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  1. #1
    BPnet Veteran Kroberts10's Avatar
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    Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    I got my rat condo all set up and ready to go, now just to get the inhabitants. How’s it look? I decided to go with 1 5 gallon bucket with 2 runs of water lines to supply both racks. For now I plan to put 2 females per tub on one side, with 1 male rotating between them, and use the other side as a grow out once they are ready to wean. I may up my female numbers if I see a need to. But I feel like 12 females should give a good start. How’s that sound?
    My local orcheln carries kiln dried pine bedding for <$5 per large bag and the pet store in A town an hour away carries Mazuri rat food, so I’ll just pick up a bag when I go there for my twice per month jiujitsu class (usually train local but go down for special, when I’m off work on Friday’s)
    I just made a call to the nearest pet store that carries dumbo and Rex rats and asked her to hold me a male dumbo and the females can be a mixture of all the above. Might as well go with fancier rats if I’m gonna breed them. Since I’ve been a customer of hers for several years and help her frequently with ball python question, she’s giving me a good deal.


    If it’s not obvious yet, I’m getting pretty excited to start my own colony.

    Kyle


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  3. #2
    Telling it like it is! Stewart_Reptiles's Avatar
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    Should have use black tubing for your watering system to avoid algae to develop inside the tubing, other than that looks good.

    There is a reason why every rat rack you see use use black tubing
    Deborah Stewart


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  5. #3
    BPnet Veteran Kroberts10's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    Algae buildup never crossed my mind. I guess that for now I’ll keep the clear on until I start to see some forming then I’ll switch it out with black. Hopefully I can Atleast get a couple months before needing to swap it out.

    Kyle


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  6. #4
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Algae wouldn't have crossed my mind either. Maybe it's still in the black tubing...you just can't see it? (LOL)

    You could maybe use some black duct or electrical tape to wrap this tubing if you don't want to switch it out.

    Anyway, looks good otherwise. Given the choice & not thinking about algae, I'd have chosen clear tubing as well, to be able to
    see any issues in the tubing. Wonder if you could prevent the algae by occasionally pumping out the tubing w/ something to clean it?
    Last edited by Bogertophis; 06-04-2019 at 08:38 PM.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  7. #5
    BPnet Veteran pretends2bnormal's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Algae wouldn't have crossed my mind either. Maybe it's still in the black tubing...you just can't see it? (LOL)

    You could maybe use some black duct or electrical tape to wrap this tubing if you don't want to switch it out.

    Anyway, looks good otherwise. Given the choice & not thinking about algae, I'd have chosen clear tubing as well, to be able to
    see any issues in the tubing. Wonder if you could prevent the algae by occasionally pumping out the tubing w/ something to clean it?
    Black tubing doesn't build up algae since algae requires photosynthesis to grow, without light it can't grow inside. Light can enter the clear and allows it to grow.

    Other gunk can build up in the black, so you should clean the tube every month or two. (Usually vinegar or diluted vleach) RBI sells a piece to out at the bottom of the rack tubing that lets it drain easily through.

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  8. #6
    Bogertophis's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    Quote Originally Posted by pretends2bnormal View Post
    Black tubing doesn't build up algae since algae requires photosynthesis to grow, without light it can't grow inside. Light can enter the clear and allows it to grow....
    Yes, thanks, I know...I often use a wink when I'm joking...

    I've never used automatic watering with my rodents, but periodically force-flushing the tubing out with vinegar+ sounds like a good plan.
    Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
    Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)

  9. #7
    BPnet Veteran pretends2bnormal's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    Quote Originally Posted by Bogertophis View Post
    Yes, thanks, I know...I often use a wink when I'm joking...

    I've never used automatic watering with my rodents, but periodically force-flushing the tubing out with vinegar+ sounds like a good plan.
    I'm a little slow tonight, oops... but probably can't hurt to have it out there for anyone else who might not have thought of it.

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  10. #8
    BPnet Veteran Kroberts10's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?


    I got my first inhabitants for my colony today. 12 females and a male. The male is a dumbo Rex, the females are a mix of dumbos, Rex, and a variety of color phases. Two of the females were already pregnant and ready to pop in te next couple days. For now I went ahead and put them as the last in the rotation the male will see before te starting.

    Kyle


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  12. #9
    BPnet Veteran tomfromtheshade's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    I do enjoy the dumbo rats, and I recommend them. The rex rats are not great for feeder production. You will always have to make sure that you're not breeding a rex male to a rex female. Rex is a co dominant trait. A rex male will produce some rex babies in every litter when bred to a normal female. When bred to a rex female he will produce some rex and some hairless (double rex). Some people love hairless. Some don't. Historically my hairless moms were never great.

    I would avoid rex animals in my feeder breeding. Thats just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.

  13. #10
    BPnet Veteran pretends2bnormal's Avatar
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    Re: Rat condo ready to go, critiques?

    Quote Originally Posted by tomfromtheshade View Post
    I do enjoy the dumbo rats, and I recommend them. The rex rats are not great for feeder production. You will always have to make sure that you're not breeding a rex male to a rex female. Rex is a co dominant trait. A rex male will produce some rex babies in every litter when bred to a normal female. When bred to a rex female he will produce some rex and some hairless (double rex). Some people love hairless. Some don't. Historically my hairless moms were never great.

    I would avoid rex animals in my feeder breeding. Thats just my two cents. Your mileage may vary.
    Double rex and hairless are separate genes, please do not refer to them interchangeably.

    Hairless (a recessive) is associated with some visual females having milk issues, problems can be avoided by breeding carrier females to visual males. These are not among the rats OP has.

    Rex and double rex (aka drex) are generally not an issue for feeders or breeding and have no milk issues as a general rule. (Any individual rat of any genetics could potentially have milk issues, but it would not be rex causing it in this case)

    Drex and hairless do both result in rats with little to no hair, but the genetics behind it do make a big difference for the issues you bring up.

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    Last edited by pretends2bnormal; 06-12-2019 at 03:28 PM.

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