Thinking of a better way..

I currently house my rat breeders in 10G tanks. I really want to build a rack,as I plan on seriously stepping-up my production due to having more snakes.
I was thinking instead, in the meantime, of getting tubs and just building long shelves for them. Trouble is, I fear the rats' ability to chew out. For you that use tubs; how escape-proof are they? I want to make it space-efficient though, so I think that a rack is inevitable; if I have tubs lined up, I might as well stick with my tanks; any advice?
Someone recently posted pics of how to create screen (hardware cloth) holes in tub lids but I can't find it! Anyone know where that post is?

Its in jos stickes, the one with a rat colonie in little space! I use the plastic shelving with tubs that have hardware cloth drilled into the lids.

Take a sodering gun to the top of the lid, and make 4 holes to stick the blade of the jig saw into. Cut it out! then drill/soder lots of holes around it to ziptie the hardware cloth into plas, and then add hardware cloth! Use tinsnips to cut the hardware cloth. I like this idea, but I am sure a rat rack is much easy in the long run, and you save lots of space!:D

Thanks! This seems like stuff that I can do. I was thinking of making it so that the tubs can stack atop one another, with veltilation on the sides. Or maybe stacking them and putting 2x4 pieces in between to make it do-able to ventilate the top after all. Basically I want to stack tubs without building a rack. Thinking, drawing-up plans and the like are in my future. Might just build a rack.. we have alot of scrap barn wood that I could finangle into something..

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Originally Posted by Ginevive

Thanks! This seems like stuff that I can do. I was thinking of making it so that the tubs can stack atop one another, with veltilation on the sides. Or maybe stacking them and putting 2x4 pieces in between to make it do-able to ventilate the top after all. Basically I want to stack tubs without building a rack. Thinking, drawing-up plans and the like are in my future. Might just build a rack.. we have alot of scrap barn wood that I could finangle into something..

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Yup! Barn wood would make a good rack! You can try the shelving, it does the same thing, and cheaper.:D it would deffanatly organize your rats for sure!

Get the cement mixing tubs from Home depot. I trust them with about 100 breeder rats, hands down the best.

I can get you some info on the rack I built if you want involving those tubs. How many tubs do you plan to do? I run 4 females per tub and rotate males. Nursing moms are left 2-3 litters per tub and I have been having awesome success. Add the auto watering system and wire mesh, for a 20 tub system you are looking at about 300-400$ tops. A small price to pay when you add up how much space, time, and money you save ditching the heavy glass. The only thing I can reccomend, find a good pine shaving supplier and a good lab block supplier.

I would like to see your rat rack!

I like the cement-tub idea. They seem alot stronger than a rubbermaid. I would like to do.. possibly 12 tubs. I do have to rope the husband into helping me build a hatchling BP rack in the next month or so.. it's the perfect time to get materials for a rat rack too, no? :D
I use the wood pellet bedding.

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSC00509.jpg
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSC00511.jpg
I used 2x4's because of the size of the rack but you can get by with 2x2's. I can move that whole rack, even when its full by myself without too much of a problem. Granted, I'm a pretty big guy, 2 people wouldn't have any problem moving one that size with out a problem.
Heres my average nursing tubs before feeding day
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSC01258.jpg
and heres a smaller much cheaper(less sturdy as well) that I used in the past. I since have retired it although I may bring it back up as a raise up rack.
http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e2...s/DSC00027.jpg

Ill take that rack off your hands, as well as that black berkshire rex!:D It looks like you used 2x2 for the retired less sturdie rack, try 2x4s for the supports, and legs. It should help a ton!:D

Depending on how many rats you need, this is what I use. It is a 95qt(36x16x14) rubbermaid with a snap on lids on the side. From what I read on various care sheets on rat breeding from around the net was moms and litters need 155 sq inches of space and eat adult needs 40 sq inch.

I have a group of 1.3 going on right now and that tub is sufficient. This is what it looks like:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...8/IMG_1784.jpg

Here is what the top looks like with the side clips

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...8/IMG_1786.jpg

And the rats.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v1...8/IMG_1785.jpg

Now if you need to be breeding anything over 12 ish females a rack is going to be way better and more space efficient, but since I have 3 snakes this setup works for me.

It takes me less than 10 minutes to completely clean, disinfect, and change the bedding of my rat colony. I also remove the wheel when mommas have young babies.