# The critter nation pan dilemma, see through pans?



## charlypie (May 15, 2017)

Has anyone ever found a clear plastic storage bin type thing that fits in a critter nation to use as a pan? I'm going to switch to a loose bedding and I kind of have my heart set on having clear pans so I can see what they are up to. I've seen the plastic cement mixer tubs but i'm really not a fan of how they look, or the space lost around the edge, i do like how cheap they are though... I'm considering having my boyfriend make metal pans similar to those bass pans (he is a welder) but i'm haven't talked to him about how much that would cost -metal isn't the cheapest material- and like i said, i really want to be able to see them. It seems like clear coroplast is hard to find and i'm a little unsure about plexi, it would cost a bit to get enough for all i would need for the double critter nation and my fish tank has a diy plexi lid that warps unbelievably, it's only 10 gallons and the light is LED so i'm not sure why it even does that. I found a few storage bins that fit in one direction but are short in the other, and i've found some that would work if i had two next to each other for the big levels (and would work for the smaller shelves too of course). I've sort of thought about getting some that fit one way and not the other and Frankensteining them together to be the right size, but i'm not sure that is worth the cost and hassle when i could probably just deal with it being <6" short on one side. I've also thought it might be fun to have the ones that would work with two side by side and make some holes for PVC tubes to connect them, so they have the option of going through those or climbing over to get from one side of the other.

Also, people who use loose bedding + pans in a critter nation, do you have deep pans with bedding on the smaller shelves or do you use some kind of liner on those?


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

I've not heard of clear pans, but why not simply get a bedding guard if you don't like the look of cement pans? I got mine off Amazon (it was men't for ferrets), and it was made specifically for the critter nation. It's worked like a charm so far, although taking it off can sometimes be a bit tricky. I think this is the one I got: https://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Homes-Pets-Accessories-Scatter/dp/B004UL3EUI


As for the shelves, I just took mine out. It gives me more space to hang toys up, and lets my rats climb around more (which they love!). I actually bought a few dollar tree bins, attached pipe cleaners to them, and used shower curtains to hang them on the top of the cage. I then fill these with extra bedding, and whatever other toys I have with me. I also put up hammocks and home made houses. I then complete this setup by connecting everything with bird ladders, bird ropes, and lava ledges.

You could always try this method, and simply take out your shelves. I find that it really gives me more freedom when designing the top of the cage. 

Why exactly do you want to see your rats at the bottom of your cage? I know my girls spend basically every moment at the top of the cage, and only go to the bottom as that's where I put their food and water. If your rats don't spend much time at the top of the cage, perhaps you could try hanging more toys and hammocks up and see if that encourages them to go to the top more often?


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## charlypie (May 15, 2017)

I'll have to think about those guards, i've heard mixed things about them before, do you find it contains the bedding well? My rats also spend very little time on the bottom, (well entire bottom half of the double critter nation, they spend more time on the big top floor though -i think they like being up high), i have a feeling if i didn't have their food down on the bottom floor they would rarely go down there. I love watching them with their food antics though. I love the dollar store for rat cage stuff! I have some of those stacking bins and those mini laundry baskets from there that are very well liked, my older boys are funny and have never liked hammocks. 
I want clear pans so i don't loose out on any visibility, I do really like being able to see into the cage well because of the shallow pans the cage comes with, the first rat cage i ever got had a really nice deep pan for bedding but you couldn't even see the rats when they were down there.


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## Shadow <3 (Jan 25, 2017)

In my case, the bedding guards work perfectly for keeping bedding in. My girls really like digging up bedding, and when I was using the flat pan, they'd push it all out. The guards have completely eliminated any bedding outside the cage in my case. But I guess it would depend on your bedding and how much your rats like to dig. 

I will note that taking them off and putting them on too often will bend the metal pieces that keep them in place. To combat this, I now usually just clean the cage with them kept on. If they seem to be getting dirty, then I'll take them off and give them a good scrub. Otherwise, I've found that natures miracle wipes will clean them just fine.


