132 replies to this topic

[Almi]

Great thread! Super awesome cage setups in the OP.  That's what I'm talking about!

[Anntwo]

Excellent, informative, article!I I want a Robo hamster and an aquarium cage would be perfect. I have, however, read that they have poor air circulation,
ammonia buildup, and muffled outside sounds. I've use tanks with every species of hamster and have never had these problems. How worrisome are these statements?
Thank you,
Ann

Edited by Anntwo, 08 January 2017 - 08:57 PM.

[nebit]

Excellent, informative, article!I I want a Robo hamster and an aquarium cage would be perfect. I have, however, read that they have poor air circulation,
ammonia buildup, and muffle outside sounds. I've use tanks with every species of hamster and have never had these problems. How worrisome are these statements?
Thank you,
Ann

I wouldn't worry about those things at all. The first two are true for much larger rodents kept in tanks, particularly smaller tanks- such as guinea pigs and rats. These species produce much more urine, with a much higher ammonia content than any of the hamster species do. Then if you can imagine a full grown guinea pig in a 20G Long- there's not much room for the pig, let alone air flow etc. A robo is many, many time smaller, and partly due to their tiny size, but also to their adaptations for desert living, produce WAY less ammonia. They can also generally be litter trained to some extent to help with the cleaning and keeping it fresh as well.

 

Muffling sounds is probably true, but hamsters do best in low stress environments and sleep during the day, so having some of the outside hustle and bustle of the house muffled is probably a plus.

 

An added bonus is that the solid walls of a tank prevent drafts, which aren't good for the hamster, and the help keep the hamster safe from other household pets, and prevent bar chewing which can cause injury to hamsters.

Edited by nebit, 09 January 2017 - 06:24 AM.

[Anntwo]

Thank you so much for your answer. I was dreading the thought of a wire cage and constant worry about escapes. I've had guinea pigs and rats and would never place them in an aquarium. Its a shame that pet shops and even some breeder don't make the effort to educate. Thank you again for taking the time
Ann

[BowieXpippinXteddy]

I know this doesn't really relate to this but does anyone know of any brand tubes that attach to ferplast, Just wondering Chloe ❤❤

[Winter Whisker]

Hi,
I'm about to make my 4 hamsters a new cage. The cage they are in I believe to be way to small for them now they are living in. I only have the 4 living together because I bought one hamster and within 1 week she had 3 pups and when we separate them they cry for each other so its better to just keep them together. They are living in a cage something like habitrail ovo suite with another one attached to it(site wont let me add my own picture so im doing my best to describe it). So I was just wondering when making my new cage what size should it be to home all 4 of them. 
 
Thanks,
Toheather.

I'm assuming they're dwarf hamsters.....?

[astertk]

If you have hamsters of differemt sexes, they need to be separated once they are old enough. If they aren't, they will keep breeding and you will have even more hamsters. If they are syrians, they all have to be kept separately or they will probably emd up hurting or even killing each other. For multiple hamsters, I believe it's recommended tp have a cage of about 800 sq inches, but I'm not certain. With hamster cages, generally bigger is better, but some people say too big a cage can be bad for groups, as they won't interact much and will be more likely to fight when they do see each other.

Edited by astertk, 17 January 2017 - 11:55 PM.

[o0ana0o]

Hey do you think this would be a good cage if you remove the inner platform?LINK

[o0ana0o]

Hey do you think this would be a good cage if you remove the inner platform?LINK

[Melodie]

Hey do you think this would be a good cage if you remove the inner platform?LINK

Yes, that cage is definitely big enough at 630 square inches. The thing is though, its kinda overpriced. You can get a lot more space for your money than that. I mean if you really want it, go for it, but just know that for 40 bucks you could have a 40 gallon breeder tank (648 square inches, so basically the same size), or for 60 the Ikea detolf which measures over 1000 square inches. Trust me, its worth exploring all of your options before making a decision

[o0ana0o]

Yes, that cage is definitely big enough at 630 square inches. The thing is though, its kinda overpriced. You can get a lot more space for your money than that. I mean if you really want it, go for it, but just know that for 40 bucks you could have a 40 gallon breeder tank (648 square inches, so basically the same size), or for 60 the Ikea detolf which measures over 1000 square inches. Trust me, its worth exploring all of your options before making a decision

Ok, thanks! Yeah I thought is was overpriced too. I like the Ikea detolf but there isn't an ikea in my state and shipping would add up the cost to over 400 dollars. Also could you send me a link to a 40 gallon breeder tank?

[Melodie]

Ok, thanks! Yeah I thought is was overpriced too. I like the Ikea detolf but there isn't an ikea in my state and shipping would add up the cost to over 400 dollars. Also could you send me a link to a 40 gallon breeder tank?

You can get them at Petco, and they are 40 dollars when they have their dollar per gallon sale

[o0ana0o]

You can get them at Petco, and they are 40 dollars when they have their dollar per gallon sale

Oh ok, thank you!

[CayutieHamsters]

This thread is such a wonderful run-down. I've definitely sent it to a few friends who could use it, one of which who has gone from a Crittertrail to a 40 gallon.

[DevynR]

Hello! I am looking to get my first hamster, and was wondering how far apart the bars should be on a hamster cage. As my local pet shop doesn't have any suitably sized hamster cages, I was looking at one meant for other small animals and wanted to be sure that my future little one couldn't escape. I am thinking of getting a Syrian (if that is a factor for size).

 

Thanks!