[Ria P]

Hamsters like their upright wheels but not all like the saucer which i see as an additional wheel to the main wheel.

You could easily create a level with a sturdy freestanding platform. I've done that last night. My foster Robo lives in a 20 gallon tank so i wanted to do as much as possible with the limited space available. I also wanted to create a bigger burrowing area.

I start off with the platform and then work around it by creating access with runs and by putting light things like a cork log underneath in front of it.

Same in my foster dwarf's tank. A guinea pig sized house acts as a second platform. I adjusted the house by adding another entrance so she can get into it from the front and side. She made her nest under the platform at the front in the left hand corner where i can see her sleep.

One side has shallow substrate for the wheel etc which works well.

People have different ways of setting up enclosures and then tend to follow a formula they know works well.

What supports Pearl's sandbath in your bin cage? Anything heavy needs to be secure so a hamster can't burrow underneath it. I put a sandbath on top of a sturdy platform or a big house or on the bottom of the enclosure in the shallow part.

I have a lot of hamster stuff to play about with because i buy the cages my rescues come in so i can break them up and bin them. I also collect free or very cheap cages for the same purpose. That way no hamster ever has to live in them again. Sometimes i come across some really good items and keep them.

The solid plastic ladders and tubes from cages people throw out come in handy for access ladder to platforms. A lot can be done with cardboard. A strong shoe box could double as a house and a platform.