cleaning my dwarf WW cage?

[Culprit]

So it's been about a month after I got Zero, so I'm starting to wonder how I should clean his cage. He has a sand bath that he does 99% of his business in , and the only stuff I can see is a few pellets on his platform. Only 1 or 2 have happened and I cleaned them up. I have a lot of substrate in there. So I was thinking mabye the European method... just taking the top layer off? How often will I need to clean it? I have a plastic bin cage.

[AmityvilleHams]

How large is the bin cage and how deep is the substrate?These things will impact cage cleaning more than you'd think!

Just cleaning the top layer for now should be more than enough though

[cypher]

How much digging & burrowing does Zero do?
I think the European method works well for most syrians but I find it totally useless with my dwarf hams as they dig & burrow constantly, there is no top layer really as it keeps changing as they dig around in it & most of what needs cleaning falls to the bottom of the cage.
I generally do sections of the cage, a third, or maybe half in a small cage every few weeks to a month or even less frequently, it depends on the ham, I generally find the area in front of or below the wheel needs cleaning a lot more often.

[Geewhiz]

For the bin cage I tend to take out any bedding that looks dirty, and the section around it, then top it up. I end up replacing about a quarter each time? I always keep the cage fairly full. Although unfortunately both of my two seem to use their wheels as a toilet, so that means less soiled substrate.

[flowerfairy]

Originally Posted by cypher

How much digging & burrowing does Zero do?
I think the European method works well for most syrians but I find it totally useless with my dwarf hams as they dig & burrow constantly, there is no top layer really as it keeps changing as they dig around in it & most of what needs cleaning falls to the bottom of the cage.
I generally do sections of the cage, a third, or maybe half in a small cage every few weeks to a month or even less frequently, it depends on the ham, I generally find the area in front of or below the wheel needs cleaning a lot more often.

Very useful post. I find that my roborovskis hardly ever need cleaning. I feel so guilty disturbing their tunnels and r nests ... a bit at a time works well.

[Culprit]

Ok I don't know how big it actually is, but roughly 2 and a quarter feet long and mabye two feet wide. His substrate is pretty deep, about 4 inches, and he digs all over it.

[AmityvilleHams]

You'll probably need to clean it every month partially,maybe every 2-3 months fully.However considering the depth,it might be more likely that you have to clean fully every 2 months and not every 3 months.

[Culprit]

Ok, so just basically spot clean it monthly, then full clean ever 2, 3 months

[cypher]

A bit more than that!
Spot clean daily or if he mostly pees in the sand then just have a good look for anything weekly I would say then clean at least half monthly especially if he digs a lot.
You may be able to put back some of the area you clean when you do half the cage but it will need doing about that often, even if you can't see much that needs cleaning there will be a bit of a build up of stuff that really needs to go, have a look now & then anyway to see how much stuff (sand, food debris, poo etc) makes it to the bottom of the bin.

[Culprit]

Well, I already clean out his bath, lke I saide before, 99% of his buisness is done in his sandbath... I think iv'e only seen about 4 or 5 pellets outside his bath. I pick those up when I see them. But checking the bottom is probably a good idea too