VICTORIA! My brother has had his hamster in a 20 gallon tank for her whole life, and I FINALLY convinced him to upgrade her to a 40 gallon. She is doing sooo much better now and it’s thanks to you!
I got mad at HamsterLAB for pouring water on to the hamster during watering the plants. The last straw was when they put in a proper water "pond" as a drinking water source which is when I unsubbed.
I remember seeing a comment talking about how much the hamster dug and them claiming this was proof that having a normal hamster cage was actually cruel. But the only reason the hamster dug so much is because they gave him absolutely nothing else to do
It’s been driving me CRAZY seeing how many people “LOVE” this enclosure because its “natural”. Just because it’s natural does not mean it is appropriate. Thank you so much for making this video! 💖
the channel just has zero knowledge about hamsters, but if he was to reengineer the idea with knowledge backing up his creative process then maybe he can win this idea. But he’s making a random enclosure and just throwing a hamster inside. Idk it kind of a seems like he’s only obsessed with the idea of playing God.
It's so weird to me (someone who keeps reptiles bioactive) that he didn't put any kind of mesh between the LECA and the soil. Any bioactive tutorial , whether you have vertebrates in it or not, will have that and since he knew to put the LECA surely he saw or read something along those lines. And why not make it bioactive? Springtails and isopods are not hard to buy and would at least help keep it clean, plus they might be interesting for the hamster. Also It bothers me so much that he has made this wet foresty tank for an animal that comes from an arid climate. It is possible to make an arid bioactive setup which could be cool if done well, though personally my experiences going bioactive with burrowing animals haven't been great so idk if it would be good with a hamster.
I did recently see a video on his channel where he added in springtails, but I agree with everything you said. Its like this guy is taking bits and pieces from bioactive enclosures and modifying it to make it his own. His methods are not beneficial and sure to fail.
Clearly he has zero idea what he''s doing and too lazy to do enough research and just doing parts of different things ge has seen or looks cool and thinking this will be enough and make it a real bioactive enclosure. Maybe he's just too lazy to clean the waste and saw this as a cool idea.
@@Clover_knows_pets Yes! I have learned this. I was just saying that the channel did add in springtails for the clean-up purpose. As the original poster was questioning why springtails weren't being used. Yet, like you said, it wouldn't be enough. :)
I will never get people who make tutorial videos about their "I have no idea what I'm doing" way of life, without any research on the topic, without knowing that what they are doing is wrong on so many levels. Thank you for pointing these out and I find it pathetic that they tried to block you without any self reflection.
when i worked at petsmart in 2014 (omg almost 10 years ago im getting old lol) i would always tell people to not get hamster cages and go w fish tanks/terrariums. so glad to see another person so loving towards these little babies! never heard of someone making a natural terrarium so this video was very interesting and informative! and im sure if done properly it could be a good thing but i was having the same thoughts as you throughout the vid. anyway sorry for the ramble! keep up the good work!💕
looking back at your vids im realizing ive followed you on twitter for a long while and i think you’re the one that i actually learned the tank idea from! so thank you i convinced many people to do that and not get the normal hamster cage. you’re awesome girlie!
When I got my hamster the petsmart people told me to get this tiny tails cage. I feel bad that my hamster had to live in that until I upgraded him to a 40 gal tank 2 weeks later. Hes happy now
They could've gone with an arid, bioactive enclosure in a 40 gal, and that would have been interesting to see. I do bioactive enclosures for arboreal geckos so I am not sure if bioactive enclosures for hamsters are similar, but they did everything wrong just from a bioactive reptile enclosure standpoint.
I'm in a group on Facebook for creating bioactive enclosures for small animals and the main issue for hamsters is they will destroy the roots on any plants and also eat the entire cleanup crew really fast 😆
I always see my friends who have hamster and they always have super small cages and poor care. I always recommend your channel and hopefully we can spread good information around and the hamster care will get better!
This frustrates me so much 😭 It isn't hard to give your animals proper care and housing. I'm so tired of people treating hamsters like they're decorations.
This was very interesting! I always wondered how natural enclosures could work with soil substrate and being bio active/no cleaning. Your explanation makes sense. It’s also always fun learning about the landscape where hamsters come from 🐹 Thanks for the informative video!
