Tutorial: How to make a Bioactive Rat Cage

[@GibbonLord]

I love the rodent keepers are taking inspiration of reptile keepers. Remember zoo's keep reptiles and rodents often the same. Recreating the wild is the most important thing in pet keeping.

[@ratbox3002]

16:05 the little isopod that tripped over omg

[@littlelagoons]

I miss having rats so much! Now isnt a good time for them to reenter my life, but when they do, I'm absolutely doing a bioactive set up. When I had rats before their cage would stink up so quickly and even with regular cleaning, they always ended up with respiratory issues. A naturalistic enclosure for them seems like a sure way to keep them as healthy as possible, without constantly needing to scrub the whole thing down!

[@thebohorat9750]

I can relate! I don’t have rats anymore as well :( I miss them but it’s also not the right time for me unfortunately. If I ever have rats again, I would absolutely start them with a bioactive setup right away!

[@aprilMichelleXJRL]

I'm literally stopping, pausing, stopping, pausing...ect. making my cage bioactive . I cannot wait till it's done it makes so much sense. U really are am inspiration

[@aprilMichelleXJRL]

So it's been over 7 months and this is the best decision ever!! I even now breed my own springtails .....#gobio

[@hannkahh52849]

going to shop for my bio active cage now :) do you have any tips that aren't in the video??

[@PersonOfTheInternet280]

As an aquarium hobbyist & horticulturist I've been trying to encourage my partner to get a rat. You've changed her mind, thanks!

[@osavia2174]

Please note that it is important to get at least two rats :) I wish you all luck and happiness!

[@Sophieivy1_]

Get a group or pair! Never EVER get one rat. Also do research.

[@thebohorat9750]

Sorry for the late reply, I’m never on this channel 😅 But that is awesome to hear, thanks for sharing!

[@Chris-b4w8t]

I’ve had clean up crews for my tarantulas and reptiles in the past but never thought about it for rats, but my mouse used to live in soil but it wasn’t bioactive, this is really smart

[@mbr4702]

Going to be seriously considering turning my critternation into a bioactive set up. Thanks for such a thorough, educating video!

[@alexandersquid4681]

I am suddenly way more excited about my son having rats as his first pets. I miss my rattie babies so much! It’s been too long… But minimal upkeep on the cage? BET! I love bioactive enclosures for my reptiles and amphibians, so I decided to see if it was possible for the rats! Thank you so much!!!

[@Gentlelifeworld]

Just to add to the point they made about humidity being good for rats with resp problems - mine have suffered badly for the last few months and nothing would cure it, they were on baytril for ages. I got a humidifier two days ago and they’re almost fully back to normal! I will definitely be looking at going bioactive now that I know it helps the humidity naturally :)

[@mizzprezli]

20 ppm colloidal silver, I prefer sovereign silver, due to their pppp standards for high quality content & I notice a quicker bounce back in health when using this brand however you should investigate all available brands at most health food stores like sprouts, whole foods, etc.. 1 of my girls have recurring upper respiratory infections & a few(4-6 drops) in their bowl of water &/or their bottle of drinking water I will see a noticeable improvement in just a few hours at best but usually within the next 24-48 hours she clears up entirely, avoiding a vet visit, costs & unnecessary medications/antibiotics which are destructive to the microbiome of anyone who takes them. Trust me when I say, it's worth looking into😊

[@JaviLavandeira]

What an EXCELLENT video. I also have a DCN cage with four rat boys, and I've been thinking for a while to turn the bottom into a bioactive dig box, not just for them to play and have fun, but also to reduce the amount of cleaning I have to do (I have been unsuccessful potty training my boys so far). This is hands down the best tutorial I've seen. I'm going to start ordering the panels ASAP.

