Building & Plumbing a Rodent Rack

Here are a bunch of pictures I took when I built a mouse rack about a year ago. I thought some people might be interested to see it while in the process of building it.

Sorry, it's kind of long. It doesn't all fit so had to split it up, first post is building it, second post is plumbing.
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Here are my plans for building a 40 tub mouse rack using small Van Ness cat litter pans that I found at Target. These tubs are approximately 10" X 14-1/2" . If you use another brand of tub, you'll have to adjust the measurements around the dimensions of the tub. Each level holds 4 tubs and the entire rack is 10 levels high. First, start off with the frame of the level. I used 2" X 2"s that are 43 1/2" long. Nail this onto the end braces that are 12" long. I used 2-1/2" 8d finishing nails and glue. Here are pictures of what they look like.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack1.jpg

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack2.jpg

Then you need three more 12" braces, one in the exact center of the level so center the middle 12" 2" X 2" brace at 21-3/4"

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack3.jpg


The other two braces are centered at 11-1/4" from each end. All of the braces are attached with glue and 8d finishing nails.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack4.jpg

Once the frame is finished staple on the hardware cloth screen, make sure it's tight. The mesh size you use has to be small enough so the mice can't squeeze through (1/2" mesh is too large) But large enough so that the mice can eat through it, 3/8" mesh is ideal but impossible to find. 1/4" mesh works just fine though.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack5.jpg

Next you'll need to put on some spacer bars and slide rails to hold the tubs in place tight against the screen. I used 1/2" plywood. The spacers are 3/4" wide by 14-3/4" long you'll need 5 per level, the slide rails for the ends are 1-1/8" X 11", you need two of these per level, and the slide rails for the middle sections are 1-1/2" X 11" and you'll need 3 of these per level.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack6.jpg

Attach the spacer bars against the screen side as shown in the picture, glue and tack them down to the 2" X 2" braces with some 1" brads. The spacers should be placed so that there is just short of 10" of space between each one (about 9-7/8" should be right, make sure they're all even)

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack7.jpg

Make sure the tubs fit between the spacers before going on, they should be tight but not so tight that they are hard to pull through.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack8.jpg

The slide rails for the middle spacers should be placed so that they are centered over the spacer and are even with the back of the level. There will be about a 4" gap between the front of the slide rail and the front of the level. This is so that you can remove the tub without running into the sipper valve that will be going through the screen at the front.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...mouserack9.jpg

Here is a picture of an end slide rail and a middle slide rail so you can see that the middle rails are centered on the spacer and the ends are flush with the spacer on one side. I attach the slide rails with glue and 2" 6d finishing nails, make sure you drill guide holes first that are slightly smaller in diameter then the nail before nailing them on. Otherwise you could split the slide rail or the spacer underneath it.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ouserack10.jpg

Heres a picture of a finished level upside down and shown from the end so you can see the gap at the front of the slide rails.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ouserack11.jpg

Here is a picture of the completed level flipped right side up complete with tubs.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ouserack12.jpg

I used four 2" X 4"s as uprights, one at each corner, to attach the levels to. The 2" X 4"s are each 72-1/2" long. I marked them at 6" from the bottom and then every 7" after that (levels are attached so that the top of the level is at 6" from the bottom, then 13" then 20" then 27" etc...) for a total of 10 levels. Then I attached 1" X 4" boards 46-1/2" long, to the back of each level as a backstop for the tubs and as additional bracing to help keep the rack square.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ouserack13.jpg

Here is a continuation of my other post. this section deals with plumbing

Mark

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For water, I ran 1/2" PVC tubing throughout the rack with Edstrom Variflow valves for the water valves. I used the type with the screw on connectors instead of the barbed connectors, the barbed connectors are used with flexible tubing. You can get these at http://www.agselect.com/

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb1.jpg

I drilled 3/8" holes in the middle of 40 PVC end caps so I could screw the valves in, no need to tap the holes, the valves screwed into the pvc fairly easily with a socket wrench. I did not screw in the valves permanantly at this time, I just wanted to show you how they look. I cemented the end caps onto 40 90 degree elbows with a 1" long piece of 1/2" PVC tubing.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb2.jpg

For fittings, I used a total of 40 end caps, 52 90-degree elbows 39 T's 2 shut off valves, one screw on quick connector and a bulkhead fitting. I also used the better part of 6 lengths of 10' X 1/2" PVC tubing.

