[jackasspyro2]

so ya friday im getting my first hedgie..im super excited.my gf is getting it for me for our 2year anniversary(which is a super big deal cuz she is normally a cheap gift giver.lol)

but ya...i live in a dorm. 20'X14' room and we keep it pretty cold in here because i live in texas. I have a 20gal long aquarium that im gona keep it in for now(once i get my next paycheck that will change)but my main concerns is keeping it warm.i have read up alot on these lil critters...and im pretty worried about it trying to hibernate.i have talked to the pet store a few times on heating and the lady has assured me that a good heat lamp and a pad should be enough to keep him warm.mainly its at night that im worried about because the heat lamp wont be on...will the pad be enough?

 

[lane_m]

You should look at getting a ceramic heat emitter instead of a heat lamp. They put out only heat and no light so that you can leave it on all day and night. Also, a thermostat (Reptitemp 500 I think it's called) so that it turns itself off and on as necessary.

Heat pads can be dangerous. I think they should only be used under direct supervision.

Congrats on your new hedgehog

 

[jackasspyro2]

You should look at getting a ceramic heat emitter instead of a heat lamp. They put out only heat and no light so that you can leave it on all day and night. Also, a thermostat (Reptitemp 500 I think it's called) so that it turns itself off and on as necessary.

Heat pads can be dangerous. I think they should only be used under direct supervision.

Congrats on your new hedgehog

that is a good idea..i didnt know that...thank you very much..thats pretty much exactly what will suit my needs

and i havent gotten it yet!...but when i do prepare for lotsa pics!!!!

 

[Immortalia]

The only way to safely keep an aquarium warm is by using a space heater, which heats up the entire room.

Due to the lack of ventilation with aquariums, using anything else can cause breathing issues.

The heating pad is an optional source of heat, but NEVER the main source. The heating pad will only warm up that one spot, but the rest of the cage and the air inside the cage will still be cold, thus leaving the hedgie to refuse to roam the cage.

I would suggest waiting until you can get a proper cage, and then get a ceramic emitter before getting the hedgie. Unless you are willing to heat up the entire room.

Are you getting from a pet store or a breeder? If breeder, you can ask them to hold the hedgie(with a down payment) until you have a proper cage for the hedgie. They will more than understand. If pet store, then you can also get them to hold, or just wait till they get in new shipment. And if you are getting from pet store...Be sure to read the pet shop stories, especially if you end up getting a female.........................

 

[jackasspyro2]

The only way to safely keep an aquarium warm is by using a space heater, which heats up the entire room.

Due to the lack of ventilation with aquariums, using anything else can cause breathing issues.

The heating pad is an optional source of heat, but NEVER the main source. The heating pad will only warm up that one spot, but the rest of the cage and the air inside the cage will still be cold, thus leaving the hedgie to refuse to roam the cage.

I would suggest waiting until you can get a proper cage, and then get a ceramic emitter before getting the hedgie. Unless you are willing to heat up the entire room.

Are you getting from a pet store or a breeder? If breeder, you can ask them to hold the hedgie(with a down payment) until you have a proper cage for the hedgie. They will more than understand. If pet store, then you can also get them to hold, or just wait till they get in new shipment. And if you are getting from pet store...Be sure to read the pet shop stories, especially if you end up getting a female.........................

hmm i guess its a exotic pet store(they breed em..so iuno what you would call it) where im getting it.and like i said its only a temp thing(i get paid the 30th of this month)..so i doubt it will be floating belly up in the tank anytime soon.what i dont understand about yall is why everyone hates tanks so much...yes i get they have less air but why not add a fan(im gona use a bid computer fan to constantly blow air into the tank and help circulate things so it isnt stagnant air)....so i think it can last a lil bit in the tank til i build it a badass set up.its gona have good flooring.food.a home and toys.heating also...and with the fan do you still believe the tank will be all that bad for it?

and what do you mean pet shop stories...like horrors?

 

[Immortalia]

With the fan, the hedgie can catch a chill.

If anything, you may want to consider going and buy a large rubbermaid, drill a bunch of holes in it, and use that for a week until you get a new cage. Then you can use the rubbermaid for storage of hedgie stuff. It's just as bad as an aquarium, but with the ability to drill holes, it gives more working room with playing around with ventilation holes.
Well, here's a comparison thread about aquarium vs bin
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...139&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=aquarium+bin

As for pet shops, just might be wise to see how they actually care for their hedgies. Are they kept in a group? Do they have a proper and SAFE wheel?(most hedgies NEED wheels in their cage) What food are they on? Do they have decent space? Are males and females separated?(many pet shops don't always understand that male + females = babies, and many here have gone home, then woken up to a bloody cage of dead babies http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...4&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=pet+shop+store )
Though there ARE some pet stores who actually KNOW their stuff. So do some research so YOU know how they should be taken care of, and so you can also KNOW if the pet store knows what they are doing.

