Need help with a purchase..

[SnakeBalls]

Not sure if this should go here..

Looking to start up a rat colony! Nothing big, a few moms and a paw or two. Just enough that I can feed pups and such off as they come, then c02 the ones that start getting big.

That being said, on CL there is a fellow herpophile selling off his equipment. One is a 55 gallon long reptile tank and the other that I am interested in is his established rattery. Its the same design I have seen around the internet on a PDF somewhere. Has maybe 5 or 6 tubs. Comes with 12 females and 4 males, food, water, bedding. Turn key rat making machine. For all of those items he wants $200.

Tanks that size seem to range between $50 and $100 used up here.

I would end up thinning the herd down to 4 or 6 moms and 2 dads, and selling surplus babies for pennies on CL.

Doesn't seem to bad of a deal eh?

There is a second 50 gal reptile tank for $60 I could settle with. Then build a rattery based around my needs. But at the end of the day, all that crap already build and healthy, established breeders might be the way to go?

Any advice is much appreciated!

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Established breeders are not the way to go they are often towards the end of their reproductive lives (not producing or producing less than 6) and they are not worth their keep.

I would skip in a 50 gallons tank, trust me you do not want to clean that each week and it's just not appropriated for rat breeding.

Ideally you want to buy rats that are 5 to 6 weeks if age and raise them until they reach about 250 grams.

Once you start breeding you want to hold back babies from large litters (14 minimum) and from mothers with good temperament.

So personally I would buy the rack if you cannot boil one yourself but I would pass on the rats.


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[MarkS]

Having built my own rat racks, I would guess that for $200.00 all he's looking for is the cost of materials. depending on how good of a shape it's in I'd say that it's probably a good deal. Might want to ask him how long he's been using this rack and what he's using for a water supply.

As far as the aquariums, I've got a whole garage full of them that I don't know what to do with. Used aquariums are pretty darn cheap. I would pass on those.

[SnakeBalls]

The 50 gal is for Ulfric in a year or two

Good info on the rats! I have found one ma and pa shop that sells rats, not sure if I want them as my breeders though. Most rat breeders here hang up before I finish saying "snake"..

Other than that I'm stuck with chain petstores

[SnakeBalls]

Ok so it's basically this with bottles.

http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/rat_rack/ratrack.shtml

I'm starting to think it's much more rattness than I want

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Racks for rodents make your life a lot easier, and if you have a small colony you can keep your breeder, holdback and weaned (until fed off in the same rack)

My advice invest in a watering system, bottles get old real quick


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[Rhasputin]

I'm so sorry you have to pay $50-$100 for 55 galon tanks there! They're free here because you can't put a damn thing in them. Cept fish.

[Cumminsman]

I'm so sorry you have to pay $50-$100 for 55 galon tanks there! They're free here because you can't put a damn thing in them. Cept fish.

I have 4 55 gallons sitting in the garage waiting on trash day. Lol

[Rhasputin]

Omg I know that feeling.... lol.
I have 2 set up with a blue tongue and a bearded dragon, but I converted them to lay on their sides, which works really well.

[Cumminsman]

I was thinking about that a while back. I would love to see pictures of how u did the doors. And the heating method u used.


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