How to Build a Tank for a Hamster

With their furry ears, small tails, pink nose and dark, round eyes, hamsters are an attractive small mammal that is commonly kept as an indoor pet. Converting a large aquarium into a hamster cage is a simple and affordable means of constructing a tank for your hamster. Hamsters are nocturnal animals and spend most of their day hiding underground; they emerge at night and actively roam their cage and scavenge for food. Hamsters are highly active pets, so building a tank with the proper furnishings is important to keep these animals happy and healthy.

Things You'll Need

  • 20-gallon aquarium with lid
  • Bleach
  • Hamster bedding
  • Hamster house
  • Ceramic food dish
  • Water bottle
  • Hamster wheel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Purchase a large aquarium at least 20 gallons in size. Ensure that the aquarium comes with a secure lid to prevent hamsters from escaping.

    • 2

      Sterilize the aquarium by cleaning the inside with a mild bleach solution. Mix one part bleach to 10 parts water and thoroughly scrub the interior of the aquarium. Rinse the bleach solution off with fresh water.

    • 3

      Dry the aquarium with a towel and place 2 to 3 inches of hamster bedding material in the base of the aquarium.

    • 4

      Install hamster furnishing in the cage. A plastic hiding box makes the hamster feel secure in the tank during the day, while a hamster wheel gives the animal plenty of exercise. Be sure to choose a high-quality hamster wheel that does not squeak so that the hamster does not keep you awake at night when it is most active.

    • 5

      Add a water bottle to the side of the aquarium with sticky Velcro and place a small ceramic feeding dish in the center of the tank. Fill the water bottle and add pellet food and introduce you hamster to complete the hamster tank construction.