Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I was thinking about picking up a rodent rack here on this forum from ASL reptiles. The guy builds rat racks and mice racks both with water systems. I wanted to house my rats and mice in it but he doesn't make a unit that can hold both mice and rat tubs and he won't custom make one. So I was either going to buy a rat rack and put mice in it or buy a mouse rack and put rats in it. The problem with each idea is obvious. I just need some opinions.

Rudy
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1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa adults
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa 2003
0.1 Rubber Boa
0.2 Eastern Hognose Snakes
4.4 Western Hognose Snakes
1.1 Womas
Black Knobbed Sawback
Northern Diamondback
Florida Redbellied Slider
Western Painted
Southern Painted
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
1 Pleco
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
2.0 Fire Guramis

uhh... I think that is it.

If it is a standard rack, with hardware cloth tops... Id' buy the rat rack and a roll of 1/4 inch hardware cloth. I would use a staple gun and staple the 1/4 inch cloth over the probable 1/2 inch hardware cloth used for the rat rack but only on the parts used for mice..... this will keep the mice in. They should still be able to chew through the cloth to their food.... though if the tub is as deep as is good for a rat, I would suggest that you have something under the water system in the mouse cages so they can reach the water.
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~Sasheena

do you think smaller cloth is neccesary for mice? What do you suppose would be the problem with 1/2" mesh? I will use the same food.
What can be used to put on the bottom so mice could reach the top?
Any suggestions would be very appreciated.
Thanks
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1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa adults
1.1 Kenyan Sand Boa 2003
0.1 Rubber Boa
0.2 Eastern Hognose Snakes
4.4 Western Hognose Snakes
1.1 Womas
Black Knobbed Sawback
Northern Diamondback
Florida Redbellied Slider
Western Painted
Southern Painted
1.0 African Hedgehog
1.0 Sulcata
1.1 Leopard tortoises
1 Pleco
2 Silver Dollars
3 Bosemian Rainbows
1 Cory Cat
1 Upside Down Catfish
2.0 Fire Guramis

uhh... I think that is it.

certain aged mice might be able to get through the holes in 1/2 in mesh. As for something to stand on maybe part of a brick, or a plant dish (glazed or it will soak up pee)it would have to be something a bit heavy so they wouldn't drag it around.
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose

Hoppers will DEFINATELY get through 1/2 inch mesh. I had a cage built with that size walls and celiing and a solid metal base.... put some hoppers and adults in there to take to the vet, and it looked like some surreal painting watching fifty hoppers in all stages of squeezing through the bars, walking on the top, running in all directions. Absolute chaos to get them back! Large adult mice can't slip through, but if you're breeding mice, you'll have babies who will.

I would use a brick, as suggested, or a rock, a plastic mouse hide or an iron pipe. You have to make sure they can drink, especially the hoppers, who will die without the water when they are weaned.
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~Sasheena

And what ones couldn't get out could get STUCK. Many years ago (when I was a kid) I had a 1/2" hardware cloth cover over one of my mouse trays. I came in one morning to a mouse stuck out...he had climbe through, gotten caught by his back hips and then tried to go back down the next hole and was caught at the shoulders. I had to cut the wire all over to get him out. And replaced it with 1/4".
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

What kind of cages are they selling? Do you have a website for them? I would also agree that 1/4 mesh is the way to go for mice. Depending on the kind of rack they have, you should be able to have both mice and rats tubs. Mainly have to find the right tubs that work for rodents so they don't chew out of them. I use cat litter pans for mice but I don't think they make one big enough for rats.