ASF's and wheels

[SquamishSerpents]

i would like to get a rack setup for my ASF's, but i've heard that once you give them a wheel, there's no going back. i currently have 2 colonies one of 1.3 and one of 1.4. then i have a 20 gallon grow-up glass tank.

they all have wheels, and have since they were born. i'm afraid if i take them away they are going to go crazy and try and kill each other! and eat their babies. would i be better off just building a rack and starting my colonies fresh, and NOT providing them with wheels?

[tnelsonflorida]

You can try to take away...when I knew I'd be moving to new rack and I had no room from wheels, I gave the weaners and growout tub no wheel. I had 1 male go crazy, the other male got mean...the females had no issue. I replaced the males asap.

[Bruce Whitehead]

I had mine in tanks previously with wheels... 24/7 squeeking.

But after the fire I had to put them into a mouse rack with opaque tubs and with no room for wheels (medium kitty litter pans).

BEST thing I ever did. They became calm, socialable, gentle, and handleable. I could reach in and root through the babies, nudge the otherwise aggressive males aside to move them off the babies, etc.

Never took a nip, or had even the slightest bit of stress from them.

Honestly I think we keep them wrong, and have been. I feel that being burrow dwellers they are stressed in tanks and hyperprotective. In this rack I feel it mimicked a burrow and they were truly amazing.

I would never go back to having them in something tall enough for a wheel.

Just my 0.02 cents, but I had them for about 18 months in the previous setup, and the change was almost instantaneous once I moved them into smaller snug tubs.

I had males that never hesitated to nip and me, and after this, I could open the tubs and put my hand on the edge, they would come over, sniff, tug, etc. but never showed any aggression, and were fine with their babies.

Bruce

PS: I had them in 1.2 groupings as well.

[mechnut450]

lol I put wheels in the tanks and mine mellowed a lot before the wheel I was a walking blood donor cause of them i be bleeding every day or so when I was checkingon them.. but now they go happy I think the wheel gives them a way to run off engery, ad the littlw plyoows and 2x3 leg tables give them a hiding place and somethingto chew on all the time.

[Jeremy78]

I had mine in tanks previously with wheels... 24/7 squeeking.

But after the fire I had to put them into a mouse rack with opaque tubs and with no room for wheels (medium kitty litter pans).

I had males that never hesitated to nip and me, and after this, I could open the tubs and put my hand on the edge, they would come over, sniff, tug, etc. but never showed any aggression, and were fine with their babies.

Bruce

PS: I had them in 1.2 groupings as well.

I agree 100%! When I first got mine (1.1) they would bite me like crazy! If I opened the tub I'd have to watch my fingers or suck up the bloodbath... The PS where I got them had them in a tank and I think they were severly mistreated but now they never bite. I don't even pick them up by the tail anymore...
They actually male pretty neat little pets!

[Bruce Whitehead]

:s

I agree 100%! When I first got mine (1.1) they would bite me like crazy! If I opened the tub I'd have to watch my fingers or suck up the bloodbath... The PS where I got them had them in a tank and I think they were severly mistreated but now they never bite. I don't even pick them up by the tail anymore...
They actually male pretty neat little pets!

I swear by that way of keeping them now, would never go back to giving them all the space that every care sheet said is imperative for them. Behaviour and results always speak louder to me.

Bruc

[SquamishSerpents]

I had mine in tanks previously with wheels... 24/7 squeeking.

But after the fire I had to put them into a mouse rack with opaque tubs and with no room for wheels (medium kitty litter pans).

BEST thing I ever did. They became calm, socialable, gentle, and handleable. I could reach in and root through the babies, nudge the otherwise aggressive males aside to move them off the babies, etc.

Never took a nip, or had even the slightest bit of stress from them.

Honestly I think we keep them wrong, and have been. I feel that being burrow dwellers they are stressed in tanks and hyperprotective. In this rack I feel it mimicked a burrow and they were truly amazing.

I would never go back to having them in something tall enough for a wheel.

Just my 0.02 cents, but I had them for about 18 months in the previous setup, and the change was almost instantaneous once I moved them into smaller snug tubs.

I had males that never hesitated to nip and me, and after this, I could open the tubs and put my hand on the edge, they would come over, sniff, tug, etc. but never showed any aggression, and were fine with their babies.

Bruce

PS: I had them in 1.2 groupings as well.

this makes total sense to me. you could be right. in the "wild" rats do not live in big open spaces, and they probably don't run around outside of their burrow to "get exercise." but who knows. i'm going to try the mortar tubs when i get my hands on them, and see if the ASFs temperment changes. because as it stands, they are the most viscious creatures ever, haha!

[UltimatePythons]

I keep mine in a rack system with 1.2 groups. The tubs I use are relatively small, but it is enough room for a 1.2 group. Anyway mine are all very calm and never nip or bite. The only thing in there tubs is aspen and a piece of PVC for them to chew on. The tubs I use are here:

https://www.schooloutfitters.com/cat...cts_id/PRO4206

Here are some tubs that are a little larger for 1.3 or 1.4 groups.

http://www.webstaurantstore.com/20-x.../70215205.html

I don't think they need cement mixing tubs because they are smaller than regular rats, and I feel that the smaller tubs give them a little more sense of security than the larger ones. Just my opinion. Good luck with what ever you do.

Josh