In this picture you can see a completed level, you can see the end caps are attached to the elbow which attaches to a 5-1/2" piece of tubing that attaches to a 'T' The back of the level where the 'T's are attached to each other starts with a 4-1/5 length of PVC, then a 'T' then a 9-1/2" length of PVC then another 'T' and another length of 9-1/2" PVC and the 3rd 'T' then another length of 9-1/2" PVC with an elbow on the end. The goal is to make sure that the end caps are all flat and on the same plane. You can see where I goofed up and had to cut the level apart and fix it with straight connectors so that it was flat. A good way to assemble the level would have been to cement the 5-1/2" tubes to the 'T's first, then attach the 'T's together with the 9-1/2" tubes making sure to use a hard flat surface so that the 5-1/2" tubes stay laying flat on the floor, attach the elbows with the end caps last (make sure they're pointing in the right direction). A rubber mallet is handy to make sure the tubes are seated all the way into the fixtures. I cemented everything together with PVC cement.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb3.jpg

Here is the rack with all the watering levels waiting to be attached to the upright water supply tube which is leaning against the bench to the left of the rack

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb4.jpg

Make sure that each end cap is laying flat against the hardware cloth before you attach the sipper valves. you'll need to cut out a square of wire using needlenose wire snips to make sure that the valve can fit through the mesh.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb5.jpg

screw the base of the valve into the end cap through the hardware cloth.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb6.jpg

Screw the top of the valve into the base.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb7.jpg

Make sure that all of the valves are firmly screwed in through the hardware cloth into the PVC tubing and make sure that the whole assembly is level to cut down on air pockets.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb8.jpg

Here is a picture of the valve going through the hardware cloth, view is from the front of the rack.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...rackplumb9.jpg

Here is a picture of the upright water supply line before it was attached and cemented into the levels. There are 6" tubes between each of the 'T's. I also put a shutoff valve in the middle so that I could shut off the water to the lower 5 levels and just use the upper 5 levels if I ever wanted to.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb10.jpg

Here is a picture of the upright water supply tube after it's been attached to each level, you can see I have a screw on quick connector at the top.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb11.jpg

Here is a closeup of the middle shutoff valve.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb12.jpg

Here is a picture of the completed rack with tubs. You can see I've also added casters to the bottoms of the 2"X4"s So I can wheel it around and clean around it out easier.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb13.jpg

Here is the water supply bucket that I'm using. I used a clear bucket so I could see the water level, it also has a top so that dust doesn't get into the water supply. The PVC is attached to the bucket using a bulkhead fitting that basically is a compression fitting that screws in through each side of a hole at the bottom side of the bucket. This is then attached to a short length of PVC tubing going to a shutoff valve which then goes to an elbow that goes to the other half of the screw on quick connector.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb14.jpg

Here is a picture of the completed bucket assembly attached to the water supply tubing with the screw on quick connector. The whole thing rests on top of a piece of plywood nailed to the top of the rack. When complete, you'll have a low pressure gravity fed watering system for your rack.

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb15.jpg

Here is the completed rack with the water supply hooked up. It contains 10 levels in all with 4 tubs per level for a total of 40 tubs. When I have it filled to capacity I expect to have 1.3 adult mice in each tub for a total of 160 adult breeder mice which I hope will eventually supply me with over 1000 pinkies a month .

http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g2...ackplumb16.jpg

Let me know if this was helpful to anyone building their own mouse rack or if you have any other tips or suggestions you would make.

Mark

Mark,
I remember those pics! I used a very similar design after seeing it on the KS forums, thanks for posting it up (both then and now :D ) Has it lived up to your expectations? I found that my Peromyscus can actually get to the tubs with the 1/2" spacers (man they can chew too!), but no problems with the lab mice. How has the PVC plumbing job worked out? I used flexible sprinkler drip line and it has worked well. Anyway, thanks again for sharing!

-Evan

The PVC tubing is working out great. It's the best thing I did on that Rack. If I were to do it over again, I'd want bigger tubs though, These tubs are a bit small for raising an entire litter to weanling size. Still, overall it's worked out pretty well.

Wow! Great thread Mark! I'd like to do a similar rack setup eventually, only for rats. I like the rigid PVC setup, I'm sure it is less likely that the lines would clog with PVC. How well do you like the watering system as far as ease of maintenance?

Keep up the good work with your DIY threads.:rockon:

-Jason

Mark, I've been looking for this for about 6 months.. I remember you posting it awhile back and I could not find it again. Thanks for posting it again..

P.S. Looks like you did a great job building it..

Mark, thanks for posting the details with pics. It sure does help!