 

[jackasspyro2]

With the fan, the hedgie can catch a chill.

If anything, you may want to consider going and buy a large rubbermaid, drill a bunch of holes in it, and use that for a week until you get a new cage. Then you can use the rubbermaid for storage of hedgie stuff. It's just as bad as an aquarium, but with the ability to drill holes, it gives more working room with playing around with ventilation holes.
Well, here's a comparison thread about aquarium vs bin
http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...139&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=aquarium+bin

As for pet shops, just might be wise to see how they actually care for their hedgies. Are they kept in a group? Do they have a proper and SAFE wheel?(most hedgies NEED wheels in their cage) What food are they on? Do they have decent space? Are males and females separated?(many pet shops don't always understand that male + females = babies, and many here have gone home, then woken up to a bloody cage of dead babies http://www.hedgehogcentral.com/foru...4&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=pet+shop+store )
Though there ARE some pet stores who actually KNOW their stuff. So do some research so YOU know how they should be taken care of, and so you can also KNOW if the pet store knows what they are doing.

but than with the large rubbermaid wont the living space be too small?i thought they need like 4sqare feet or sumthin of that sort.

and as for the store..not sure..all they sell is exotics...not much mass quantity of anything..so i hope they take care of it...they are the only place around that sells em.i saw a few breeders on criagslist but nothing reputable.and back to the store its pretty far from me so i cant drive all the way there just to check it out..ill get back to you on the living conditions when i check it out friday..from the sounds over the phone they knew what they where talking about

 

[Bengall77]

I use a 106 Qt. Sterilite plastic bin from Wal-Mart. It's roughly 2.5 Square feet which is the minimum for a hedgehog. Most people say that the rule of thumb is 2 sq. feet after the wheel, food bowls, and a hiding place are added. I used a soldering iron to melt ventilation holes all along the top 1/2lf of the bin. This provides much more ventilation than a glass aquarium which can be heavy, difficult to clean (because of moving it) and traps moisture which is a breeding ground for bacteria and mites. They're also expensive if you get the correct size whereas the Sterilite bins cost $5-10, are light weigh, and can be modified.

Once I saw how big my little boy was getting I bought a second, smaller sterilite container (25 qt. I think) and used a plastic gutter to create a bridge. I used the soldering iron to cut the holes in the plastic bins and a hack saw to cut the gutter in two 5 inch sections. I used plastic zip ties to hold everything in place. Since the second bin has short sides I melted extra vent holes into it so that I can keep the lid on the bin.

I'm not sure how heat emitters and heat lamps work with these plastic bins. Since I keep my house at a steady 76-78 and I live in Florida I don't really have to worry about it.

If you are worried about ventilation and heating you may want to look into the C&C cages that are made from coroplast (corrugated plastic) and the wire square shelf sets that you can buy at Wal-Mart, Target etc...

Here's a website that shows different variations and how to build them.
http://www.guineapigcages.com/

Also, don't forget to check out the thread of cage examples.
http://hedgehogcentral.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=1860

 

[Immortalia]

Considering this is a temp cage (~1 week) I'd prefer smaller space over poor ventilation.

I guess it depends on your preference. As long as a proper wheel(non mesh, non silent spinner... :lol: ) can fit in there, a week of smaller living space until you build/buy a larger cage, should be fine. Obviously, you have to go with whatever works for you. Plus, with the bin, it's MUCH lighter than the 20gal glass tank, which will make it much easier to clean in the long run. Then you have storage space once you get the actual cage all set up ^_^ And as Bengall said, if you don't mind having your place put up to 76F for that little bit of time, then that's also one less worry, and just get the ceramic heat emitter set up for the permanent cage, then drop your a/c again ^_^

Off the HHC website breedershttp://hedgehogcentral.com/breederusa.shtml listing, there IS one listed in Texas. I'm not sure how far they are from you, perhaps even contacting them to see if they know of other reputable breeders in your area might be a good idea as well. And I'm sure there are bound to be some here who might know someone in TX as well. But this is all depends on how your experience at the pet store goes on Friday. Though I do hope it all goes well! ^_^

And definitely check the behavioral section of the forum for different tricks on how to get your hedgie accustomed to you ^_^

 

[jackasspyro2]

I use a 106 Qt. Sterilite plastic bin from Wal-Mart. It's roughly 2.5 Square feet which is the minimum for a hedgehog. Most people say that the rule of thumb is 2 sq. feet after the wheel, food bowls, and a hiding place are added. I used a soldering iron to melt ventilation holes all along the top 1/2lf of the bin. This provides much more ventilation than a glass aquarium which can be heavy, difficult to clean (because of moving it) and traps moisture which is a breeding ground for bacteria and mites. They're also expensive if you get the correct size whereas the Sterilite bins cost $5-10, are light weigh, and can be modified.

how big was he before you added the room?and like i said once payday comes around i was gona do something like this..but stack it..i know the ramps need walls...but what do most ppl make ramps out of?wood?plastic?what do they use to hold it in the container(probally not glue..or screw(wouldnt that be too sharp))

 

[nikki]

i don't understand the rationallity of people wanting to keep mammels in something that was constructed to keep fish in. You wouldn't put fish in the bottom part of a plastic bottom cage, just because its only for a few days...because the cage is mean for mammels not fish. But they see nothing wrong with putting a hedgie in a tank meant for fish not mammels...?

