DIY: Turn a ordinary FISH TANK into a HAMSTER HABITAT

I made my Robo Habitat from a 20 gallon tall fish tank that I had around the house. I used to raise turtles so I have a lot of tanks just sitting around, waiting to be used. I didn't want to spend too much money on a hamster cage and I also wanted to be able to see my hamsters clearly without an annoying metal bar or colorful plastic blocking my view. I wanted to make sure that there was a lot of room (most hamster cages are small, no floor space, or just tubes everywhere. GROSS)

SUPPLIES:

1. Fish tank (I used 20 gallon tall. Tall is better than long.)

2. Wooden platforms (2 small, 1 medium)

3. Tall wooden sticks (6-10)

4. Small Popsicle sticks (a lot!)

5. Silicone Glue (used for bathtubs and sinks)

6. Hot Glue gun

Accessories:

1. Food bowl, Waterer, food

2. Bedding (I use corn-o-cob bedding for the main floor and pine bedding for the platforms and inside houses and huts)

3. Houses/Huts

4. Wheels

5. Toys (including chew toys)

Directions:

1. Lay the tank on its back.

2. Take the wooden platform and place them where you want them. (high, medium, and low)

3. Glue platforms on with the silicone glue. (takes 24 hours to fully cure)

4. Once cured, place sticks under the platform for extra support. (if the silicone glue breaks, the platform needs a backup. You dont want your hamsters to get hurt!) Near edges are the best bet.

5. Take 2 sticks and lay them parallel. Take small Popsicle sticks and glue with the hot glue gun to form a ladder. (make 3)

6. Hot Glue gun them in place. One leading from floor to the first/lowest platform, from lowest platform to middle platform, from middle platform to highest platform. If you do not glue them on, the hamsters will chew on them and it can result to falling off and hamsters getting stuck at way top. Not being able to get down may stress them out and they may even jump off and that would not be a good picture. So make sure its hot GLUED on well.

7. Lay Corn-o-cob bedding on the base floor. Pine/Aspen bedding on all platforms.

8. Hang the waterer from the highest platform. (if using a 2o gallon tall tank, this should be perfect. If any larger or any smaller, I suggest getting a waterer that has suction cups so you can stick them on the walls of the tank. This may not be a good idea though since suction cups come off easily. Be creative and make your own hanger if that is the case.)

9. Place huts on any platform and at base.

10. Place your toys, wheels, accessories anywhere you please! BE CREATIVE!

I put a heating lamp over the habitat because I usually have my windows open all day and it gets really chilly in my room. If you decide to do this, make sure your hamsters are not over heating. How can you tell? If they sleep far away from the light as possible, you may want to take it down. Mine actually sleep right under it so it shows that they like it.

I suggest having a hut on the highest level just because it makes them feel like its secure up there.

One way to make your hamsters get a feel for the tank and actually go up and down the ladders is to stick them at the way top. PLEASE SUPERVISE THEM WHILE DOING THIS. THEY MAY FEEL SCARED AND JUST JUMP OFF! Let them naturally walk down the ladder. Don't push them down. Place a house at the top as well. Because they may feel scared and just going inside for a few minutes will calm them down. Then they will try again. This time, with success. DO NOT PUSH THEM UP THE LADDER EITHER. Unless you really want to freak out your hamsters, then do not do this. Let them come down naturally. They will come down and feel the safeness of the ladders and soon go up and down.

How long did it take for them to get used to their habitat and actually run up and down the ladder? couple hours. I took out their wheel so they wanted as much exercise as possible so they ended up just running up and down! Now they have their wheel and they still run up and down. When they want their privacy and peace and quiet, they go up to the tippy top and sleep in their house. There was NO FORCE at all when trying to get them used to their habitat.

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!