When we built a rat rack recently we used the usual flexible tubing . . . I will definately consider the PVC next time. Thanks again.

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Originally Posted by JBallPython

Wow! Great thread Mark! I'd like to do a similar rack setup eventually, only for rats. I like the rigid PVC setup, I'm sure it is less likely that the lines would clog with PVC. How well do you like the watering system as far as ease of maintenance?

Keep up the good work with your DIY threads.:rockon:

-Jason

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From my experience, even with narrow tubing, the issue isnt the lines clogging , it is with the valves clogging.

I'm really curious about the pros for watering setup using pvc vs flexible tubing. From my experience even in a no light condition slime builds up inside the lines, im assuming it would be the same for pvc. If this is the case, how do you clean the pvc out, because the "slime/algae" breaking off and clogging the valves would get annoying quick.

Edit: oh and i am in awe at how good of a job you did with that pvc heh, it scares me just thinking of trying that. :)

Mark,


Thank you for posting these, I've merged them and stickied it so that it's easy for folks to find! Great job! :D

Thank you for merging this together, it does make it a lot easier to read.

As far as clogs in the water line, Amazingly I haven't had one yet. Maintenence on it has been very minimal. I've had only one instance where the mice stuck some wood splinters in the valve holding it open. I lost the mice in that tub and it was a mess to clean up, but I figure one time in a year isn't too bad. Other then that the only thing I do is add a capful of bleach to the water every time I fill the bucket. The person I got this idea from is Sean Bradley of EBN, He said that he's also never had a clog but just to be on the safe side he would occasionally unscrew the valves from the PVC and run water through it to flush it out. I haven't done that yet myself so I don't know how big of a job it would be.

Mark

wow, thats amazing job well done!

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Other then that the only thing I do is add a capful of bleach to the water every time I fill the bucket. The person I got this idea from is Sean Bradley of EBN, He said that he's also never had a clog but just to be on the safe side he would occasionally unscrew the valves from the PVC and run water through it to flush it out. I haven't done that yet myself so I don't know how big of a job it would be.

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You put the bleach in the drinking water? Has it ever caused any problems for your rats?

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You put the bleach in the drinking water? Has it ever caused any problems for your rats?

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No problems at all, in fact it's generally recommended for any automatic watering system. It keeps the slime and bacteria out of the lines. It's not something that would be necessary if you use water bottles. Water bottles would be cleaned every time they're filled and don't have standing water in them for long periods of time. Just make sure you use the smallest useful amount, I generally add about 1 ounce per 5 gallons of water.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

No problems at all, in fact it's generally recommended for any automatic watering system. It keeps the slime and bacteria out of the lines. It's not something that would be necessary if you use water bottles. Water bottles would be cleaned every time they're filled and don't have standing water in them for long periods of time. Just make sure you use the smallest useful amount, I generally add about 1 ounce per 5 gallons of water.

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You mean the rats drink water with bleach?? That won't harm them? Or does bleach just kills bacteria and not animal?

Very curious.

Tks.

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You mean the rats drink water with bleach??

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Yes, about one ounce of bleach per 5 gallons of water.

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That won't harm them?

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No, such a small amount will not harm them

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Or does bleach just kills bacteria and not animal?

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Yes, I've drunk water treated with very small amounts of bleach myself several times. It used to be a very common way for campers to treat water from a questionable source. It would kill off bacteria or parasites that could make you sick. In this application it helps keep the slime out of the water lines which could cause the lines to become plugged up which could cause the rodents to die from thirst

Mark

Very cool rack system, drinking bleach I don't know about that... But Great feeder rack

Geat Job Mark, Thanks for sharing. Now other's can build a great rack just like the one you built.

nice rodent rack.are your tubs the van ness cat litter pans,small size?

i've been using bleach and imitation vanilla in my rodents water for years with no problems (bottles).vanilla retards smell and as mentioned bleach kills the bad stuff.

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Originally Posted by scubaboy

Very cool rack system, drinking bleach I don't know about that... But Great feeder rack

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nice rodent rack.are your tubs the van ness cat litter pans,small size?

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yes, it's the small Van Ness pans that I used. The pans are a bit on the small side, they're a nice width but I wish they were longer with more floor space.

Mark

those are the pans i used also and i wish they were bigger,the next size up van ness pan i thought was too deep.if i were going to do it again i would get pans from vision,there 18" long.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

yes, it's the small Van Ness pans that I used. The pans are a bit on the small side, they're a nice width but I wish they were longer with more floor space.

Mark

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if i were going to do it again i would get pans from vision,there 18" long.

