Critique my new cage! :)

[Lauukin]

I would appreciate any tips, knowledge, etc. I wanna give my new hammy an awesome home and would love some opinions and critiques!!

💜Here's my brand new Syrians 50-gallon tank 💜! (48in wide, 15in long, 18in tall.)

His name is Joji! 🐹

I know his bedding is a bit low (3 inches) but I figured I'd do half the reccomended amount and see if he's a burrower before making it deeper (I hear some Syrians dont dig and this small amount of bedding is OK for non-burrowers).

[FelicityAnn]

Hello Lauukin,

While it's true that some Syrians don't dig very much, it can be a vicious circle: they don't dig because the substrate isn't deep enough.

Could you perhaps fence off one end with a big bendy bridge or two, and fill that with at least 8" - 10"? You've certainly got enough height to do that with your set-up. Then you'd know if Joji is a burrower.

And if you buy more bendy bridges you could make some into hidey places around the cage

[Lauukin]

Originally Posted by FelicityAnn

Hello Lauukin,

While it's true that some Syrians don't dig very much, it can be a vicious circle: they don't dig because the substrate isn't deep enough.

Could you perhaps fence off one end with a big bendy bridge or two, and fill that with at least 8" - 10"? You've certainly got enough height to do that with your set-up. Then you'd know if Joji is a burrower.

And if you buy more bendy bridges you could make some into hidey places around the cage

Oh he is a burrower! I posted this about half an hour after setting up my cage and watching him in it for the first time. He totally loves digging gonna make the substrate taller and try the bendy bridge digging area method you talked about! Thanks!!

[emojimom]

I'm glad you're adding more substrate. Even if they aren't burrowers, I find mine like to cover themselves up and fill their beds with soft stuff. I might add more toys and hiding places, too, but otherwise I think it looks great.

[cypher]

More substrate is always good
I would try adding another level, use a free standing shelf (you can always make one yourself with a piece of wood & some dowels for legs) to give another area to hide/nest/play under, then you could put more on top too giving more overall space, I'd put some more tubes, bendy bridges or other toys in too.
That house isn't really ideal, probably a bit small for a syrian so I would see if you can find something a bit better or just use a large cardboard box with no base & a door cut out.

[Lauukin]

Originally Posted by emojimom

I'm glad you're adding more substrate. Even if they aren't burrowers, I find mine like to cover themselves up and fill their beds with soft stuff. I might add more toys and hiding places, too, but otherwise I think it looks great.

I reserved a certain amount of money this month for the sort of 'base items' needed for a new cage (substrate, bottle, food, a couple homes, chew toy, wheel) but I assure you...this boy is gonna get spoiled with some more toys soon ^_^ thanks for the feedback!

[Lauukin]

Originally Posted by cypher

More substrate is always good
I would try adding another level, use a free standing shelf (you can always make one yourself with a piece of wood & some dowels for legs) to give another area to hide/nest/play under, then you could put more on top too giving more overall space, I'd put some more tubes, bendy bridges or other toys in too.
That house isn't really ideal, probably a bit small for a syrian so I would see if you can find something a bit better or just use a large cardboard box with no base & a door cut out.

Ooh, that sounds awesome! Yes, I ordered the little house on amazon, reviews were mixed. Some said it only fit dwarfs, others say their Syrian loves it! He barely fits it now and he is barely 6 weeks, so he'll likely outgrow it. >_< thanks for your input!!

Why bendy bridges? They look cool, but I see a lot of people talking about them like they're magic, do hammies really really love them?

[AmityvilleHams]

Bendy bridges are magic though I personally like the Petco ones most in the US as they're a good price for such large bridges,plus you often get them on sale online for around $2 each.Within that same range of time,you tend to get free shipping or reduced shipping costs as well so if you're buying for example several bridges,high quality treats(all natural with no unspecified ingredients or unsafe preservatives including liver,digest,derivatives,meat and bone meal of any sort,etc and no BHA/BHT/ethoxyquin which is known to cause cancer but also if anything will be shared with dogs or cats it must not have corn or wheat,regardless of all of that nothing should be irradiated or come from China either nor should it be made by a sketchy company such as Evanger's,Diamond,or any Scott Pet Products brand including Hillside Farms and many more).

On a side note about treats,I've found that in the US Chewy(website,frequently advertised on television and fairly well known!)will almost always be the best place to get them especially when it comes to high quality dog and cat treats.

I did forget to mention,but no treats or other items should contain artificial dyes(unhealthy,some are even known to cause cancer)or artificial sweeteners or highly processed sugars(maltodextrin,sorbitol,dextrose,etc).There should be no propylene glycol either(which is a component of antifreeze).

[cypher]

lol! bendy bridges aren't quite magic but they do have multiple uses, they come in various sizes & the wider ones make good hideouts, they can be used to fence areas off if you need different levels of substrate, they can climb on them easily & they're handy for accessing any higher areas you might make.
If you have more things like bridges & tubes you have more places to hide food too if you scatter feed & foraging for food or treats is a really good form of enrichment.

[Happy]

Hello,

More substrate (at least 30 cm) has already been said, so I will comment on the other parts not yet elaborated.

Overall, if I've calculated correctly and your aquarium is the equivalent of 120x40 cm, it is unfortunately too small. The minimum is 0,5 m². However, this is only the bare minimum. For a Syrian to have an adequate home, 1 m² or more are essential. You wouldn't want to live your entire life in a tiny bathroom just because you technically could, would you?

I recommend adding another aquarium of the same size. You can add it width-wise if you have a space-problem. 120x80 cm would be nearly 1 m² and a fairly good size. I personally have a few hybrids in 120x80 cm and they are quite content, although they are very calm and all have disabilities.

How big is that wheel? Its diameter doesn't look to be at least 29 cm, but I could be wrong. If it isn't, I recommend wooden wheels. The wheel also must be on a platform/level to avoid your hamster burrowing underneath it and seriously injuring itself in the process.

Also, your hamster needs a sandbath filled with chinchilla sand (not birdsand). 30x30 cm is a good size.

Originally Posted by FelicityAnn

Could you perhaps fence off one end with a big bendy bridge or two [...]

Never put up bendy bridges as "fences".

It is incredibly dangerous and can cause deadly injuries as your hamster's paws can get stuck in the cracks between the logs.

Originally Posted by cypher

That house isn't really ideal [...]

The entrances to these houses are much too small for a Syrian. They must be at least 8 cm wide and tall, or else your hamster will get stuck, especially with filled pouches.

Your hamster needs a proper house with at least two chambers and a removable roof, like this: https://www.hamster-wohnwelt.de/tl_f...er-Ranch-5.jpg

You can easily make it yourself out of plywood (poplar, beech, birch...).

Lastly, add some enrichment: Cork tunnels, grass nests, wooden hideouts etc.