quick question need answer asap

[filly77]

What size tubs would you recommend to use for 2 possibly 3 adult breeder females? (they will be having babies in them too)

i need more room for rats, im gonna keep my tanks for my faves as I love watching next to my bed as I am watching tv or falling asleep. they are at times better than tv lol but need some tubs for a couple more females.

Also I have 1/4" cage wire on hand, does it matter if I use that size? I usually see people using the 1/2".

besides cutting the top of the bin and adding the wire mesh, I want to put wire on the sides of the tubs for better air flow for them, is this an escape free method? recommended?

the reason I need an asnwer asap is Im about ready to head to walmart to get the tubs lol

thanks to all who replies

[filly77]

im off.. i guess I'll just wing it lol

[truthsdeceit]

I know you're gone but hopefully I can save you some trouble when adding the mesh to your tubs.

First, 1/4 will work fine, though if you're making hoppers you may want to get 1/2 to make it easier for your rats to eat. For mice you have to use 1/4 cause they can get out of 1/2 but for rats obviously it doesn't matter both work.

DON'T add it to the sides. If you want better airflow melt air holes in the sides with a soldering iron. I made the mistake of putting mesh on the front of my tubs and all my rats do all day is throw the bedding out the sides. WHAT A MESS!! I'm gonna redo them with mesh lids instead and none on the fronts.
I made mouse tubs as well with no mesh and that works great. No mess.

Melt holes in the sides like I did but do NOT put mesh on the front.
He're's pics of what I did.
For my rats:





For my mice:

see all the bedding on the floor here. I just vacumned!! my rats sit on the shelf above my mice so that's the mess they managed to make in 10mins.

[littleindiangirl]

1/4" is only a tiny setback for a rat to chew through. Don't bother, go straight for 1/2". You can cut the 1/4" with plain scissors, rats would find it no problem to get through.

Holes can start getting chewed as well, but that's up to each individual rat. Some may, some may not. You DO need to give them optimum ventilation. Using 1/2" hardware cloth on the lid and top part of the tub is the best way to do it.

Check out FrankyKeno's rat tub DIY post. It is an excellent write up.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56321

[truthsdeceit]

1/4" is only a tiny setback for a rat to chew through. Don't bother, go straight for 1/2". You can cut the 1/4" with plain scissors, rats would find it no problem to get through.

Holes can start getting chewed as well, but that's up to each individual rat. Some may, some may not. You DO need to give them optimum ventilation. Using 1/2" hardware cloth on the lid and top part of the tub is the best way to do it.

Check out FrankyKeno's rat tub DIY post. It is an excellent write up.
http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...ad.php?t=56321

I didn't know rats could chew through 1/4... listen to littleindiangirl she knows what she's talking about!

About the holes, as long as your tubs insides are smooth and you make small holes, like the tip of a soldering iron they shouldn't be able to chew them. My mice are always trying to escape but have never managed to chew the air holes in my tubs. My rats have never chewed my tubs.

Closest escape was when a waterbottle fell out of it's hole which was bigger and they chewed that hole out. I caught them before they make it big enough to escape. For refernce the soldering iron is about 1/4" .... the water bottle holes we're about 1/2" so in the case of melting hole, melt smaller not bigger.

Mesh on top should be enough ventilation though, I mean you keep your others in glass tanks right? That's only got top ventilation.

[littleindiangirl]

Mesh on top should be enough ventilation though, I mean you keep your others in glass tanks right? That's only got top ventilation.

It's enough to live of course. More ventilation is always better for rats.

[truthsdeceit]

It's enough to live of course. More ventilation is always better for rats.

True!

[filly77]

um...... WHAT!!

CRAP!

I already did the tubs

Do you know how much time I spent on these? I wont tell you as it's kinda embarrassing that it took THAT long lol. I was all being OCD on them, cutting out templates to trace so the cuts/shape/sizes would be as perfect as I could do. sanding down the mesh edges so they weren't sharp, measuring the distance between the holes I was melting for the wire ties.. Those wire ties take forever AHHH

<-- rams head into the wall

mumbles all those dang wire tiesssssssssssssss and my carpel tunnel for nuthin'!

Hopefully it will hold them for a couple days until I can replace it... ~sigh~

[filly77]

It's enough to live of course. More ventilation is always better for rats.

yeah i completely agree, they really do need lots of ventilation.

and comparing tanks to bins:
-tanks the whole top is made of screen.
-bins used like tanks with original lids, the whole lid isnt screen, as you need to leave a decent amount of the top to give the lid some support.

In my opinion, (and we all know about opinions lol) the bins with just a little bit of screen on top isn't enough, tanks really dont offer that much more tho. I wish there was a way to cut holes in glass tanks & add wire mesh so they could have a nice cross breeze.

[filly77]

that is a sexy notebook! and i like how you cut the whole side out for them!

and idea to keep the bedding from getting all over would be cut the bottom off of a large box (several inches wider than the bottom of the tub and place the bin in it. it wouldn't look the greatest but it would make for easy clean up. or line the other side with the smaller wire mesh I stupidly used lol.