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Old 02-02-2012, 03:47 PM   #1
Hamtastic
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Default Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

These might be of interest to some looking into aquariums, plastic tank cages, and DIY options for reference. These are some common habitat choices and some others I own or had a chance to measure or have measured for me.

All the dimensions are actual INNER dimensions. In other words, if a manufacturer states that a ZooZone1 is 27.5" long, the actual length of the cage at a commonly used bedding height is more like 26", because the tray also curves in. A 20 Gallon Long aquarium has fewer than 366 square inches of floor area because of the frame and glass thickness. Etc.

I've also added some cages divided into parts, for reintroduction purpose reference (as I've temporarily divided my aquaria before for that reason).
IKEA Detolf:
Detolf glass case - IKEA

IKEA Billy Extension is placed on its back side and an IKEA Billy glass shelf is glued with silicone to make the front glass panel. A homemade lid is then added.
BILLY Height extension unit - 32"x14" - IKEA
BILLY Extra shelf - glass - IKEA

IKEA Billy "upright" is a regular IKEA Billy case with glass doors, where additional glass rectangles are inserted to keep bedding from falling out when doors are opened.
BILLY Bookcase - tall - IKEA
BILLY Bookcase - small - IKEA
(various types of glass doors available for the Billy range)

A ZooZone 2 with 3 inches of bedding gives a 43.5cm x 93.5cm floor area, which is ~4067 square centimeters of usable floor space. I used approximately 3"-4" of bedding for ZZ1, F.O.P. Gabia Tamburino, and Ferplast Mini Duna calculations as well.

IKEA Expedit here is a 2x4 or 2x2 shelf, where each of the 2-cube rows is used to make a cage (up to 4 or 2 cages, one on top of another).
EXPEDIT Shelving unit - 2 x 4 - IKEA
EXPEDIT Shelving unit - 2 x 2 - IKEA

For reference for European members, 1" is 2.54cm long.

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Last edited by Hamtastic; 11-18-2012 at 09:01 PM.
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Old 02-02-2012, 03:54 PM   #2
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Default Re: Cage floor plan comparisons

Very useful info thanks. I will sticky this.
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Old 02-14-2012, 11:26 AM   #3
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

Updated table with more entries (if it could be edited into my post above, it'd be great!, as I messed up a bunch of photobucket links last week when I did some album reshuffling):

Internal cage floor areas:



Added dimensions in centimeters for European members.

Clarified IKEA Expedit cages: they are now listed in dimensions of "cubes" they take up, e.g. "2 cubes by 1 cube".

Thanks to everyone who helped with measurements of cages I do not own myself.
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Old 02-14-2012, 01:31 PM   #4
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

Thats fantastic thanks!
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Old 02-14-2012, 04:36 PM   #5
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

Awesome, and thanks for adding in the cm too, makes it much easier for me to get the info I'd like out of it now
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Old 02-25-2012, 11:00 AM   #6
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

This is so useful, after seeing your post on the cage thread I'm really tempted by the billy extension for dancer, although it won't be an increase in size from the gabber he's about to get, it's much prettier >.<
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Old 11-18-2012, 04:01 PM   #7
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

people should consider the Mamble cage on www.EquineCanineFeline.com Online UK Pet Accessories, UK Pet Supplies, Rat, ferret, chinchilla, hamster, rabbit, guinea pig, cat, dog and horse products with FAST UK Delivery! It's 100cm cage with large tubes and a shelf. Was £60, now reduced to £45! Bargain! Pumpkin loves her cage =) x
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Old 12-10-2012, 02:20 PM   #8
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

I notice Ikea Expedit listed as making a cage, but wondered how you would seal the exposed chipboard and the corners to prevent them becoming urine soaked?
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Old 12-10-2012, 02:34 PM   #9
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

am I right in assuming the colour coding is suggesting the space that is unsuitable in red, and green is good?
I am querying as I thought I read in the NHC paperwork that 1000cm 2 was the minimum req for a syrian?
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Old 12-10-2012, 03:14 PM   #10
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Default Re: Cage floor area comparisons - home built cages

Er... If the NHC do say that its not a number this forum generally agrees with. 1000 square cm is only 25cm by 40cm and thats really, really small. As a general rule the minimum for a syrian should be roughly 4000 square cm.
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