# Terrariums?



## Robyn (Apr 19, 2016)

I was wondering if anyone had ever had their rats/rodents in a terrarium. We have a couple five-gallon tanks in our garage. Has anyone ever done that? I'm curious because I saw on a few pet store sites that they have cages that latch onto tank tops so you got a double level cage/terrarium mix. My main concern is that the rats would bite at the adhesive used to glue the glass panes of the tank together and make themselves sick.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Tanks are waaay to small for rats, even with a topper. A 5 gallon tank is too small to put 1 rat in it for more than a few hours, let alone as a cage. Plus tanks are NEVER recommended no matter how big, except as a nursery cage for a few weeks, but would need to be at least 20 gallons IMO


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## moonkissed (Dec 26, 2011)

I'd barely put a fish in a 5 gallon 

a 5 gallon is far far far too small, a 10 gallon is too small. I'd even say anything less then 40 gallons is too small for a rat.

But size is not the only issue. Rats should never be kept in tanks. They have very sensitive lungs and ammonia builds up very very fast in a tank as it lacks any type of adequate air flow. This will make your rats sick. Even in a properly sized tank you would need to be cleaning like every other day to prevent this but over cleaning often leads to more of the rat marking to keep their scent which is a bad cycle. 

Also rats need to climb. I highly suggest getting a proper cage with 1/2 inch bar spacing that is the proper size.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Also adding a fan for air flow to a terrarium is NOT a good idea, actually it is a terrible idea. I mention it because I can't tell you how many people thought they solved the lack of air flow problem with that. That is guarantee to make your rats even sicker. Rats should be kept away from any air drafts.


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## Ratlettes (Mar 29, 2016)

Just don't do it


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## Ratlettes (Mar 29, 2016)

I use to have a 20G Zilla cage for a short while until I got the funds for a wire cage for 2 rats and it never got ammonia build up because I always cleaned it but it's really not good. It's miserable because they're just there, not being able to climb or use hammocks, hanging toys or anything. And to top it off there was an unexpected 19 pup litter. I deeply regret it but get a critter nation, FN, a huge bird cage, or a diy bookshelf cage. The bigger and more ventilated the better.


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## Zanie (Dec 30, 2015)

However, having a large (not overly deep) tank and fill it up with substrate 2/3ds of the height makes for a great digging base where you can bury tunnels or use a proper soil that allows for them to buuild tunnels (very hard to find the perfect mix though). And then onto that add a tall wire top for climbing and air... that's a good cage.
My one girl has had some issues with poryforin around one eye and her nose ever since I got her. I barely ever see that anymore since I built my current cage with a glass front and a deep digging box as a bottom (but wire on sides and roof above the digging area). I can only conclude that it's healthier for them than the 100% wire cage they had before.

Not so sure if it were a tank with just half an inch of substrate in the bottom though. The shear amount of substrate helps with ammonia build-up (and makes the walls around the ''floor'' lower, sincce it's high up), and then the enclosed walls protects from draft at the bottom, while the wire on top gives plenty of fresh air. Enclosed walls + not a lot of proper substrate = smell an ammonia at the rats nose levels.


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