Roborovski Hamsters

Here is a post about how you can make a 'homemade' hamster tank/cage. It's easy and unexpensive and your hamsters can be very happy. I'm going to share what brand/type of food and treats I use, my bedding, and more. Feel free to add your own ideas, thoughts, and suggestions about going homemade with a hamster tank.

Let's start with the food/drink section:

My dad helped me make a homemade water bottle stand, since finding water bottles that stay up well in a tank can sometimes be difficult. All you need are:

1 clothes hanger (wire)

1 small, bendable piece of wire

a water bottle (not one that hooks on the wall of a tank)

Instructions: Take the clothes hanger and bend it in half. Then bend the hook part down. Attach the wire a few inches below the bent hook. Hook the wire to each side and make sure that there are no sharp edges.

This is what it should look like:

Afterward, slip the water bottle's nozzle through the hook and then through the wire. It will look like this:

Now I'll show you what brands of food I like and why: (please share your own food favorites and why you use them as well)

I use Nutriphase.

I have also used Nutriphase Gold, which is good, too. I rarely see it in stores, however.

I like Nutriphase because it has food that the hamsters like along with healthy food. They love it all! It's also unexpensive and is sold at PetSmarts around the world.

This is the brand of Yogurt Drops I get. They are also Nutriphase. I give them weekly to my hamsters, and they devour them!

I like it becuase my hamsters love it, as I said, and it has Vitamin C. It's always great to find something healthy that you're hamsters like.

Now I'm going to tell you some things about how I set up a cage and the products/materials I use to do that.

When you buy a tank, sometimes it's harder to find an inexpensive lid. I bought this at Walmart for $10, and it's easy to open and secure for the hamsters. Here's what it looks like:

It easily fits my 10 gal. tank.

And this is how I use hamster bath powder:

The stores sell expensive, glass bath houses, but a simple food dish will do fine. The powder is expensive, where ever you get it. Here is what I use:

Put less that an inch of this stuff in the food dish, and leave in your hamster's cage. Clean out the dish along with your tank.

Here is the type of bedding I use. It's Aspen by AlfaPet.

It's really soft and the hamsters love it. Put a few inches of this stuff in your hamster's tank.

Now here's one last tip before I show you the finished tank: Instead of buying a hamster sleeping house, just put a large plastic cup in the tank instead. (I have previously done this, but currently have a regular sleeping house)

Here is the finished tank:

For a clearer view of all the featured pics and more, click this link: http://img812.imageshack.us/g/dscn0493j.jpg/

Again, please share your own stories of 'homemade' hamster tanks and ideas. I hope you find this helpful and informative.

Hi Pip this is great:).Liking your bottle stand,also you can use double sided sticky velcro to hold up the bottle.

For houses I have used a recycled card tomato box,this is good for warmth & they nibble at it too.

As you say there are a few household products that can be used for hamsters like old saucers and dishes, even jam-jars for beds.Hope more members add more tips and money saving ideas... as its good to penny-pinch where poss :lol:. Tracy

Yes, that's my thought! I also use toilet paper tubes (as does everyone else) for toys in my hammy cage.

Wow! Good job!

looks good but you could by a water bottle thingy its of doing the work for the hanger... But it looks great!!! LOve th ehomemade idEA!!!

I wish I could do the water bottle thingy but I don't have those hangers - Grace 

Oh my gosh, that is amazing! I love how low cost this little cuties are lol! I'm a college student so this is the perfect little study buddy for me and my pocket book!