wet bedding, though hopefully not as much.

Do you have a picture of the nozzles you use?

In my experience having used watering system for over a decade they only time tubs ever get flooded are defective nozzle and rats shoving bedding in the nozzles.

It's a rare occurrence and I have a few racks :rolleyes:

This is what I have https://www.reptilebasics.com/rodent...rinking-valve/

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Here’s the nozzles I’d picked up. These ones don’t appear to be adjustable. At least without changing out the spring inside.

Kyle


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Never seen valve like those before maybe they are flowed maybe they do not work well hanging down.

What I posted is pretty standard along with something that resemble yours and the one I posted above.

If I were you I would redo the system entirely get the equipment from Reptile Basics and take the opportunity to change the tubing as well.

Those reptile basic valves look much better and more like what I was looking for when I came across these. These are intended for rabbits and showed them hanging horizontal. Which may be the problem. But they were inexpensive so I’m not out much. I think they were <$15 for 25 of them plus 25 Ts. Cheap enough to be worth a try in my mind. Especially since I couldn’t find any other kind while I was looking. Though I was just looking on amazon to use up some rewards points from my CC. After another pay day I’ll be ordering some of those you showed. And hopefully no more soaked bedding. Until then I’ll just do frequent bedding changes. On the plus side, the rats are getting used to being messed with from removing them to place them in another bin while I ran theirs.

Kyle


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kroberts10

Those reptile basic valves look much better and more like what I was looking for when I came across these. These are intended for rabbits and showed them hanging horizontal. Which may be the problem. But they were inexpensive so I’m not out much. I think they were <$15 for 25 of them plus 25 Ts. Cheap enough to be worth a try in my mind. Especially since I couldn’t find any other kind while I was looking. Though I was just looking on amazon to use up some rewards points from my CC. After another pay day I’ll be ordering some of those you showed. And hopefully no more soaked bedding. Until then I’ll just do frequent bedding changes. On the plus side, the rats are getting used to being messed with from removing them to place them in another bin while I ran theirs.

Kyle


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I think that is the key here the way they are used as well as the fact that they are used for rabbits which means higher flow compare to rats. Live and learn, reptile basics valves are great make sure you get the valves and the clips for the valves as well.

I switched over to that nozzle set up. And it’s working significantly better. As in, how it’s supposed to. I wish I would’ve went with this setup first.

Kyle


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