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Old 06-20-2017, 01:56 PM   #1
EmALyn
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Join Date: Jun 2017
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Default Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

Hello,

I've just joined Hamster Central.

We currently have a lone (and he'll remain this way) robot called Stinker (we're a family of 6, though the baby didn't get a vote) nad we all picked two names, chucked them in a hat and pulled them out one by one. The last name remaining in the hat was the winner.

Bizarrely, it wasn't my teenager, nor my 7 or 8 year old that chose this name, it was my contribution to The Naming Hat - I just didn't think for the life of me that it would end up winning and was solely intended to make the younger ones giggle. This is actually how we picked our guinea pigs names too, Mike Howard and Harry Barry

What brings me to Hamster Central... Well, we adopted Stinker (previously known as Kanye, not sure which is worse) from Pets At Home when we were in buying guinea pig and degu supplies. We felt sorry for him and it was spur of the moment...

We didn't buy him the biggest cage to begin with, a school boy error, especially as the same also happened with the guinea pigs and the degus - who are now currently housed in palatial residences, an 8x3 C&C cage and a converted 6ft tall flight bird cage!

We have bought stinker a cage upgrade, which connected to his old cage, so he does have much more room, but now I've been doing my research, I'm going to attempt my own Ikea hammy palace hack following the tutorials posted by VanillaHamHam - if you're on here, you did a great job.

The only change I plan to make is instead of buying a Hemnes glass table top, and fiddling about hammering out and attaching those mirror hook things, I'm going to inset some aluminium u-channels, along the length and down the sides, and slide a 6mm acrylic sheet, everything else I'll be following to the letter...

I'm wanting to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible, as I want to move Stinker (I doubt he has a great deal longer left) into the main living room. I plan to install an LED lighting strip, for some ambient/subdued evening lighting, and I'm also going to mount the cage onto castors (that have brakes!) so we can move it at xmas/bdays etc, when we need the space back...

Cage set up; think natural. Plans include a sand bath area, natural cork, branches, reptile moss, oat and millet sprays, lots of nooks and crannies, maybe a resin toadstool or two for a pop of colour. I'm also going to try and incorporate an 'upper' level somehow, but king of stagger it to tray and create some depth..

It probably won't end up anywhere as near as good as I have it in my minds eye, but I'm going to try..

When stinker inevitably/imminently crosses, we'll be going for a Syrian, as not only does Stinker hate to be handled, but he's also ridiculously fast! Sorry if it seems bad taste to be thinking ahead to a replacement. Although I try my best to look after our animals to the best of my ability, I don't really get that attached to them. Please don't hold that against me though, as I always hold their welfare of the utmost importance.

I've attached a picture of Stinkers current abode as a starting point.

First on my to do list:

- convince OH to take me to IKEA on his next day off for the 3 Linnmon table tops.
- ask my brother-in-law to cut them to size.
- screw them together, so I can get accurate measurements so I can order the u-channel segments, and subsequently get measurements so I can order my acrylic sheet.

So, anyone who cares to follow, or even just to say Hi, feel free.

Sorry for the long first post.

Last edited by Fluffagrams; 06-20-2017 at 02:33 PM.
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Old 06-20-2017, 02:57 PM   #2
CMB
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

Hi. Stinker sounds lovely, even if you can't handle him. Robots are so cute and fun to watch.

Hope he gets to enjoy the new cage. You may want to set it up in a way that it can be changes once he dies and you get a Syrian.
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Old 06-20-2017, 03:16 PM   #3
kitty629
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

A lighting strip unless it has red light will likely make your hamster not come out while it is on.
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Old 06-21-2017, 12:19 AM   #4
EmALyn
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

Quote:
Originally Posted by kitty629 View Post
A lighting strip unless it has red light will likely make your hamster not come out while it is on.
Yes I had planned to get one that's dimmable and also has a selection of colours I wasn't going to make it 'spot-light' like..
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Old 06-21-2017, 12:21 AM   #5
EmALyn
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

I'm now considering purchasing the DETOLF and a KALLAX unit from IKEA for simplicity...

The only thing that puts me off is the metal bars, but they might be good for creating sections..
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Old 06-21-2017, 01:16 AM   #6
Jennie F
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

I have the detolf on the kallax for my syrian and she loves it. She was a known chewer before she went i there and I was worried about the bars but she hasnt touched them. Once they are buried in substrate you hardly notice them. The top ones are good for hanging things from or tying things on. Just be aware there is a small hole at one end where you can thread a wirw through for a spotlight ( if used for its original purpose) that you would need to block off with a bolt or something. Other than that i think its great as a hammy home
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Old 06-21-2017, 01:23 AM   #7
AmityvilleHams
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

The Detolf is popular,but I wouldn't say it's great for Syrians.It is very narrow for Syrians,and while it would be great for any other species something wider would be more suitable(even if the length is great,plus the height isn't that good either!).

However,there is a bit of an extra option using two Detolf units directly connected(just remove the front panel of one and the back of the other,and seal them together with aquarium sealant,preferably with a raised lid instead of the normal flat lid).
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Old 06-21-2017, 03:57 AM   #8
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

I love the detolf and would really like one! It is a bit less deep than some cages, it's true, but does give a lot of scope for enrichment. If you google "Hamster detolf" and click on "Images" you will see lots of examples of how it can work. The inner bars aren't an issue - unless you end up with a particularly chewy Syrian in the future.

