Glass Tanks

    Rather large, wider than high glass tank (usually former aquarium) is pretty suitable for mice. Reptile tanks are not as suitable, as they often lack ventilation. A glass tank needs a wire mesh lid, escape proof and durable. Used glass tanks are usually easy to find for cheap prize, as a mouse tank doesn't have to hold water. However, a mouse tank should not have cracks.

    Glass tanks have the good points of plastic tanks. Furthermore, they don't get stained and a mouse can't chew its way out.

    However, glass tanks are rather heavy and especially the larger ones are too heavy to carry in the bathroom for wash ups. The dangers of plastic tanks are present with the glass ones as well; sunshine is dangerous and you have to remember to clean the beddings in time. Furthermore, a glass tank can get broken very easily, if you happen to drop it.

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Good Points Bad Points
  • No danger of escape, as long as you make a suitable lid.
  • Mice are protected from other pets which might attack them through cage bars.
  • Bedding can be piled really deep so the mice can burrow through it and play in it without hoofing it all over your carpet. They love deep bedding, and they love throwing it out of the cage.
  • Keeps the smell in as well as the bedding!
  • You can easily watch your mice being excessively cute and playing in the bedding etc..
  • Warm and protected from draughts
  • Cheap and easy to find second-hand; leaks don't matter for mice.
  • Lots of floorspace to arrange toys and furniture on.
  • You have to be careful cleaning them - I shovel out used bedding in a dustpan, scrape the corners out with a paint scraper, them spray the inside with disinfectant spray. After this you need to wipe over with clean water so the mice don't have to inhale disinfectant.
  • Heavy, and break if you drop them.
  • To provide maximum ventilation you need to make a lid of wire mesh, no more than 1/2" (1cm) square or youngsters will squeeze through (even large show mice up to 8 weeks old can squeeze through 1" x 1/2" mesh) and they can jump a long way up to grab the wire. If you can be bothered to make a proper wooden frame for the lid, it looks nicer.
  • Mice can't climb up the sides, so you need to put in lots of toys and 'furniture' like pieces of wood for them to climb over - they really love scrambling over different levels. You can make a climbing frame for a tank by simply hanging a piece of wire mesh against one side.
  • Even with a wire mesh lid, aquaria give poor ventilation. Ammonia and unpleasant smells build up in them very quickly.