We have had our gerbils about 3 weeks, and have tried several different habitats.
The small starter cage from the pet store was way too small, and too messy as the little guys would dig and throw the bedding all over the floor. This drove me crazy. They also chewed up the plastic ramps.
Then, we tried 2 different tall plastic bins with a piece of screen over the top. We weren't happy with that either, as we couldn't interact with the gerbils at all. They are BIG jumpers, so if we took off the screen to interact with them, they would jump straight out of the bin, and it was the tallest bin we could find!
So, this product was the solution and we are so happy with it. I found the 10 gallon fish tank at a super store for only 10 bucks. Great deal.
I agree, the little platforms are a little hard to put in, and I had to push a little to get them to work right, but still well worth the money. Mine seems very stable, and I don't feel the need for zip ties as other users have.
The small blue dish and the blue wheel are from the other cage we had. I was happy to see that the wheel would work with this cage as well.
After reading some of the prior reviews, I was a little concerned about the quality of this product, but I have to say, it met and exceeded my expectations, especially for the very reasonable price! Our hamster has been desperately trying to escape her 10 gallon glass aquarium home too small and cramped. But we did NOT want one of the plastic homes. Prior experience tells me that they become chew toys and end up with sharp edges and holes in the walls. Also didn't want to spend tons of money on a huge new cage.
Our product came exactly as pictured. I wonder if prior reviewers were expecting it to come with the 10 gallon aquarium part it does not, and the description makes that very clear. You need to buy the glass aquarium separately, and they are very cheap at most pet stores. It was very easy to assemble, less than five minutes. We did not need zip ties or any other supplemental wiring or connectors. I do have to note that it does not fit perfectly across the top of our base aquarium, but with the springloaded clips, it is perfectly secure and we have no problems with it staying in place.
The layout does make it very difficult to access the bottom level of the cage without removing the entire top, but if you keep the food bowl in the "penthouse" then you only have to remove the top for cleanings. The hamster is much happier with the additional space and loves exploring.
All in all, we are extremely pleased with this product. It does exactly what we bought it to do, it works exactly as intended, and the price was much better than comparable products. I recommend it for your hamster or gerbil friends!
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The customer image is the actual product sold (ty). I am glad I was told I might have been upset if I thought I was getting a bigger item. I am happy with the size I have as my gerbils are a little timid to climb. I'd recommend this product for gerbils they would chew thru the plastic version that is available for le$$. It's been said two gerbils require a 10-20 gallon. I think this was the perfect tank extension for my two pets to get the space they need.
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Before I purchased this, I looked up all over the internet trying to find info on the wire bar spacing of this high rise cage and could not find it. So, I took a chance and ordered it anyway. Now, I can share with others the bar space measurement, which is very important to know when you have small pets! The bar spaces are 3/8-inch(which is 1 cm). I got it to use for mice and have not had any trouble with escapees. There was one corner where one bar is distanced further, so I cross-wrapped some wire around that small spot, so that I wouldn't have to worry about my mice making the great escape. I would recommend going over the cage before you put your pets in to make sure there are no areas like this...all it takes is one spot a little wider than the others and small mice or hamsters can slip out.
Also, in the item description here on Amazon it says the measurements of the cage are: 19-1/2-inch width by 11-inch depth by 10-1/2-inch height. However, this is not the actual measurement. As stated on the box it comes in the measurements are: 20 1/2 width by 10 3/4 depth and 10 1/2 inch height. This fits perfectly on a ten gallon aquarium. Also, the Amazon description says that it comes with a wheel and tunnel tubes, which it does not. I am going to email Amazon, so that they can correct the description. It does come with a water bottle and food dish. I already have a water bottle, though, so I didn't even try this one. (edited to add that I tried the water bottle just to see if it works...it leaks like crazy! With some adjustment, I got it to stop leaking out the metal ball part, but then it started leaking at the seam where it screws together...so it went in the garbage!)
This cage comes folded up with all the sides all ready connected to the top, so you just attach the J hooks of the sides together and then attach the shelves and ramps inside. It comes with two shelves and two ramps, which with the aquarium makes it a three story house. I didn't have any trouble assembling it...it just takes a little patience attaching the shelves inside, as you have to maneuver your hands and the shelves around the inside of the cage to connect them. They are also attached with J hooks. It says you don't need any tools, but I borrowed my Dad's pliers to pinch the J hooks tighter where the ramps connect to the shelves. My mouse that I had in another cage always got under the ramp and would bump it(maybe trying to move it) and when I tested these ramps by putting my hand under them and giving them a bump, they lifted right off. I didn't want my mice getting hurt by falling ramps, so I just pinched those hooks tighter with the pliers and now they are secure.
When I was considering buying this, I was confused by the conflicting reviews, as some said it was great and others said it had broken and bent wires, etc. But, I knew Amazon always gives 100% refund if an item arrives damaged, so I went ahead and ordered it. No problem with mine, so hopefully the company that makes these has better quality control now.
On the box, it states the cage is for hamsters, gerbils, mice, and rats. I really can't imagine a rat having enough room in there when they're full grown, but I've never had a rat before(only mice), so maybe I'm not the one to say. I just always love my pets to have plenty of room and for mice, this gives them lots of fun space. The mice cages at pet stores seem so small, so I had been using a big plastic bin, but this is much nicer(no plastic...yay!) and easier to view the little critters. It has a large snap door opening in the top, so you can reach in to interact with your pets. The cage is easy to lift off...you just lift the spring loaded clamps on each side and it lifts right off. Those clamps are attached to the cage and you pull them down to clamp under the black rim of your aquarium. But, they are SPRING loaded, so if you have children, be sure they know not to fiddle with them...when I first took the cage off the aquarium, I just snapped them up and they jumped up like a gerbil...you wouldn't want a child's hand to get hurt or startle the inhabitants of the cage. The cage feels secure on top of the tank; I tried rocking it back and forth and it stays securely. I have found it works great for mice.
I made an extra shelf to put on the second story, so now the second story is a full floor. I used metal grating like the type used for these shelves. I got it at a hardware store (I got the more expensive kind, because the less expensive kind had rough metal). I cut it to size with overlap on the front and back...that way the overlap is what holds it in place when I clamp the cage on. I attached felt around all the edges to cover any sharp points where it was cut with wire cutters.
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I feel that the seller needs to show the actual product they are selling. This is the same cheap product they sell at any Petco and you can get it cheaper there. I bought this topper originally at petco and my hamster chew threw the bar and got out. My daughter was devstated. We finally found the hamster two days later. We took a chance on this one thinking it was not the same one. Upon delivery I was very upset. It was the same one I just threw away. I thought I was getting the one pictured. Do not take a chance on this topper. It is not chew proof and it is very cheaply made. I want people to know what they will be getting and I want the seller to be honest and show people what they are actually getting. Its going back today!!!!!
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I didn't realize they made vacuums this small, and it works. It doesn't siphon too quickly, so you can swish the gravel around to suck up the stuff settled at the bottom.
