Discussion»Questions»Animals (Wild)» Can hamsters live in a glass fish tank type cage? if not why not? We have a rotastak but considering a glass tank - good idea/bad?
Yes you just need a good ventilated top that clamps or is weighted so they can't lift it up and get out ( they will if they can).
Me and sis had gerbils and hamsters as children and the vet actually said they are better than wire cages because they chew the paint and metal wire and that can have heavy metals and toxins in it. They can get rusty too and all that iron from the rust isn't good either. Though she also said it doesn't usually present a real problem. So don't think your cage was doing something terrible. Just make sure you have a cuttle fish bone or something for them to file their teeth down on since without the wire cage, they have nothing to use for that. One of ours actually broke his teeth trying to use the wheel when it moved on him and snapped it off. When they chew the wire cage they are usually doing it to wittle their teeth down as opposed to trying to get out. Not sure about over there but here they make rodent lids for aquariums that allow the tubes too. Keep in mind fish and reptiles are some of the most susceptible and least tolerant of chemicals and small amounts of exposure that would do nothing to mammal will kill them very quickly so aquariums and their glues have to fairly non toxic and biologically inert. Birds too but to lesser degree. So if something is safe for fish and reptiles to be exposed to, mammals are typically fine with. Food and vitamins excluded.
This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at February 9, 2017 7:53 AM MST
Ahh very interesting thank you. I got daughter a rotastak because I thought fish tanks weren't any good but this seriously isn't working out, daughter hasn't been cleaning the cage properly so I had to do an emergency cage clean at nearly 1am in the morning! I think something easier for her to clean would be better.. and perhaps tidier in her very messy room... We have cuttle fish in the house always as daughter also has giant african land snails so it would be no problem to put cuttle in the tank for her hamster.
I remember having to clean it more often because the bedding doesn't have airflow and doesn't have the drip pan thingy so it it holds the "moisture" more. If you can make or find something that held the bedding off the bottom a little it might help that. Oh and sterilize it every now and then. That's kinda important. I'd say the plastic rodent "aquariums" are the way to go if your looking for something easier to clean. Glass can be kinda heavy and it can break easily. A regular glass aquarium might be too heavy and bulky for her to move around for cleaning if she's young.
Well I did wonder... about the air flow, but more than that I wondered about boredom factor...if it's just a tank then there's nowhere to climb, hide, explore etc.. so i was thinking about what I could do about that.... I used to have gerbils when my sons were young.. they had a tank and wooden platforms ... so that's a possibility...
She has a plastic rotastak with a rodent aquarium at the bottom, but she was too lazy to wash all the compartments :( She's 15 so I think with my help she should be ok with a glass aquarium, I just have to find one of the right size with a suitable lid and then somehow make wooden platforms
Oh the tubes are getting nasty. YUP I remember that.
Just make some platforms and rope bridges and he'll prolly be fine. If you can't find one just make one from some thin plywood and window screen. Might have to borrow a drill . IDK.
Benedict Arnold 