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## Asiposea (Dec 16, 2016)

You can use plastic storage tubs for the shelves. I personally just make my pans out of coroplast. My guys aren't big chewers so it works out perfectly for my situation. I make them four inches tall. They get a bit grungy after a while so I tend to redo them every six months. I'll probably even go to 4.5 inches the next time around.


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## ray (Nov 4, 2015)

I use the large cement mixing tub from home depot. Fits in the bottom of a critter nation perfectly, is about $15 and is deep so it keeps bedding in.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

If you happen to live near a Container Store, they sell clear gift wrap boxes ($14) with advertised dimensions of about 34″ x 12″ x 6.25″ so two of them might fill the cage floor quite nicely. Also, they don't appear to taper as much as the bins you purchased. They seem to be available on Target.com as well but they're not sold in Target stores (but they might be a seasonal item).

If you're interested in them but don't live near a Container Store, let me know and I can stop by my store with a tape measure if you need exact measurements without the lids.


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## CorbinDallasMyMan (Feb 24, 2017)

I stopped by my local Container Store this weekend to measure the clear gift wrap boxes. If you place two of them side-by-side without the lids, they're 33.5" x 23.5". The inside dimensions of the CN are about 35" x 23". The lip of one might have to be trimmed a little but overall, they might fit a little better than the ones you're currently using.


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## charlypie (May 15, 2017)

Oh wow thank you for measuring them! They do seem like they would fit better without any adjustments compared to what I have now, I might have to get those...


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## charlypie (May 15, 2017)

I just thought i'd revisit this thread with what I ended up doing and my thoughts. I got some storage bins from walmart that were supposed to be pretty much perfect dimensions to have two bins right next to each other on the big levels and one for each of the shelves. The listed dimensions were inaccurate and the containers were tapered, so they left a lot of space especially between them. The rats liked the little gap between the bins though. I didn't like how limited I felt with what I could put in the cage with them, and after a few months I tried something else. They were incredibly easy and quick to clean though, I would just take them out, dump them, and wipe them down then dump in new bedding and return them to the cage. The size of the bins made it extremely easy to handle, they were just the right size to transfer used bedding to a garbage bag without spilling. To allow the rats between the two halves of the critter nation i cut a hole in one of the bins where it sat on top of the opening between the halves and put a piece of storm drain tubing in, and secured it to the side of the cage with zip ties. The rats _really _liked this tube and it helped keep the bedding contained.














After a few months and some thought I decided to try something different, i was trying to find some semi translucent corrugated plastic to make trays. I found some at Home Depot but decided to try and make scatter guards first. I left the original trays in and cut the plastic into 4" strips. I cut it the same direction it is corrugated so that bedding and pee and everything else wouldn't get inside of it. The plastic fit really nice and snug around the edge of the trays, I didn't even need tape or zip ties to secure them. I'm super happy with this, I do wish it was more see through but I like the way it looks and it feels very open. 


























I added guards to the shelves after a week with this, but they needed tape and zip ties to be secured and don't hold in the bedding as well, and they make it a little harder to grab and see rats on the shelves. I think I am going to take them off when i rearrange the cage and either make some pillowcase style liners or use paper changed every few days on the shelves again. 








Overall, I think i've found what works for me and my rats right now. It's been around a month since I first put in and they are holding up well, it's not quite as easy to clean as the bins, but i'm not sure if anything could be. I use a small broom and dustpan to remove the bedding and then spray+wipe down everything. There are like 3 small chew marks on the whole thing so far (2 are the right of Ranger who is standing on a brick in the photo below), but my boys aren't big chewers besides the storm drain tubes which they are convinced need altering -i'm pretty sure it is because my older boys are a bit fat and they are trying to make the tube openings bigger, I know exactly which rat does this. I expect these to last awhile with my boys. When they need replacing I will probably make them a little shorter than 4" so I can do it with just one sheet, I used 2 to make all the guards.


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