Things I wish I had known when I started out breeding rats...

[meowmeowkazoo]

I thought it would be interesting to have a thread where people share the tricks of the trade they have learned. Things that would be useful to a breeder just starting out, or useful to established breeders.

I'll start out with some things I wish I had known about....

1) Pine shavings.
Most are kiln dried, and thus won't hurt the rats.
Helps a ton with odor control.
Cheaper than aspen most of the time.
Less dusty than many brands of aspen.

2) Buying rodent food in bulk. Buying online and at feed stores.
Even cheaper than dog food.
Much healthier than dog food.
Pet store prices are outrageous.

3) NOT using dog food.
It made the smell noticeably worse.
Rats got cysts due to greasy skin from the dog food.
It's more expensive than buying a decent lab block.

4) Using tubs instead of tanks.
Tanks are really freaking heavy.
Tanks have sharp corners that are hard to clean.
Tubs are very lightweight.
Tubs are very easy to clean.
Tubs are cheaper.

Who else has helpful tips?