New Rat Rack

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

By the way Bryan, nice avatar. LOL!!! Is that what happens after you spend half the day cleaning out tubing??? :8:

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Half the day cleaning out tubing, other half burning air holes in tubs for the snakes.

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

My water isnt the best, a little bit of scum builds up on the inside of the hoses after a few months. When I see it buid up I clean the hoses out. Ive let one group of hoses go for a while because I was busy, and eventually a piece of scum blocked a few closed.

As far as blocking open, Im not 100% sure the cause of those, but cleaning the valves an tubes helped. I use edstrom variflow valves.


Id say depending on rate of buildup, cleaning once every 2 months is normal for me. With black tubes the light might not let some stuff grow? (not that Ive noticed a lot of growth) but then you cant see when stuff needs cleaned.

Ive used both clear tube and now black tube on my latest one (only because I was out of clear tube).

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How exactly do you clean that tubing? High pressure flush? I'm picturing a really looong bottle brush, but somehow I think thats wrong!?!?

Steve

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

Half the day cleaning out tubing, other half burning air holes in tubs for the snakes.

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Ventilate...ventilate...ventilate LOL (or watch those brain cells melt from those ever so lovely plastic fumes!)
I bin makin tubs all da day long...whooohooooweeeeeee! http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...iley/Goofy.gif

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Originally Posted by hoo-t

How exactly do you clean that tubing? High pressure flush? I'm picturing a really looong bottle brush, but somehow I think thats wrong!?!?

Steve

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Attachment that fits onto a water hose, disconnect all the tub stuff, unplug one valve at a time and let it shoot water out fast. repeat


if it is so bad that it doesnt work, you can always just replace tubing. For the cost it isnt a big deal.

agselect.com is a great place to get the watering supplies. I had mine in a couple days. The Edstrom Variflow valves are super high quality. As far as floods, it is always a danger. I use a small bucket because I would rather top it off every other day than risk a flood. I'll post up the new rack tonight. I originally installed the watering down the back but after realizing that I had to pull the sipper free from the wire to pull out the tub and seeing how Charlie's rack was done, I moved the watering to the front. Now all is well and the rats are happy!

Hey Bryan, do the rats throw alot of bedding out of the sides of that rack?

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

Hey Bryan, do the rats throw alot of bedding out of the sides of that rack?

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I hate when they do that. :mad:

-adam

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Originally Posted by Wild Bill

Hey Bryan, do the rats throw alot of bedding out of the sides of that rack?

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Depends on the rats :) Some do some dont. I havnt had a catastrophic amount yet. From my experience it is mostly nesting mothers that do this, and i pull them out before they start nesting.

I have mothers in my maternity racks that literally push the bedding up the side 6 or 8 inches, and then force it through the wire mesh, and out the side if there is enough of a gap :)

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Originally Posted by SnakeySnakeSnake

I have mothers in my maternity racks that literally push the bedding up the side 6 or 8 inches, and then force it through the wire mesh, and out the side if there is enough of a gap :)

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Don't ya just hate cleaning the tracks on the lower levels? :(

-adam

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Don't ya just hate cleaning the tracks on the lower levels? :(

-adam

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Thats what a good shop-vac is for. ;) I have to shop-vac the rodent room once a week to clean up after them, thats why my rat racks are on wheels and the mice racks are far enough off the floor to vacuum underneath. I usually vacuum the racks as I pull out and clean the tubs. Not to mention having to clean everything in the room from the small coating of "sawdust" on everything. Mice are the worst for chewing bedding and throwing it out of their tubs. :mad: