rats smell

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Originally Posted by RuthlessReptiles

Hold the phone...you have 20 10 gallon tanks in your closet (stacked up on each other I assume)? 10 gallon tanks aren't really known for ventilation so that might be part of your problem. And seeing as they're confined to the closet, it doens't surprise me that their stink can accumulate so quickly. I would invest in some tubs if the rack is a distant goal and stack those and start cleaning 2 times a week.

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no i only have 4 10 gallon tanks sorry 1 tank for my mom and father rat and then 1 for males and 1 for females and 1 i just keep cleaned out to put the rats in when i clean each of there tanks out

I combine pine pellets (equine from TSC) with pine shavings and it helps alot. But like some members have suggested, you need more ventilation to help with the smell and cleaning twice a week doesn't hurt.

One thing I discovered with mice, the smelliest of them all, is to not keep anything in the tubs with them - no hides, no wheels, no toys, nothing to climb on. They pee on everything and that's what makes it smell so bad.

Now that the rodents stay on the ground they gravitate towards a corner or two to do their business. That makes it easier to spot clean as needed which really keeps the smell down until the next full cleaning.

I use aspen right now but I'm going to try the cheaper pine shavings which should also help with the smell.

Gem White Shavings. 80% western hemlock 20% douglas fir. I get it cheaper than pine, it's triple sifted so no dust and it works better than any other shavings for odor. My mice will immediately smell after a cleaning on pine, but it takes up to a week for them to smell on this stuff. It's a local product though, made in Washington and distrubuted in Oregon, Idaho and California.