TOPIC: DIY custom hamster tank

Hi all,

I just got my new hamster on Sunday, and I am wondering if anyone has any suggestions/expertise with building a platform for a hamster tank?

See the pic below, that's the current progress of his hamster paradise, in an old fish tank that's quite tall. I want to build a second-storey platform for him (make it sort of like a duplex) so he can climb up and down, and I can place more toys and accessories within the tank. Any advice/suggestions on how to make a sturdy and stable platform, please let me know. And advice on the staircase as well. I prefer to use wood/plastic (or both) to make this, so ideas are welcome.


P/S: I bought an RM5 charcoal odor-absorber from Daiso, which I placed on top of the cage, between the leaves. It really helps with the smell, as the tank traps quite a lot of odor since it has less ventilation. I also made a DIY holder for the water bottle as I can't find any water bottle suitable for use inside a tank. If you want tips on that, let me know.

Thanks for the info! I couldn't find it anywhere (and I already bout a normal bottle) so I DIY-ed with two suction cups and an elastic band. Work's pretty perfectly too!

Thanks for the suggestion! Will definitely try the pencil idea out, as I find ice-cream sticks too flimsy. Afraid the platform may collapse as I'm putting some toys and the wheel up there.

Found the best solution from Daiso. They sell these poles (with rubberised ends on each side) that you can twist to elongate – usually placed in a cupboard to hang clothes, etc. I got two for RM5, placed it across the tank (it holds up to 2.5kg) and put a RM5 wooden board, also from Daiso on top of it. INSTANT 2ND FLOOR PLATFORM! Then I used his flexi-stick to work as the staircase.

Daiso has answers to (almost) everything!

Okay! Here's the photo of the new DIY. You can see the pink sticks, those are the extendable poles from Daiso, and so is the wooden board (originally meant to be a chopping board). I love how the flexi-sticks make a nice staircase, but it was a little too steep so I used some Jenga wood blocks to give some height to the base and lessen the steepness.

I'm using this CareFresh brand (I think that's the name, has the word fresh in it) from Pets Lovers Centre, and they also have a VERY NICE confetti-multi-colored bedding, which I bought also but haven't use yet. The 2nd floor bedding is there, just place a thin layer on the wood, so he will not dig it, cos too little.

The pink plastic thing below is his sandbox which he uses to do his digging, and sometimes peeing.

Oh, haha. Well I guess each hamster have their own preferences. That's why I prefer using a glass tank, nothing gets out.
And I just remembered, I used the rainbow-confetti for the guinea pig, if you want to see how it looks like: http://snapwidget.com/v/820598118978880199

It's about RM36 if I'm not mistaken, and it lasts quite long for hamsters, about a month over. But of course depends on your cage size. It's good cos the absorption rate is amazing! My bottle was leaking but only a small section got soggy.

No, no. I change my hamster's bedding once a week (like a full clean – everything is washed and sprayed clean), but I spot clean every two days, picking out smelly litter and replacing with clean ones.

Actually, I don't think my brand was CareFresh, but it has the word 'fresh' in it. I'll go home and check for you.