[@MackenzieBecket]

you should make an update video on how the bioactive set up is doing

[@thebohorat9750]

I have a bioactive vlog on my FB & IG pages you can follow 😄

[@mitchellsheppard2998]

@@thebohorat9750 hey if you do a upload here than you’ll generate more views and also make a straight path for people who don’t have those other socials and also if you do than I promise I’ll stay personally subscribed for what it’s worth

[@sarahtonen4873]

@@thebohorat9750 i'm not really on social media, so an updated vid on YT would be amazing!!!!

[@heathermagee5006]

Thank you for this! I've been searching and searching for more ideas from others who've done a set up like this! This was super helpful! Thank you awesome work and adorable ratties 🐀

[@thebohorat9750]

Thank you! Glad to hear it was helpful!

[@queerpan]

Very cool! I enjoyed watching even though my rats don't have a cage, haha (full-time free range -- really brings out SO much more personality than just a couple hours out a day)

[@Solomon0424]

R you serious???

[@queerpan]

@@Solomon0424 Oh yes! We'd eat breakfast and dinners together and they could always tell when I was cooking and they'd get super excited and then go wait like perfect angels on the couch where they knew I'd bring the food. Then after breakfast it was straight across the room to the deck door because they knew the routine and LOVED going out. My one boy would scrabble at the door and turn circles in excitement. And SO many more examples :) Their personalities shine just like dogs (except better!) when given the chance! The only sad thing is how short they live. I miss my babies so much :(

[@michellemutuleasa2185]

@@queerpan My question is when are you starting your KZbin channel?!!? I need to know so much more!!

[@queerpan]

@@michellemutuleasa2185 haha maybe I should :) I actually had a rat channel waaay back in 2008 but some of the videos got taken down due to copyrighted music (no one cared about that back then -- not like I was monetizing it!) and got locked out of my channel as it was so long ago :( I've had 14 rats over the years (no more than two at a time as it would be overwhelming to keep track of more free ranging). I still love them all dearly. They all taught me so much. So many different personalities, so much love, and loss... But despite the heartbreak, rats are still the best :)

[@maleenoodle]

@@Solomon0424 I used to have free range rats, too! They had a litter box somewhere in the apartment and slept in bed with me and had their snacks in a bowl. It was like having little puppies running around destroying my stuff and putting things in my bed 😂

[@no1cares965]

That’s the best rat habitat I’ve ever seen, you’ve inspired me. Thank you for sharing

[@jessthefigment4222]

I’m trying not to get bugged out. It looks so beautiful!!! I love the tutorial and am seriously considering this.

[@jonathanblanchard3625]

I've never set up bioactive enclosure for a small mammals before, so I have no experience in the matter. But I do have a few bioactive set ups for some reptiles. My only concern with setting up a bioactive enclosure for a mammal is that they defecate and urinate way more often than reptiles or amphibians. So I don't know if the clean up crew could keep up with that. I also am a little concerned about ammonia build up in your soil from the rats' urine. See in aquariums and bioactive enclosures you typically have plants to help break that down, I'm assuming you can't have live plants because the rats might eat them right? With that build up of ammonia can end up making your soil quite acidic. Like I said, take what I say with a grain of salt. And experimenting with bioactive set up for small mammals I think is still a really good direction. It provides enrichment like you said, and might be able to mimic they're natural habitat much better. But I would look into live plants for your set up, it might prevent ammonia from building up. Can't wait to see more videos on your set up and how it's going! I'm really curious to see what you might discover from converting to bioactive with small mammals!

[@hopemasike531]

Thank you for your insight and your words of caution. If I ever get rats again, I will definitely consider this in my research. :)

[@jonathanblanchard3625]

Any time! :) I might be getting some rats in the future and definitely got a lot of ideas from this video!!!

[@skellyleigh8830]

You can add basil plants and many other rat friendly plants. Rats love basil! Look up rat friendly plants online and you'll find many.