There are actually lots of alternatives for larger cages. Many people get cages from Zooplus which are large and reasonably priced. They also sell tank style cages like the Living World Green Eco Habitat (at a price!). It can be a bit of a minefield thinking of upgrades and working out the costs, as sometimes diy cages can work out quite expensive as well, especially when you start buying plexiglass.

I think tank style sounds like a good way to go if you are thinking of something suitable for both a Syrian or a robo. I personally would have no problems with having a Syrian in a detolf and many people do. If you have a slight concern about the inner bars though, it might be an idea to think about other alternatives.

I had thought of making a diy cage from two of the large (115cm) Ikea Lack coffee tables (as someone on here did once). With two of them (eg one fixed on top of the other one) - you automatically have a top, bottom and four corner struts, plus storage space underneath the bottom one. I reckon you could use the unused shelf from the table as a back panel, mesh the two sides, and have plexiglass sliding doors at the front. I think that's the tricky bit! Making plexiglass sliding doors, and a plexiglass internal panel behind them so the substrate doesn't fall out. Alternatively you could leave the top off and make a hinged lid from wood and mesh and just have a plexiglass panel in the front.

If it was me - a diy cage would never get done/finished and would drive me bonkers - but some people enjoy doing them

LACK Coffee table White 118x78 cm - IKEA

You would end up with a cage approximately 105cm by 70cm (allowing for the thickness of the legs) but it would only be about 40cm tall - fine for a Robo and just about tall enough for a Syrian, but it does limit the depth of substrate you can put in, which is one of the advantages of a tank style or diy cage usually.

The detolf is a lot less hassle - just needs a lid making - and does look good!

Here's the link to Zooplus. I have the Barney cage for our Syrian, which has 7mm bar spacing. If it was for a robo it would need a full level in it really (ie a shelf that creates a whole level in the cage so they can't fall from the roof). For a robo a tank style is probably a safer option though, as although 7mm bar spacing is small enough they could potentially get a leg stuck in the bars and get injured.

The Eco Habitat is great. The lid would need meshing as the slots on top are 2cm wide - fine for guinea pigs but not for hamsters. However most people plastikote the wood parts and put some kind of waterproof liner on the base. I diy cage might be sturdier and last longer though.

Not all the cages on here are big enough. But they have a good selection of 80cm, 100cm and bigger cages.

Hamster Cages | great selection at zooplus

The Marrakesch tank style one is good for a Robo but a bit limited for a Syrian in my opinion - it's quite low and not particularly deep and about 90cm internally. Also a bit expensive. But has a hinged meshed lid and the wood parts are already waterproofed. Personally, in our house, I would worry about glass breaking!

If I had a robo I would go for the Marrakesch or the detolf. If I had a Syrian I would go for a detolf or a Barney, Alexander or Savic Hamster Plaza cage. The Savic Hamster Plaza is a great cage for a Syrian and has a big front opening door. But not suitable for a robo really.

I think you would be fine going for a detolf if you want something that is futureproof for any hamster. In the rare event that you got a Syrian who chewed the bars or wood ends in the detolf, you could mesh the ends internally and take the bars out and silicone the glass together.

Stinker sounds adorable! How old is he? Robos can live a bit longer than other species, if healthy. They are notoriously hard to tame, especially if he isn't young, but very entertaining to watch. Not impossible to tame though.

Another option that could be suitable for either a Robo or a Syrian is the Ferplast Maxi Duna multy. It's a perspex tank style cage. The lid has narrow bar spacing. No diy needed. It's about £80. It's a lovely cage. Similar size to the Marrakesch internally. Although the corners slope it is deeper. Porton Aquapet charge postage on top which makes it nearer £90 I think.

Cage Maxi Duna Multy

Amazon prices vary between £80 and £90 depending what day it is!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Cages-Pen...axi+duna+multy

Here are some examples of set ups in that

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ma...w=1366&bih=608

You can, of course, go much bigger with a diy cage if you wanted. Space is good, but they do need lots of "overhead cover" as well and not too much open empty space - so large tunnels, different levels and plenty of hidey places are good.

Last edited by Pebbles82; 06-21-2017 at 04:04 AM.
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Old 06-21-2017, 11:32 AM   #9
EmALyn
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

Ok, now I'm back to doing the LNNMON/HEMNES hack, but doing it double length and ordering precut, pre-hole drilled plexiglass (instead of two Hemnes table tops sealed down the centre, which would disrupt the view).

I want a lidless cage if possible, and I know I definitely want a Syrian next (preferably ginger, so I can call him Jasper Carrot ), so I want the extra width and height on the cage..

The total inner dimensions would be (in cm) L200 x H46.6 x D56.6

Need to figure out how I'd make the centre joins stable.

The plexiglass quote, predrilled and polished with screws and chrome caps, is £68 approx, including delivery. The cost of the LINNMON table tops is £25 for five.

Then I'd need aquarium sealant, table leg fixtures and table legs x 6, other bits and pieces which will undoubtedly add up...
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Old 06-21-2017, 11:50 AM   #10
Pebbles82
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Default Re: Upgrading our store bought cage to a DIY ikea hack palace

Ooh it sounds great
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