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I agree, those are a nice size. Might have to do my next one using those.

http://www.visionproducts.us/htm7/tubs.html

Mark

I found some trays at some restaurant supplies stores here, they are used for busing tables. The size is 20" x 15" x 6". I'm thinking of keeping 1.4 in them, but would they be big enough for 1.5?

I think the 6" height may be a bit too high for the mice. I'm thinking of putting some kind of "stool" at the side which they feed so they can reach the hardware cloth (:rolleye2:I always find this name funny, we call them something like "wire net" around here..hehe)

do the busing trays have ridges on the inside? if so it's a place where mice can chew.

you could keep 1.20 in a tub that size.i agree that those tubs are too deep.a step for drinking would have to be non chewable and heavy so it stays in place.

the above mentioned vision tubs are just the right height,my bud keeps 1.9 mice in his.have fun !

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Originally Posted by amon

I found some trays at some restaurant supplies stores here, they are used for busing tables. The size is 20" x 15" x 6". I'm thinking of keeping 1.4 in them, but would they be big enough for 1.5?

I think the 6" height may be a bit too high for the mice. I'm thinking of putting some kind of "stool" at the side which they feed so they can reach the hardware cloth (:rolleye2:I always find this name funny, we call them something like "wire net" around here..hehe)

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Originally Posted by twh

do the busing trays have ridges on the inside? if so it's a place where mice can chew.

you could keep 1.20 in a tub that size.i agree that those tubs are too deep.a step for drinking would have to be non chewable and heavy so it stays in place.

the above mentioned vision tubs are just the right height,my bud keeps 1.9 mice in his.have fun !

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No, the trays are very smooth inside, won't have to worry about chewing.

1.20!!! sounds like I'll need to add some little blue pills in their diet:gj: you think the male can handle 20???? or is your male ego talking (just kidding:rolleye2:).

but anyway, I just saw today first hand that someone keeps 3.25 together. His observation is more than 2 males and they won't really fight, maybe mess with one another only once awhile.

I really have to do something about the height..maybe put the food in container inside the tray.

im about to use your plans to build this rack , but im curious to see if there is enough room for a 16 oz water bottle between totes and tiers?

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Originally Posted by Skittles46

im about to use your plans to build this rack , but im curious to see if there is enough room for a 16 oz water bottle between totes and tiers?

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16oz water bottles would probably fit between the levels, but the problem would be getting the nozzle though the 1/4" hardware cloth. You'd have to either ream out a spot or clip a few wires to get the sipper tube through for the mice to be able to drink. With a bottle that small, you'd also be changing it pretty often. I use 32oz bottles on my rat racks, but I've got to change them every couple of days. One of these days I plan on converting them to PVC and sipper valves but I haven't found the time yet.

thanks for the input. ill be using half instead of quarter mesh. these
will be maternity for rats instead of mice.

the bleach doesn't effect the snakes when the rats/mice are fed to them?

wow great post, thankx for posting :gj:

Quick question, do you think having a filter running in the resivoir, and/or having one of those uv water treatment lights would reduce all, if any, build up in the piping?
Also, do you think this can be modifited to allow a drip system instead of the ones rats would chew on? Wondering if i could change it around a little and use it for tropical snakes to keep humidity up.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

Make sure that all of the valves are firmly screwed in through the hardware cloth into the PVC tubing and make sure that the whole assembly is level to cut down on air pockets.

Mark

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Would it have to be level or would you want the farthest point away to be slightly lower so that water follows gravity to the lowest point? asking alot of questions, sorry.

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Originally Posted by twh

. . . imitation vanilla in my rodents water for years with no problems (bottles).vanilla retards smell and as mentioned bleach kills the bad stuff.

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How much vanilla per 5 gallons would you use?

per 5 gallons i add 5 teaspoons of imiation vanilla and 2 teaspoons of bleach.hope this helps.

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Originally Posted by whytepizza

Would it have to be level or would you want the farthest point away to be slightly lower so that water follows gravity to the lowest point? asking alot of questions, sorry.

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I keep mine level and there isn't a problem, it's only a distance of about 3-4 feet and the tubing is wide enough so there aren't any air pockets forming. I suppose if the distance were longer you might want to angle it downward somewhat.

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Originally Posted by whytepizza

Quick question, do you think having a filter running in the resivoir, and/or having one of those uv water treatment lights would reduce all, if any, build up in the piping?
Also, do you think this can be modifited to allow a drip system instead of the ones rats would chew on? Wondering if i could change it around a little and use it for tropical snakes to keep humidity up.

