Reptile & Amphibian Forums

As most know i'm just getting started with breding my own rats. Later today i will seperate the babies from the parents. This will give me 2 containers. As of now they will be some old 20 gal. long aquariums. I suspect i will be needing a third bin at least for growing up the rats to various sizes, as my snakes are all different sizes. Does anyone use the plastic storage totes for this sort of thing? If so what sizes and how do you like them? Would you change anything about the way you use them? Thanks in advance. Clint
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0.1 Colombian Boa-(Boa Constrictor Imperator) "Honey"
1.0 Hogg Isle Boa-(Boa Constrictor Imperator) "un-named"
1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa-(Epicrates Cenchria) "Houdini"
0.1 Argentine Boa-(Boa Constrictor Occidentalis) "Lacie"
0.0.2 Green Tree Python-(Morelia Viridis)Biak type-"Smog" & Sorong type- "un-named"

>>As most know i'm just getting started with breding my own rats. Later today i will seperate the babies from the parents. This will give me 2 containers. As of now they will be some old 20 gal. long aquariums. I suspect i will be needing a third bin at least for growing up the rats to various sizes, as my snakes are all different sizes. Does anyone use the plastic storage totes for this sort of thing? If so what sizes and how do you like them? Would you change anything about the way you use them? Thanks in advance. Clint

I have used the bins that are about 15X18or20 and a ft deep. I melted holes around the first three inches at the top. A lot of holes for rats or mice, fewer for snakes. I use a soldering iron so the holes are too small to chew open. I tried drilling early ones and a hole over 3/16 for mice or say, 1/4inch for rats will allow them to get teeth in there and enlarge it to escape. If you want loads of ventilation then frame up some hardware cloth for the top instead of using the lid. I do pick the sorts of tubs that have fewest indents, stickyouts etc inside that the beasties can chew or that make cleaning a pain. I have had 1.2 and 1.3 groups in them but you got to clean a lot more often than the ten days I can get out of bigger bins or fewer rats. I feed loose on the bedding most of the time with a hanging bin here or there. (something I ought to add really but never favored) Dishes are just something more to wash. And I use a bottle on a hanger.....Hartz(of all people) makes a cheap ($1.89 with the 8oz bottle at Walmart)that works unless you get a PITA bottle chewer. Then I use the metal hangers with guards.
I love the lightness and cleanability and cost.
The only thing I haven't done yet is make a real rack for it, as I have a lightweight plant shelf unit that works most of the time. And that is really the only thing I would change.
I did pick up bigger tubs but they are almost too big.
I tried the cement tub with a wire framed top but it doesn't fit my shelves as well and I really felt it was too shallow for some rats. Okay, my rats can be a bit spoiled. I do have some groups in wire cages.....a local guy makes they and they are 24X18X18 of 1/2wide by 2 inch hole mesh over a four inch deep tray. That I can keep a 1.4 and pups in there and still have a wheel (told you they were spoiled) and cardboard box. They are a bit of a chore to change if they need scrubbing but at least galvanized trays aren't too heavy, or breakable.
And since I use rabbit pellets most of the time for bedding they add a fair amount of weight.
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Sonya

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