[@thebohorat9750]

Sorry for the late reply! With rats it’s recommended to keep using litter trays too, for the exact reasons you’re mentioning. So technically speaking this is semi bioactive. Live (rat safe) plants can definitely be used but most have vert short lifespans because of the rats 😅

[@caribougoo349]

I'd consider keeping another bin made from a storage tub with a hole cut into the lid covered in hardware cloth. Increase the total volume and cycle soil between it and the cage as needed

[@Neutralmoonchild]

I just ordered my acrylic and am so excited to do this for my ratties. I would like to add that you can use aquarium safe 100% silicone caulking to put the bin together. It will last longer and will make your bin completely water tight as long as its done properly. SAFETY WISE Apply it in a ventilated areas and air it our for a few weeks or until the vinegar smell is no longer present so that the fumes dont bother your ratties. Im loving the cross over with reptile keeping and small animal keeping! You can also us low watt uvb bulbs and add plants to enclosures like this. Just make sure you do your research on the plant species that are safe. Any herbs or veggies and a good amount of fruit tree and shrubs are generally safe bets. Just dont expect them to last forever if your rats are big chewers or they aren't getting enough sunlight♡

[@jtrealgood2013]

Where did you order your acrylic from? I've been in the process of getting all the stuff for a bioactive enclosure for my 5 rats and I have everything but the acrylic. I'm not sure what the best place to order from would be, I'm located in the US.

[@Neutralmoonchild]

@@jtrealgood2013 i got mine from a local acrylic design place in ontario. Id say check your local shops. It only cost me about $100 for my whole base for a critter nation. Good luck

[@cattyratties4022]

I would love to do this, but it’s not really an option for me right now, my parents would think I’m crazy. I am going to get a DCN soon, and I will line it with fleece, but I’m buying supplies to make a large aspen shaving/soil digbox for them so they don’t chew the fleece as much and so they have some of that enrichment. I got some great ideas from this, and you explained everything really well.

[@JohannaJanssen]

ik heb deze video gisteren bekeken en vandaag plexiglas platen gekocht in de bouwmarkt om mijn kooi om te toveren 😂 zoooo enthousiast om mijn kinders een lekker natuurlijke omgeving te geven ❤❤

[@thebohorat9750]

Sorry voor de late reactie, ik ben eigenlijk nooit op dit kanaal 😅 Maar ik hoop dat het allemaal is gelukt en je ratsels van de biobak genieten! ❤

[@OlgaJockers]

hey im looking to start keeping rats and I love that this is an option here! I already keep ants and they share their home with springtails for the same reason. Lovely presentation, straight to the point but your enthusiasm shines through beautifully

[@thebohorat9750]

Thank you!

[@electrolyteyes1001]

so glad you made the video! awsome timing!!

[@sarahtonen4873]

this is amazing. I really want to do this for my mischief. I love that I have the same cage as you, it makes it so much easier to try this. thanks for doing all the hard work and showing us. very generous of you, xo

[@tank4969able]

Really cool!! I want to do something like this for my little buddies, Maya and Lola. It feels like it's impossible to keep their home clean enough no matter how often I change the bedding. And Maya has been a digger since she was a baby. She would love this!! Thank you for sharing this!!

[@PolishGypski]

You are very beautiful. Thank you for your knowledge. My little Ruby is going to love your design. Thank you.

[@rylenvanderhoek2834]

well done! very good.. I WANTED a nature themed cage for my rats, but..ITS SO HARD TO STICK TO THEME! and eventually I gave up. this is really impressive!🙂

[@bonniewildhamz5603]

Your Rats Are Soo Beautiful And Cute!

[@thebohorat9750]

Thank youu!

[@aaanathema]

I'm in love with those dirty noses and faces of your rats. They seem so natural and happy!

[@delaneyreyes8995]

Omg this is amazing! I’m going to start buying my supplies. I love my four girls but I can’t handle the smell. Even if I clean every other day

[@KitastropheKat]

Did you add a drainage layer to aerate your soil? That is one possible cause of mold. I have a bioactive setup for my snake. I don’t know if it would be different for rats, since they may dig and aerate it themselves.

