asf's don't smell? mine do

tell m what i am doing wrong.

1.2
tub is about half the size of a 10 gal tank laying on it's side.
drill holes all around, 2 every inch as big as a pencil
water bottle attached to side, very secure
hopper in top, thanks for instructions whoever you were
1-2 inches of aspen
industrial strength and size cardboard tubes
i clean every 7 to 10 days

very strong smell of amonia.
i use bottled water cause our tap water is wicked hard and tastes like crap.
all 3 are same age, 2 months i think.

my water bottle leaks a little. i find the aspen underneath is usually wet and stuck together for a few inches around the bottom of the bottle. it's the 3rd one i have bought and keep having that problem so i figure it's the rats making the mess. yes i bought a different one each time. had glass, plastic, plastic.

thanks

when I used aspen, just a tiny bit of water made it stink! I changed to equine fresh and even my husband says they don't smell at all, and he can smell everything!

I can smell ASF's, they stink when you do get a whiff of the odor.

Try a Super Pets Flat-Bac bottle (thats how its spelled). It's spring loaded, which keeps the ball tight, no leaking.

Ammonia is ammonia, if it's present it's going to produce an odor.

I think what most people, myself included, mean by they don't smell is that they really don't produce much of an odor themselves. Rats and mice smell like well, rats and mice. They have a very distinct strong and pungent odor on top of the already present ammonia smell.
After holding a rat or mouse my hands smell like rat or mouse. After holding an ASF my hands have no odor.

Also take care of that leaking water bottle, that will help.

yes they smell,it kills me when i see posts stating they are "odorless".low odor for sure but not odorless.

i have found aspen for rodents to be almost useless in retarding odor,kiln dried pine bedding or even better are pine pellets (also kiln dried).

i keep 1.3 asfr's in a tub about the footprint of a 10 gal. tank with two scoops of pine pellets (6" deli cup as scoop) and a handful of pine shavings as bedding material and it lasts 7-10 days with almost no odor.a leaky water bottle will reduce the pellets to wet dust in a matter of minutes.hope this helps,have fun!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by twh

yes they smell,it kills me when i see posts stating they are "odorless".low odor for sure but not odorless.

i have found aspen for rodents to be almost useless in retarding odor,kiln dried pine bedding or even better are pine pellets (also kiln dried).

i keep 1.3 asfr's in a tub about the footprint of a 10 gal. tank with two scoops of pine pellets (6" deli cup as scoop) and a handful of pine shavings as bedding material and it lasts 7-10 days with almost no odor.a leaky water bottle will reduce the pellets to wet dust in a matter of minutes.hope this helps,have fun!

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aspen does nothing for smell just like twh said.
and asfs do have a smell! its a musk odor! like rabbit, ferrets get.

Any rodents can stink

okay, i see what you mean by the rat itself doesn't smell as bad as a regular rat. i can agree with that. i did keep a rat that my bp wouldn't eat, kept for a couple of weeks. there was a noticable difference.

i am gonna try that spring loaded water bottle. and maybe switch the substrate.

thanks all

I clean every 5 days,ammonia builds up after that.7 to ten push is pushing it.just think how bad rats & mice would stink after 10 days:D

i use plan pine shavings and i have no problem and i got about 40-60 asf in 3 large tanks. ( counts on fingers) I not changed the liter in mine in about 2 weeks and no oder.. I do ahve an issue with them chewin .. they chewed 3 plastic bowls, several water bottles( stoped this by getting a tin sleeve made ot protect th bottles) and Ialso place a strip of plywood ( 2inch wide about 5 long) in each cage and they happier now..

i also check the diet if feedign somethig high in salt may make them go more causign the smell.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mechnut450

i use plan pine shavings and i have no problem and i got about 40-60 asf in 3 large tanks. ( counts on fingers) I not changed the liter in mine in about 2 weeks and no oder.. I do ahve an issue with them chewin .. they chewed 3 plastic bowls, several water bottles( stoped this by getting a tin sleeve made ot protect th bottles) and Ialso place a strip of plywood ( 2inch wide about 5 long) in each cage and they happier now..

i also check the diet if feedign somethig high in salt may make them go more causign the smell.

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i'd be very concerned about the glues in the plywood,solid wood would be safer.

They've only smelled, for me, in tubs.
Not enough full air circulation for rats/mice/asfs in a tub. It just causes ammonia build up no matter how many air holes there are.
You need a screen of some sort built into the top or sides.

Try adding a few drops 1/4 tsp of vanilla to the water, it's supposed to cut down the odor of their urine

Bigger enclosure, way better ventilation, non-leeking water bottle, dry bedding, clean every week - that will cut down on your smell issues.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by llovelace

Try adding a few drops 1/4 tsp of vanilla to the water, it's supposed to cut down the odor of their urine

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does this really work? cause i have vanilla extract in the cabinet. i am just worried it might be bad. anybody try this???