New Tank~~!

by Andorrici on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 12:37 pm

So, finally, I have a new tank. I suggested 15-20 gallons but they were already flustered I had gotten them to cave, so I now own a ten gallon. I Velcro the wheel and the water bottle to the side of the tank where they can reach, and added some cleaned twigs from the outdoors in a pile for them to play around with. Each cleaning I add new twigs- they love to chew off the bark! I got some popsicle sticks and made a little flat ground thingy... Idk. They seem to like burrowing under it and making a little nest. I stacked some popsicle sticks and they love chewing on it, sort of a challenge. I added some fresh lettuce to their food- and one or two pistachios as well! They seem to LOVE those. My grandma bought me a little hamster hut, which is their nest- they drag everything in there. I added some little miniature furniture and a ladder too, and they seem to enjoy resting on them. Occasionally I will put a plastic littlest pet shop/my little pony house in their cage and they have an absolute BLAST toying around with it! Bubby and Saltine both try and use the wheel at the same time- usually Saltine flies off, haha. She's always fine and gets back to playing, though- Overall I think they are a lot happier, no fighting, mounting, smell. I gave them carefresh odor control bedding and it works well too! I still have my Kaytee cage though, so maybe there will be a new mouse in the future-

by CinnamonPearl on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 12:43 pm

That's good! But Andorrici, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but 10 gallons is not enough for four girls. It's only enough for three. It's insufficient space for a colony of four to live out their lives, and you still have the same problem you did before. It's definitely an improvement, but you're going to need to get them a bigger tank anyway. Also, do not give your animals anything you find outside. You never know what could be on them- you could introduce germs and disease.

by **Peachy** on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 12:58 pm

Yay, 10 gallons is a great improvement for your girls! I bet they're thrilled to have a little more room. Since your parents helped you get your pets into something a bit more appropriate for now, maybe you can start working on saving enough money to purchase something else. Smile

This page lists the tank requirements for the number of mice your housing.
http://petmousefanciers.forumotion.com/portal

Wood from outside can be used if you clean it correctly (scrub all the dirt off and then either freeze or bake), but there's also some concern because not all kinds of wood are safe for mice. Do you know what kind of branches you're offering?

by CinnamonPearl on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 1:14 pm

Oh, outside wood can be used? I didn't know that! Thanks for the info Peachy.

by AnonymousMouseOwner on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 1:16 pm

@CinnamonPearl wrote:Oh, outside wood can be used? I didn't know that! Thanks for the info Peachy.

Yes, if you want more info here is a topic I started: http://petmousefanciers.forumotion.com/t766-safe-wood

by CanadianExport on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 1:44 pm

That is fantastic that you were able to at least upgrade to a 10 gallon! Another cheap way to add some fun things is to look for Polar or Blizzard fleece in remnant bins at fabric stores, I have been able to get a bunch of fleece for as little as a $1. You can make hammocks, cubes, etc and hang them from the lid or over the rim of the tank using paper clips.

by Andorrici on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 1:51 pm

Okay, thanks for all the advice. (I still have not told my Gigi that I have a ten gallon, meaning there still could be a bigger tank in the very near future.) If not, I'll have to definitely save up. The wood I used is water oak. I baked the sticks in the oven, and I have been doing this for awhile and nothing bad has happened. They are all very happy, and I am thinking about ATTACHING the kaytee tank to the ten gallon with tubes... That way they would have two tanks to run around in whenever they wanted, at any time. I am currently using the kaytee as a travel tank and a playtank.

by CinnamonPearl on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 1:56 pm

I would actually recommend against attaching the Kaytee tank, as it can lead to split colonies and territory disputes. Plus, the added tank doesn't actually add floor space; a 10 gallon tank is still only fit for three mice despite any added shelves or attached tanks. A 10 gallon tank is a definite improvement. But once you get a larger tank, you can always use the 10gal as a quarantine tank!

by CallaLily on Tue 08 Nov 2016, 2:41 pm

Yay for convincing your parents to help you head in the right direction! Don't forget you can also use cardboard to make fun places to climb/hide/chew ... boxes, egg cartons, paper towel or toilet paper tubes, drink trays. Check out the diy section for tons of ideas.

by Andorrici on Wed 09 Nov 2016, 12:38 pm

Is there anything you would like to add about the sticks? The first few times I didn't bake the water oak sticks, until I learned. Then I baked them, and still do.
Also, is it okay to give my mice honeyoat granola bars? And ritz crackers? Lol, and pretzel sticks? Definitely as only a treat, rarely given. I made sure there was no little salts left on the pretzel or ritz.

by CinnamonPearl on Wed 09 Nov 2016, 12:57 pm

Not sure about the granola. Ritz crackers and pretzels should be fine as long as they're very rare treats! Ritz is a lot of sugar, so definitely sparingly. Unless anyone knows something I don't about any dangers?

by CallaLily on Wed 09 Nov 2016, 2:32 pm

Granola bars I'd say probably depends on the ingredients. I agree that pretzels and plain crackers as occasional treats are probably ok. Though low sodium ones would be better I'd think.

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