Kaytee 10 Gallon Aquarium Tank Topper Add On Habitat for Pet Gerbils, Hamsters or Mice

I have bought a Syrian hamster and received this cage-aquarium extender only yesterday, so I can share only the first experience though I had other pets before. I liked this cage overall. Pros: 1) it is super easy to assemble. Takes 5 minutes. Arrived in a perfect condition. 2) it is easily attached to a regular 10 gallon aquarium from Wal-Mart. It has springs to make connection tight. Fits perfectly. 3) It is easy to detach and put back as needed. Nothing falls off. Everything sits tight. It is a cheap cost-effective solution. 4) it allows the hamster to travel up and down and separate the food, hay, toys, etc. from the wheel and hiding residence. My hamster understood how to travel right away. 5) it allows you to keep most of the bedding, hay and food inside, much less cleaning around!!!! 6) it is easy to clean inside. 7) great solutions for those who have a limited space available for a pet corner (like myself) 8) it allows you to put more bedding than a standard cage. Cons: 1) I didn't like the included bottle, but I never intended to use it. So still 5 stars. I am a strong advocate for glass bottles anyway. 2) No extension. why not to add a hole to attach extensions??? Come on, manufacturer! learn from yourself, how to make more sales. 3) I'd buy a higher one with more shelves, I am not sure if there are any. 4) It would be great if there would be same extenders for 20 gallon tanks.

I am very happy with this product. My almost 5 yo son has a Teddy Bear Hamster, Honey, and we had her in a 10 gallon tank and I could tell she just did not have enough room ~ the tank had been used before for gerbils. I tried one of the habitrail type homes but the poor thing hated it - there was no place for her to burrow, and I do have to say that it really seemed smaller even though it was taller than the tank, the three levels weren't really levels but shelves she kept knocking down by bumping the tubes. After checking out tank toppers on-line I decided to give this Tank Topper a try. I loved that we received it in 3 days, I chose standard shipping, and my son was really excited to help set it up and we put it together with no trouble at all! Instead of putting the food dish in the hole in the top shelf I put a Critter Trail tube because that was one thing that Honey did like about the other home, and it fit just fine. There is still enough room in the tank for her wheel, a chew tube and for her to move around. She seems much happier now - loves using the ladders to go up to the shelves and uses the tube we put in all the time. She does chew on the ladders a bit but I can't see her chewing all the way though them. I really don't have a negative thing to say about this product. I don't think it would be appropriate for gerbils or mice - I can see them getting through the gaps in the bars but if you have a regular sized hamster it is a great product and gives them the room they need to move around and a place to burrow.

I'm really surprised that large chain stores don't carry this product. This is the best housing solution for Syrian hamsters we've found in years of looking. Combine this with a $10 glass aquarium and its the cheapest as well. Plastic "...trail" products are not durable, are a pain to assemble and hard to keep clean. Metal cages are durable but expensive and not as flexible. What we've done is combine Crittertrail parts with the platforms that come with this kit to get the same effect as a larger all-plastic cage. As for those who complain that the shelving gets chewed...um, duh...thats how these little guys explore their surroundings and that also tells me you aren't offering them an alternative to help wear down their incisors. Cleaning this setup is a snap, the cover comes off in one piece--along with any attached shelves & parts--giving you easy access to litter for changing. Housing potential mates next to each other allows Syrians to interact a bit without sharing the same cage--preventing fights b/w incompatible suitors. The biggest drawback to this product is the tendency for Syrians to "pitch-their-poop" if they're on the second floor--but training them to use a corner box in the aquarium can minimize "collateral damage." Finally, rodent urine will eventually lead to rusting of just about any cage, but repaint & seal with quality non-toxic spray paints and you're good to go. I DID NOT RECEIVE A DISCOUNT FROM ANYONE FOR THIS REVIEW; HOWEVER, SUPER PET IF YOU'RE OUT THERE AND YOU WANT TO GIVE ME SOME MONEY I'M DOWN WITH THAT!!!

the cage is good but the rats were scared of the ramps because they are plastic and they don't like heights. I will put the platforms lower down and I will use tubes instead of ramps since they don't like the ramps at all. The little house is ok, the water is too low but I have all that stuff already, I just needed the cage and it's fine. Too bad there is only an opening at the top, if there was one on the side it would be really great to reach down below but since I intend on using the grid I have in the middle it makes no difference to me.

great product, gerbal and hampsters love them.

This delivered exactly what was promised -- it doubles the space for your gerbils or similar small pets in a 10-gallon aquarium. No problem assembling it or attaching it to the top of our aquarium. The gerbils love it, though they use it mainly at night, perhaps because it may seem a little exposed to them up there during the day. Only drawbacks: as other reviewers have mentioned, the gerbils got to work right away gnawing the plastic ramps (which themselves seem to have rather weak areas where they bend), so bits are missing already -- not sure how long they will last! Also, the gerbils seem to be using the platforms as their toilet (makes sense, since it is the furthest area from their bedding below), so the cage is rather more smelly than before, and requires more cleaning ... and they are now able to kick their food and poo out of the cage, which didn't happen previously. Otherwise fine -- seems sturdy, and the trapdoor on top closes tightly.

I have mixed feelings about this tank topper. I find setting up the platforms extremely frustrating. There's also the potential for a serious fall unless you fill your tank all the way to the top with bedding like I did. Despite these two things I'm actually very happy with my purchase and do reccomend this tank topper for Gerbils. Although I may have to replace the plastic platforms and ramps with wooden ones (depending on whether or not my Gerbils chew them) I overall got the outcome I was hoping to achieve. I also like that it gives my cat the opportunity to view the Gerbils in a safe way (although I NEVER leave them unsupervised). **Please keep in mind that if you're going to keep your Hamster or Gerbil in a cage this size you should be providing ample exercise and stimulation outside of it.**

As other reviewers have mentioned, gerbils will chew all the plastic elements in the cage. However, these are not accessories - these are the elements that allow the gerbils to get shelter and up to the top of the cage and eat. We've had this for 1 month and the house is almost structurally unsound and the food bowl mostly destroyed. The ramps are also being chewed on. (As the pictures show). According to the science, gerbils and hamsters cannot live in the same types of cages - they have different needs. The problem with this tank topper is that all of its internal structure is made of plastic, which gerbils have a tendency to chew through, so it's a real gamble if you are the owner of gerbils*. *Not all gerbils will be as voracious as mine, so you could take a chance. I took a chance as the all-wire tank toppers are nearly 3 times the price. I will need to find an alternative now before the structure collapses completely. Oh yes, the poo and pee stays at the top as was mentioned by other owners. This makes it much more maintenance than all-wire toppers. Buyer beware!