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Post by g on Sept 9, 2021 8:12:09 GMT -8
I'm thinking of buying wire to make a topper (attached to a wood platform and frame) for my aquarium, or, buying an existing wire rabbit/guinea pig cage and using the top as my topper.
-What kind of wire, what gauge and what wire spacing size is appropriate for gerbils?
-Is the wire spacing in those rabbit and guinea pig cages too wide for gerbils? Will they escape?
-If you built your own wire topper, any tips on how to construct one?
Thanks.
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Sept 9, 2021 17:20:36 GMT -8
On one of my tanks I have a DIY wood and mesh topper. This is probably easier to make than a solely wire topper. I used 6mm (1/4 inch) mesh but 1cm (3/8 inch) mesh is also suitable. Use square mesh, not chicken wire. Chicken wire is very flexible and gerbils might be able to widen the holes to escape.    On half of my other tank I have the top of a wire hamster cage. The tank already has ledges to hold a lid so the cage just sits on those and I have some strips of wood to wedge it in place.  The bar spacing in a standard rabbit or guinea pig cage (usually about 2 inches) will definitely be too wide for gerbils. They'll be out of it in no time! Any hamster cage should be fine as hamsters can fit through smaller spaces than gerbils. |
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Post by g on Sept 9, 2021 18:18:36 GMT -8
On one of my tanks I have a DIY wood and mesh topper. This is probably easier to make than a solely wire topper. I used 6mm (1/4 inch) mesh but 1cm (3/8 inch) mesh is also suitable. Use square mesh, not chicken wire. Chicken wire is very flexible and gerbils might be able to widen the holes to escape. On half of my other tank I have the top of a wire hamster cage. The tank already has ledges to hold a lid so the cage just sits on those and I have some strips of wood to wedge it in place. The bar spacing in a standard rabbit or guinea pig cage (usually about 2 inches) will definitely be too wide for gerbils. They'll be out of it in no time! Any hamster cage should be fine as hamsters can fit through smaller spaces than gerbils. Thank you! That looks great! |
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Post by yeti218 on Sept 9, 2021 21:55:02 GMT -8
Man, anytime I see your setup LilyandDaisy I'm so impressed and motivated to build something similar. And, when I say "build", I definitely mean "have my husband build". |
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Post by Markpd on Sept 12, 2021 4:41:55 GMT -8
Get him to it!  Just 1 thing about the mesh, AFAIK you can only get 1/4" or 1/2" mesh, the latter being ~1.2cm, at least here in the UK, I'd imagine it'd be the same for the US? I used 1/2" mesh for my wire lid and raised roof for my cage, but TBH I wished I'd used 1/4", not only would it have been much stiffer but it also would have stopped more of the bedding from being kicked out (when it gets near). |
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Sept 12, 2021 19:30:36 GMT -8
I was thinking of 12/13mm mesh when I said 1cm. I don't think you can get 1cm mesh actually.
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Post by Scott on Sept 13, 2021 7:56:58 GMT -8
You can get 3/8" wire mesh here in the US, but generally only from a supplier; the big stores don't stock it.
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