 

[jackasspyro2]

i don't understand the rationallity of people wanting to keep mammels in something that was constructed to keep fish in. You wouldn't put fish in the bottom part of a plastic bottom cage, just because its only for a few days...because the cage is mean for mammels not fish. But they see nothing wrong with putting a hedgie in a tank meant for fish not mammels...?

easy rational.its an animal.they are from the wild.i figure my tank is safer than outside so my tank shouldnt harm him...its a temp deal..not forever...it will have everything it needs in the tank...so meh.get it now

 

[nikki]

no actually i don't..in the wild they aren't confined in a small unventilated space...Even lining your bathtub with fleece and putting in a heat emitter would be safer....but that's just my opinion..

 

[CuteHedgieGirl]

Keeping hedgehogs arnt as hard as it sounds. The tank will be fine as long as you heat it enough until you get payed. And most pet shops know what they are doing when caring for hedgies, they just dont care enough to make sure that they dont get pregnant so if you get a girl, just do some reading up on hedgie birth and pregnancy. It will be fine, they really arnt that hard to keep, trust me. And a tank isnt the best home for one, but your hedgie IS NOT going to die by being in it for a week. :lol:

You will be fine, take your time and get all the stuff you need for your hedgie and then when you have it all, move him/her over into the NEW cage.

Good luck, and relax

 

[jackasspyro2]

no actually i don't..in the wild they aren't confined in a small unventilated space...Even lining your bathtub with fleece and putting in a heat emitter would be safer....but that's just my opinion..

i realy am sorry if this comes off mean..im pretty exicted about getting my first hedgehog.he will be my new best friend i promise you that. im gona take care of him and do everything i can to make him happy...but to me its still just an animal.i notice in your sig that you have quite a few animals.thats great.seems like this is your passion so i hope this doesnt hurt your feeling in anyway.i thought your post was pretty mean..i think its gona be fine and its only a temp thing.how can the tank with a full set up(and a fan as i have said before) worse than the outside.you make it sound like i shouldnt get one...and thats a complete buzz kill.i sure hope you didnt mean it like that..bUuut thats how i saw it....im sure my lil friend will be fine.he will live in a tank for a bit..and that ima build him a super set up.just dont have the funds for everything at this very moment.a few weeks in a tank wont hurt.

nikki if you want to talk more keep it to pms.

i got the info i was looking for.if the mods could /thread

 

[CuteHedgieGirl]

i PMed you

 

[LizardGirl]

easy rational.its an animal.they are from the wild.i figure my tank is safer than outside so my tank shouldnt harm him...its a temp deal..not forever...it will have everything it needs in the tank...so meh.get it now

Just thought I'd mention that pet hedgies are NOT wild animals. These are captive bred, practically helpless animals. Comparing them to an animal that could survive in the wild is not very accurate.

Nikki is right that tanks are not suitable, for so many reasons. Yes your hedgie might be able to survive if kept in one but that doesn't mean they should. Temp is fine, but long term housing it is not a good option.

I didn't see anything wrong with her posts, she was only saying that tanks aren't made for hedgies and aren't very good to house one. About the bath tub, that was a legitimate suggestion which would actually work well if you wanted.

 

[Nancy]

Aquariums are meant for fish, not animals. I suggest you wait until you have the proper cage before you get the hedgehog. Putting him in a tank and then switching him to a different cage is only going to add stress that can be avoided by having the proper cage setup to begin with.

 

[jackasspyro2]

Just thought I'd mention that pet hedgies are NOT wild animals. These are captive bred, practically helpless animals. Comparing them to an animal that could survive in the wild is not very accurate.

Nikki is right that tanks are not suitable, for so many reasons. Yes your hedgie might be able to survive if kept in one but that doesn't mean they should. Temp is fine, but long term housing it is not a good option.

I didn't see anything wrong with her posts, she was only saying that tanks aren't made for hedgies and aren't very good to house one. About the bath tub, that was a legitimate suggestion which would actually work well if you wanted.

lol i know as well as i do it was her tone(as silly as that sounds)..you know what i mean(she could have put it alot nicer)...im not gona argue to much with a mod...no good will ever come with it...ill stop now but rar.

/rant

 

[nikki]

Thanks lizardgirl, i was just trying to make him understand that there are other options..