Can You Keep Pet Mice in Glass Tank?
Since mice are very small, they can find comfort in containers of various types and sizes. Although keeping them in a metal wire cage is the most popular option, you can keep them in a glass tank as well. Just like cages, aquariums are also transparent which is very important for every pet that people keep at home.
Another important thing is to prevent the mouse from escaping. Once your mouse gets out, it can be gone forever in a matter of minutes. He is going to start exploring the house and maybe even join the other wild mice that hang around in the walls.
A glass tank makes it impossible for pet mice to escape, yet they can see everything in the outside world. As small as it is, your mouse still needs the right amount of space in order to thrive. Below, we are going to answer all your questions related to keeping mice in a glass tank.
Keeping Pet Mice in a Glass Tank
Just like any other container, glass tanks also have their own advantages and disadvantages. In pet shops, there are aquariums of all shapes and sizes. You can certainly find the perfect one for your mouse, but what are the advantages of disadvantages of glass tanks in general?
First off, ventilation is not the same in a glass tank as it is in a cage. In a cage, fresh air flows through all the time while in a glass tank, you need to make sure that your pet gets enough fresh air. The main advantage is that you don’t need to worry that your mouse gets out.
Although mice are great climbers, the surface of the glass is simply too smooth for them to climb. Also, you can easily access your pet as it’s open from the top. Your mouse can’t push out the bedding either so it is cleaner in that regard.
To close off with a disadvantage, you have to choose an aquarium that is shallow and wide. This is the only way you can guarantee decent ventilation for your pet.
Best Glass Tank Size for 2 Pet Mice
If you want to buy a glass tank, then start thinking about gallons because people usually buy them for fish. There is no such thing as an oversized aquarium when it comes to mice because they are going to enjoy all the space they can get.
Therefore, the rule of thumb is to buy the biggest glass tank you can afford. But when it comes to the bare minimum, the glass tank has to be at least 10-gallons of size if you want to keep a single mouse. For two mice, the same size is still decent but buying a bigger one is still better.
Can Mice Climb on Glass?
Pet mice have paws and muscles that are particularly good for climbing. They can climb trees and walls too, which is quite impressive considering how smooth some walls can be. Pet mice are not afraid of heights and they have enough muscle power to hold their whole weight and climb a vertical surface.
They are really good at finding the tiniest holes and cracks and grab a stronghold of them. It would be close to a miracle if mice would be able to climb the walls of glass tank but they simply can’t. That material is far too smooth for them to grab ahold of.
So, if you are thinking about buying a glass tank, there is no need to worry. Your mouse is not going to be able to climb out of it.
How to Prevent Your Pet Mice Jumping Out?
Although the glass tank has to be shallow, be careful not to buy one that your mouse can jump out of. Mice are great climbers and jumpers and they can jump up to two feet in the air. Your glass tank ideally has nothing on top because that would prevent the air from flowing.
Therefore, you need to be aware of the fact that if your pet mouse can’t climb out, he might try to jump out. One solution is to make it so that only the removable top is made out of metal wire. This will prevent mice from jumping out of glass tanks that are really shallow.
The other thing you can do is to make sure the bedding is thick enough so that your mouse can’t get enough momentum for jumping high.
Can Pet Mice Live in a Plastic Tub?
Plastic tubs can make great containers but there are a few requirements they have to meet. First off, it has to be transparent so that you can see your pet mouse and he can also see what’s outside. One problem with plastic tubs is that they are lightweight compared to glass tanks.
Even your mouse might be able to move it a little bit if it doesn’t contain much weight. Moreover, it either has to be tall enough so that your mouse can’t jump out or you need to place a lid on top. You also need to do this while ensuring that the whole tub is ventilated enough.
Moreover, it has to be big enough so that your mouse has things to do and explore.
Wrapping Up
Buying a glass tank is one of the two ideal solutions when it comes to keeping pet mice at home. The other one is obviously buying a metal wire cage. As long as it is big enough and you have ensured that your pet can’t jump out, you have made the right choice.
The other important thing we can conclude is that mice need a lot of ventilation. In this regard, metal wire cages are a bit better but you can also buy a glass tank without a lid on top. Although mice are great climbers, they are not going to be able to climb a glass surface so there is no need to worry about that.