[@danadrinkwater5681]

I LOVE THIS!! thank you for posting - i’m going to do this for my boys. I will also be incorporating this into my AP Environmental Science curriculum for when we build our terrestrial biomes!’

[@serenitydemars1329]

Very helpful video. Glad I found it

[@victoria_m13]

12:48 me, a screenprinter, watching your struggle with a tape, knowing exactly a technique to apply it perfectly : 🥲

[@thebohorat9750]

Haha I did my best!

[@PiggieTime]

Wow that’s a really cool idea!! Amazing thumbnail btw!!

[@thebohorat9750]

Thank you!!

[@chunk5231]

great video super helpful! it would be amazing if you made more on rat care, you are very knowledgable!

[@thebohorat9750]

Thank you so much! I definitely plan to do more, time is always my biggest obstacle haha

[@rainbowfeathers69layla]

When keeping the your bioactive moist, do you just use a spray bottle to moisten it? Do you remove your rats to do this? Also, you stated to turn the soil. Do you just use your hand to flip the soil around? Sorry for any dumb questions, I want to make sure I understand every step to be able to do this. Also I don't have a critter nation. But I do have a double level cage for my boys.

[@thebohorat9750]

No dumb questions! 😊 I either used my hands or a tiny shovel to turn the soil. I used a spray bottle regularly, left the rats in while using, and when it needed more water I usually just added some with a measuring cup while I was cleaning the cage. The rats wouldn’t be in the cage so it was easier and I would turn the soil a bit after watering. Hope this helps and sorry for the late reply, I don’t have rats anymore unfortunately and am never on this channel 😅

[@myopinion8610]

Very nice looks good. Now to let the rats loose and see how long it stays nice.

[@jenkay17]

I will definitely be doing this for my rats and mice.

[@rahelroth1266]

I love it! How did you attach the plastic forage box to the cage?

[@kaitlynhavri]

its so pretty :) i love it! super helpful :) you deserve more subscribers!

[@camshae1370]

I'm not sure if you mentioned it in the video- but do you mind doing a quick breakdown of how much it cost to make the acrylic bin? I can't seem to find any sheets that wouldn't come out to $200 or so altogether.

[@kadenstjarnet9898]

I have the same question

[@thebohorat9750]

Sorry for the late reply, I’m never on this channel 😅 On my instagram I have a highlight where I broke down the costs :)

[@dg7438]

18:43 what are corkites? What did you say? Thanks

[@alliewhitmer9303]

This is a fabulous tutorial, thank you so much! I am wondering though, do I still need to keep a litterbox in the enclosure, or will the springtails take care of it?

[@alyssaRox0]

I wish you could come to do my cage like this, lol. I, unfortunately, am not handy at all. XD

[@benteboucher5322]

Thank you! It's an amazing video, of really helped me! 🍀

[@itsamiranda]

This is amazing, thank you for sharing how to do this!

[@ericmatthews4598]

Do they eat or destroy the spider plants?

[@thebohorat9750]

Sorry for the late reply, I’m never on this channel 😅 But yes they absolutely killed any plants I put in the cage 😂

[@hamsterscoutsadventures3809]

Wow, learned a lot a things! Loved it! Im subscribing

[@jenm1]

beautiful

[@gamakrom]

Great video! Could I also use silicone for the bottom such as for terrariums?

[@thebohorat9750]

If the silicone is animal safe and suitable to glue acrylic together then yes!

[@xXxRaVeNcRoFt_LuVrr69]

Where did you get the fleece cage decor? Would love that for my cage!

[@HolziWolziWooo]

So helpful! I'm rescuing a mouse soon and really want to setup something like this for him 🥰

[@TheBlackRoseNYC]

What a beautiful setup! 🙂

[@priestrat]

My cage has two bins already installed in it, which are connected with tubes. I'm interested in making the lower one bioactive but i dont know if its deep enough. I'm not sure if you said it, but is there a minimum depth?