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I've got a friend who has filtered water and a UV sterilizer on his water system, but he raises tens of thousands of rodents. I don't think it would be worth while for as small a scale as I have here.

I'm not sure if a drip system would work all that well, the water reservoir is up high and that creates more pressure. It might come out as a stream instead of a drip. I really don't know though since I've never tried it.

Awesome, sounds good, thank you!
I built one and have tried the fish idea. I used to work at a pet store and we were thinking up ways to ship fish long distances without having to worry about oxogen. We tried several things but silver in water can create some O2 as it oxidizes. We tried it, but silver is expencive and we quickly gave up on 'out shipment with silver' idea, but we kept it for some of our large tanks. Thanks to old computers we pulled out alot of silver and platinum (also works).
So, i put it in my resevoir. It works well! Sometimes, if it's hot or if i just refill the resevoir i hear a snap, crackle, and pop as the oxogen rises, but it eliminates ALOT of the fungal gunk. It's still not perfect for the tubes, but it does help. I also keep a carbon filter over the hole leading to the PVC inside the resevoir. This eliminates alot of the oxogen passing through but i use about a quarter of the bleach and have had no buildup! On one section of every horizontal piping i used a clear piece of tubing. It's hard plastic like pvc but it allows me to see if there is anything growing that i need to take care of.
Thanks so much! I could not have built this without your diagrams!
My next step is to try and bring the pipe down into the cage and into a built-in bowl for snakes. Kind of like those automatic dog waterers with a 2L bottle of soda. Just means i have to put a lid on my resevoir :-D We'll see!

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I've got a friend who has filtered water and a UV sterilizer on his water system, but he raises tens of thousands of rodents. I don't think it would be worth while for as small a scale as I have here.

I'm not sure if a drip system would work all that well, the water reservoir is up high and that creates more pressure. It might come out as a stream instead of a drip. I really don't know though since I've never tried it.

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First i just want to say that is a very awesome design. I also want to say the the automatic watering system is great. This may be a dumb question but what about the food. Do you use bowls of food in each tub, or add lab blocks to the top of each tub on the wire mesh?

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Originally Posted by Camel413

Do you use bowls of food in each tub, or add lab blocks to the top of each tub on the wire mesh?

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The lab blocks go on top of the wire mesh and the rats eat it through the holes. One tip, don't let the food level get too low or the rats have a hard time eating it. The weight of the food holds the bottom food from moving and when the food level is low the rats end up pushing the food around instead of being able to eat it.

Have you ever had problems with them chewing on those tubs?:confused:

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Originally Posted by rocko2527

Have you ever had problems with them chewing on those tubs?:confused:

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Surprisingly no. I've got tooth marks on many of the tubs, but they haven't put any holes in them and I've never had to replace one yet.

Me either, my rack is just like that minus the watering system.

wow that rack is incredible what did it cost to build?

It's been over three years now since it's been up and running and I no longer remember exact costs, but it seems to me that it was somewhere between $300.00-$400.00 bucks. However, even if it were twice that, it's easily paid for itself several times over with all the mice I didn't have to buy.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

It's been over three years now since it's been up and running and I no longer remember exact costs, but it seems to me that it was somewhere between $300.00-$400.00 bucks. However, even if it were twice that, it's easily paid for itself several times over with all the mice I didn't have to buy.

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yeh I am considering building a few rat/mice racks, to save on money. And also supply a few of my friends in need of feeders:)

I just built my six level high asf rat rack, complete with concrete tubs 20x26. I built it using, 2x2 and 2x3 and used 2 1/2 wood screws. I am defintely going to use your idea of the automatic water system. For I am building 1-2 more racks the same size to house my 100asf rat breeding colony. Thanks for the how to.:)

I built my rack based off of Marks design but with a few mods to it. I only made mine 6 levels and used a little larger pan. I put food stops so only 1/4 of the screen has food over it and used a valve on each level. Other than those differences mine is the same. I agree with the $300-400 cost. Right now we are selling surplus to 2 different stores and making a profit of $150 per month, so i would say that it was a wise investment. Thanks for the ideas mark.

I am working on another rack close to this one, 4 wide 7 high. In the end I will have a little less than $300 involved. Including water system.

Wow! very nice

How does the 1/4" wire mesh work for the mice? Are they able to get at the food, or are the holes too small? I always thought that the holes were too small for them to get at their food unless it was 3/8" or 1/2"?

it does seem like 1/4 is too small,however they do fine with it.