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Yeah, aquarium's really not one of the better options...A lot of the information out there is a bit dated, and can be completely wrong on some things.
There are a couple of cheap alternatives to an aquarium, though. One is a sterilite container. If you look at the Cage Setup Examples in the Housing forum, there are a few examples of sterlite cages. One would be alright for a start, but most people, if using those, use two and connect them with 4" PVC pipe.
A second alternative that is pretty cheap in comparison of the size of cage you can get, is the C&C cage. I have one of these, and there's a few examples on the Setup Examples thread too. A C&C cage is basically cubes and coroplast. Cubes are wire sections you can buy at a store like Target. The spaces should be no wider than 1". I got two boxes of cubes (one wire and the other vinyl plastic stuff) for $30 at Target. The coroplast is corrugated plastic, and you can get it from sign stores. This is what you put in the bottom of the cage/a short border around the sides in order to give the hedgie a solid floor, and to discourage climbing up the sides. I've heard that the standard price is about $25 for a 4' x 8' piece, but I bought a piece that was the right size for my cage (about 3.5' x 2') for only $5 from a small, local sign store.
If you're interested in a C&C cage, this website explains how to build them, and has a spot where you can search for the stuff. http://www.guineapigcages.com/
There are a couple of cheap alternatives to an aquarium, though. One is a sterilite container. If you look at the Cage Setup Examples in the Housing forum, there are a few examples of sterlite cages. One would be alright for a start, but most people, if using those, use two and connect them with 4" PVC pipe.
A second alternative that is pretty cheap in comparison of the size of cage you can get, is the C&C cage. I have one of these, and there's a few examples on the Setup Examples thread too. A C&C cage is basically cubes and coroplast. Cubes are wire sections you can buy at a store like Target. The spaces should be no wider than 1". I got two boxes of cubes (one wire and the other vinyl plastic stuff) for $30 at Target. The coroplast is corrugated plastic, and you can get it from sign stores. This is what you put in the bottom of the cage/a short border around the sides in order to give the hedgie a solid floor, and to discourage climbing up the sides. I've heard that the standard price is about $25 for a 4' x 8' piece, but I bought a piece that was the right size for my cage (about 3.5' x 2') for only $5 from a small, local sign store.
If you're interested in a C&C cage, this website explains how to build them, and has a spot where you can search for the stuff. http://www.guineapigcages.com/