[@breazycabrera8225]

I am a somewhat of a lazy person like i hate cleaning but i still clean COZ I DONT AHVE A CHOICE WJAJSHJ😭 so i think this would be good for me

[@alissakraft4485]

Where did you order the acrylic panels?

[@shrewdguy4916]

Have you found anything?

[@thebohorat9750]

I ordered them from a Dutch webshop, plexideal

[@namaraswillum3366]

Yes I love this, I'm bringing home my first rats (2) in june and was looking for non wood fine digging options bc i may get a hairless one and i found a reptile coconut fine mix that already has some springtails and wood mites in it. I am so excited! I found nature themed things as well. Should I still have a litter box? I'm getting a cage high rise expander for a tank, should i put one there? (Im planning to use yesterday news paper pellet litter instead in the litter box to avoid contaminating my house w wood mites

[@niekes5534]

Really good tutorial! Thank you. Can I ask what editing program you use? It looks really good

[@thebohorat9750]

Thank you! I hate video editing so I appreciate that haha. I use imovie and inshot on my iphone 🥲

[@marinethery9306]

Hi! I've been considering going bioactive since I discovered it but I have one question in mind that can't seem to be answered anywhere... How to decide the hight of your bin? Is there a minimum hight? What's the ideal? I would be so thankful if you could give me some advice about that!

[@lizzielizard3926]

What's the 3 layers you put in? I only caught 2 of them- not very clear on the video audio. I only heard coco peat and coco husk, what was the 2nd layer

[@ju7iez]

WOW SOOOOOO COOOOOL !!! such a beutiful habitat for rats to live in

[@finpalmer7246]

Hello there! I’m amazed by your video and would love to do this for my boys as well!! My question is tho that my partner is a little apprehensive About the clean up crew getting on the rats and then when we give them cuddles the clean up crew going onto us. Has this been a problem for you or anyone in the comments who have a bio cage? Thank you again and what an amazing video this was 🎉🎉

[@thebohorat9750]

Sorry for the late reply! I’m never on this channel 😅 We never had any issues with this luckily! Never saw any clean up crew on the rats, not even in the cage.

[@chrishernandez9277]

Would this work for mice?

[@janalee638]

Now this is advanced

[@justicesnyder8822]

Where do u get them bugs?

[@CuttGuttz]

Where did you get your acrylic panels from?

[@orianacauli]

Thank you! This is super helpful!! Can I ask you what kind of wood (the branches) are you using? Did you find that outside or buy it from some site? I just became a rats mum and I am super curious about the naturalistic setup. :)

[@thebohorat9750]

I bought my branches from pet stores, most are sanded grape vines

[@malisac3869]

My girls don’t dig like the boys. How often do I turn it

[@bryonybaker5535]

Where did you order your pannels from? I live in the UK. Any suggestions?

[@thebohorat9750]

Check out the link to the FB group in the description for UK recommendations 😄

[@LucileQuiquempois]

Hi, dont your rats eat/rip off the tape? Mine do but i have regular litter in my bin, not bioactive dirt

[@AvocadoBanshee]

What's the difference between Acrylic and Perspex? Can they chew through Acrylic?

[@rahelroth1266]

Where do your get leaves, branches etc from?

[@dearnaaustin907]

This is brilliant and super helpful, could you please tell me what brand your cage is/where you got it? Thanks!

[@thebohorat9750]

We have a double Critter Nation, ordered from a Dutch pet store :)

[@hildaperez5140]

Please make more of these videos

[@yungcorruptedlung6484]

My dad has that sweater!

[@nele-annabel3201]

Do I need to use acrylic panels or can I also use wood plates for the box?

[@thebohorat9750]

I would highly recommend acrylic panels. Wood would have to be sealed so no moisture can go into the wood and make it moldy. Acrylic panels are also great so you can see in there and watch them dig, watch your CUC etc.

[@katerinaplcv4059]

Your cage is beautiful! Where did you find those branches ? I cannot find big ones like that anywhere

[@b4kedbean]

Do the bugs ever stay on the rats? I have a big fear of bugs and thats the only reason stopping me from doing this 😩😩 i know you said they stay in the dirt, but do they ever jump out onto you or the rats?

