Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have two 30 gallon aquariums I am going to use for a mice breeding colony. The dimensions are @36"x12". How many breeding mice can I expect to keep in a cage of this size. Currently I have set up just one cage with 1 male and five females. Is that to many or do I have room for more females. I dont want to overcrowd but I also want to maximize production with my cages.

Thanks
Allen Sheehan

I would not add anymore mice to the setup. Also, if you are raising mice for pinkies and fuzzies and removing them, you can have up to five females with a male. But if you are going to be wanting weanlings I would have no more than two females per male in tank that size. The babies do add to the population density! LOL!

Hey thanks for the feedback. I think what I will do is leave the one cage as is with 5 females and pull the pinks and then set up the other cage with only two females for hoppers and weanlings. i will see how it goes. I hope I can make at least a small dent in my growing snake food bill every month

If your snakes will eat frozen thawed you can freeze lots of pinks and fuzzies for later. With weanlings I dislocate their cervical vertebra (snap the neck by holding a pencil over neck while giving tail a firm tug)and freeze those also. freezing your surplus saves a ton of money versus having to buy the ft's.

All my snakes eat frozen except for a single '09 that is holding out and spoiled. My sole intention is to freeze them for later as I certainly dont want to start feeding live after switching all of them to frozen. And the other reason is that I am spending $70 a month shipping in frozen. I would be happy just saving a portion of that money raising my own mice. I am excited to see what happens.

Allen Sheehan

That is a beautiful snake; what kind is it?
Be sure since you are using glass tanks that you have very good ventilation.

One of my 105 quart Sterilite tubs, for big family groups and for growing weanlings to adult size. I prefer tubs as they are much easier to wash and not breakable.

The snake is an albino supertiger retic python. That is a great idea for the mice tubs. How many adults can you house in that 105 tub? I might just switch over to that. I keep most of my colubrids in tubs and they are obviously the easiest thing to clean. I have a screen lid for the glass aquariums but glass is heavy breakable and a pain to clean.

Allen

I house up to five females and one male in the 105 qt tubs for breeding, or up to a couple dozen weanlings, as grow out tubs. I also use 58 qt tubs, same lid design, for one or two females and the male.

105 quart Sterilite tub.

Interior of 105 tub. I loop the wire of the feeder over the edge of the tub. I tie the water bottle onto the lip of the tub with a piece of wire going through a little hole. They always get a cuttle fish bone to gnaw on and provide extra calcium. Lately I've been using calcium blocks which last longer.

The young mice with the cardboard flat removed to show them. For big litters I want to have grow up I like to put them in these big tubs. They have plenty of room to run around in. I always give my mice cardboard hides; this gives them a sense of security and helps them stay warm. They do tend to remodel their "houses" but that is okay, the cardboard flats are free.
Once a week I wash the cage and change the bedding, and give them a new hide. Judging by the last picture it is mouse tub cleaning day today! LOL!

>>I have two 30 gallon aquariums I am going to use for a mice breeding colony. The dimensions are @36"x12". How many breeding mice can I expect to keep in a cage of this size. Currently I have set up just one cage with 1 male and five females. Is that to many or do I have room for more females. I dont want to overcrowd but I also want to maximize production with my cages.
>>
>>Thanks
>>Allen Sheehan

1.5 is fine for a mouse set up but an entire waste of a 30 gallon tank. I raise 1.5 s in 10 gal equivalent enclosures. After 5 the male seems to lose the ability to keep up with the girls and you are wasting animals.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

1.5 is fine for a mouse set up but an entire waste of a 30 gallon tank. I raise 1.5 s in 10 gal equivalent enclosures. After 5 the male seems to lose the ability to keep up with the girls and you are wasting animals.
If this works for you okay. But I like to give my mice enough room to move around in, and have an exercise wheel. also the big tubs don't need to be cleaned every fourth day or less like the little 10 gallon type affairs do.

>>1.5 is fine for a mouse set up but an entire waste of a 30 gallon tank. I raise 1.5 s in 10 gal equivalent enclosures. After 5 the male seems to lose the ability to keep up with the girls and you are wasting animals.
>>If this works for you okay. But I like to give my mice enough room to move around in, and have an exercise wheel. also the big tubs don't need to be cleaned every fourth day or less like the little 10 gallon type affairs do.

My mice have a wheel, nest box and water bottle, and I pull at 4 weeks. Not too often they get overcrowded that much. But yes I clean as needed. Cleaning is gonna vary with number of hoppers etc. Some tubs go 5 days or some go 10....I always go by feel. I have the majority of my mice in 12X18 foot print tubs. I like to have a feel of each tub. After 35 years it still is the way that works for me.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny