The perfect setup is something safe to all animals inside, escape proof, and harbors as few distractions to the parents' primary goal-caring for their litter. 10-20 gallon (38-76l) tanks work best. 10's are adequate but a little small at the end, 15's if you can get them (two take up the same length and width as one 55 gallon) are about perfect, and 20's are more than enough space. Spend the $ to get a decent mesh clip on top. It keeps gerbils in and other critters out.

1) Easy to get through absorbant low-dust low-allergen bedding. The best so far, is 2" (5 cm) of corncob.

Problems have been encountered with carefresh, most notably respiratory infections and some cases of bedding adhering to noses.

2) Nothing to climb and jump off, or to crawl under and be trapped. Pups are great at this. Especially if they can get under a nesting box then someone dances on it, it will injure them about the same as if they'd been dropped..and may kill them.

3) No wheel. Wheel fanatics are known to run so much they neglect their pups. Or carry a pup in their mouth, jump on, and drop the pup by accident into the moving wheel. Or decide to move the nest in under the wheel, jam everything in there, then jump in to run...or put the nest in the wheel then decide to run.

4) Waterbottle...can be lowered at eyes open so that any curious/learning pups can get to it safely. There are two in the picture (to come) one shows adult height, and one shows pup-access height. You need just one per tank.

5) Neststuff. Unscented undyed toilet tissue works well. Cheapo works well. A few reports of the stuff sticking to pup noses...switch brands. I've never had a problem with Northern unscented plain.

6) The blocker stuff. Putting waterbottle to one end, one of the farther two corners will become nestcorner. Blocking the three sides and covering the top on that half encourages the dark/quiet/secure feeling the female needs for making the birth nest and the days after delivery. You can uncover the top and unblock the front to peek quickly especially the first few days, but put it back and leave her to tend nest.

I use a digital camera to quickly open the top, lure her off and open the nest and take a few pictures. This takes like a minute. I can then close up and leave her alone, and go sit at computer, download the newborn's first picture, and count noses without bothering her. And admire all I want. YES you can make the new litter pic into a screensaver or your desktop background too!

You can add a warm corner if the room temperature is below 60F (15-16C) for the female to move the nest for comfort.

Do not give back the wheel, nest box, food dish, etc, to a breeding pair until AFTER you retire them... if they are producing a litter, weaning that one off and the female carries the next litter... they need to dedicate themselves to the rearing of litters. If you separate a pair (son with dad, or mom with a daughter from the last litter) then you can give back all the neat stuff to the ones retired.