[@hopep6715]

Nope not at all. I’ve had a bioactive terrarium years and it’s never happened. There are quite a few different insects you can add. Worms are some that you can add that definitely won’t jump on you or your rats :)

[@hamsterscoutsadventures3809]

i had the same fear

[@thebohorat9750]

I haven’t had any instances where I found any of my clean up crew on either the rats or me 😄 They do a really nice job at staying in the soil. Springtails also don’t survive outside of moist soil

[@mariabrett6712]

Love it ❤

[@jeralynosterloh251]

I would like to do this for my mouse, but I read that small mammals create too much ammonia for the springtails to survive and keep the soil clean, have you had a problem with this ?

[@sadielapiers1847]

You’re encouraged to litter train your rats for this method, and also turn the soil once in a while to reduce ammonia build-up in their tunnels that they build.

[@alyssadiaz7127]

does bioactive help with scent from male rats? 💗

[@freyarebecca3983]

That’s amazing!

[@broadwaythings11]

Beautiful cage :)

[@cretaceostrapulazza5918]

But, what if one just takes some earth out of his garden in order to make the soil layer? I mean, doesn't it already have all the organisms it needs?

[@saxybaby4486]

The soil outside may not be safe. The soil itself could have dangerous and have chemicals in it. The animals in the soil may also be dangerous to your rats health.

[@sadielapiers1847]

@@saxybaby4486 also, parasites

[@zepagamer]

Thank you!

[@namaraswillum3366]

Could you share some info on if spider plants are safe for rats and if they eat them?

[@fishy658]

Oooo!!!

[@malisac3869]

Mine eat isopods I can only use ST

[@thebohorat9750]

It happens 😅 Guess it depends on the the rats.

[@shymoongacha4950]

I have a question do do you have to feed the cleanup crew or do they just feed off all the things in the dirt

[@autumndaley7941]

Does it matter if you use either extruded or cast acrylic sheets?

[@rosedonnapur]

Just wondering iv done this for my rats and all my reptiles and getting some degus can I do the same.

[@Peoniesandpeaches]

Genuine question because I’ve had rats many times throughout my life and they pee everywhere throughout the cage, hammocks, bars, everything and that’s the main issue with the smell, do you have any advice about that?

[@chelonianmobile]

Is it possible to do this with ferrets? I figure it would be a lot harder since they produce a lot more waste, but I'm curious.

[@Captain2307]

Wow!!!!!

[@Ellezsz]

Very helpful video! I am considering to switch at some point to a bioactive setup. We have three girls at the moment, Sirene Echo and Muze Meanwhile I hope to add some more natural elements. Can you maybe mention the natural materials you added? I saw the spider plant. Do your rats destroy it, or leave it be? And do you treat the natural materials a certain way before you add them? Thanks a lot for the video =D

[@1234destiny100]

Could the spring tails escape?

[@Zombieprinz]

Awesome 🤩

[@PKMNnerdfighter]

I'm thinking about adapting your design because we have two cats. Do you think making the acrylic bin fit inside the lower CN unit instead of the bottom shelf will work? I want to use the bin to keep the cats from grabbing at tails. Currently we are only using the upper half of the unit for safety reasons, so this shouldn't mean less climbing space for them.

[@daliajuskaite2500]

Hey, could you please tell me the name/brand of the cage you are having? :)

[@courtney9139]

Is this not a good idea if you keep your rat cage in your bedroom? I’m super scared of bugs lol

[@malisac3869]

Mine are in my room. They CUC won’t leave the cage. I promise.

[@jasdawn5]

Where can I buy acrylic sheets for a reasonable price? Cheapest I've found is $27 per sheet not including shipping. :(

[@mich5401]

If you’re in the U.S try Home Depot or Lowes. It’s still pretty expensive however, but at least you don’t have to pay for shipping