Victoria, you are so great. After growing up myself with hamsters, which we kept in small plastic enclosure, not knowing any better, I came across your channel while researching when my own children asked for a hamster. I ended up getting a large enclosure made for her because I couldn't find anything suitable where I live, and the hamster is doing so well. It could have been so different without all the tutorials I watched. She has sand and soil boxes, we try to keep her stimulated, and she has 20cm of paper bedding not sawdust. It's all thanks to you 💛💚💙
I adore how smart yet sweet and classy you always are ❣️ 😘 You have inspired me since day one to ALWAYS research and do your homework before taking on a new pet. It's so rewarding to help a new critter with the best care possible. 🙏🙌
Since getting a frog I’ve been more interested in naturalistic hamster setups. I don’t want to risk anything for my hammy right now but maybe after more research it can be something I could try in the future! I think it would be interesting to see what can be done with store-bought materials for a naturalistic enclosure to make sure its as safe as possible
there are lots of hamster groups on Facebook that are really good for information on this topic! a lot of people use normal bedding with safe plants in pots, with small areas that are tailored to the type of hamster they have! you can easily make a sand bath more naturalistic looking too, and loads of people already use things like cork logs that can be amazing enrichment and also decorations :)
dried moss also is great to give a real earthy feel in the enclosure! i love seeing my hamster really search for his seeds between it. With my gerbil I didn't use it, but for the hamster its really great, looks great and serves a purpose for him too :)
I have learned from my experience with worm farming that it is really easy to introduce an invasive species (especially mites) that can thrive in an enclosed environment. Sadly bringing things in from outdoors or letting pets go free then bringing them back to their homes indoors means exposure and could lead to an infestation and so much harm 🥺
Straight up, happened with my hamster when I was nine. Stupid young me brought her out and put her on our deck's planter, where she started digging and making tunnels (which was also the first time I saw her do that and thought it was cool) but she bit thru the plastic that was holding the dirt, and fell below the deck. I was so upset and just seeing this dudes videos makes my heart hurt so so much
@@fridaaa0 nope :( never saw her again. That's why it's so scary to even think of taking a hamster outside. U blink for a second and they could be gone forever
I love naturalistic hamster enclosers. I tried to do as much realistic I could in my bin cage with my hamster. It turned out great. (His bin cage was 780 sq (50 gallons) )
they can definitely be done well, and can really benefit hamsters if research is done into their natural environment based on the type you have... this one was just done really poorly unfortunately
@@Caviidae I commented a little bit too early before I watched the video. I thought it meant like I made mine more like with loads of bedding and natural woods like corklogs and other, instead of colored woods and plastic is what I thought realistic hamster enclosers meant. I wouldn’t use soil or anything from the store or outside but yeah this is really sad and I feel so bad for the hamsters that are just put into things that the people think is good which at least I’m glad they look out for their pets but not with research which research is always important.
I’m so happy you did this video, I was thinking of doing a video on it myself as I don’t think it’s right how he cares for his hamster. He lets the cat be in the same room as the hamster, while the hamster is running around on the floor and made them sit together for the video. It gives me so much anxiety watching it, especially when I first saw the video you were reacting to when the hamster was in a burrow/tunnel thing in the wild 😱 I honestly thought they had lost him but somehow they managed to get him back. I just think this person is irresponsible tbh and shouldn’t own small animals.
He's also ignoring all the comments that are telling him what's wrong with the enclosure, and liking the positive ones so they appear on the top of the comment section.
@Hadzera Duharkic exactly! It makes me think he knows he’s doing stuff wrong, but wants to continue to do it anyway so he has content or something. Poor hamster 😢 hopefully he’ll listen soon as he’s sending many wrong messages to people who don’t know any better. He (in my opinion) seems to treat the hamster as an experiment dummy which upsets me to see!
Among the youtube or tic toc channels tgat annoy me the most are people who force tiny pray animals like mice, rabbits babies, hamsters, birds to be next to predator like cats to create a "cute" video and almost even worse are all the low iq people gushing and praising and crying who cute it is, "the cat is so sweet" (even when he's hitting the hamster or baby rabbit), "they are such good friends".
FINALLY! I had similar feelings while watching those videos. It didn't really feel like it's okay. Finally someone said them. They r basically testing on this animal. Obviously wrong methods to take care of little buddy. Thank u Victoria. Seek don't give up!
Yeah, it feels kind of like they're experimenting with the hamster, which is just so sad. Edit: apparently they've literally stated that they're experimenting, oh god
Thank you so much for doing a video on this! I saw these recommended myself and couldn't help but feel something was off as I was watching, even without seeing the first video where he described the measurements of the cage as too small. I tried commenting on the most recent video and sharing some of the information I've learned on this channel and others, but if they were going as far as to take down your video criticizing them, I doubt they'll listen to me or anyone else in their comment section. :/ Thank you for doing this video though! It was good to be validated in my own criticisms and concerns, and to even learn about things I hadn't considered as issues when watching these videos.
Clearly they know exactly that they are doing wrong but they are only using the hamster to make money or experiment with it so they don't care, only what gives the cash. Honestly makes me feel sick that people are like this but mostly I worry that kids will think they're care is totally fine and as example just go and get the bedding from outside.
Hi Victoria! I love your videos so much (and i dont even have a hamster). Im currently in the process of convincing my dad to let me have a hamster after watching your videos. If he says yes, i would be so excited to care for it properly using all your advice because honestly ur content is the best, most educating hamster care i have ever come across. Thank you so much again. The difference you are making in so many hamsters lives is unbelievable xx
Yay, another video ^_^ and thank you for this because I was thinking pretty much the same exact same things about these naturalistic enclosures w materials DIRECTLY from outside!! Even though I have a panther chameleon in a bioactive enclosure w live plants and all that, I still make sure to separate my leca layer w my substrate layer/s and use sanitized materials too. Right now, my dwarf hamster is in a 75gal aquarium enclosure w aspen, cocoa fiber, hay, and all of that:) thank you so much Victoria for all your insight and feedback for the hamster community
You are a wonderful advocate for hamster care! I often wonder if people post inappropriate care videos just to get attention. I feel sorry for their hamster and he likely will have a shorten life. Thank you for all you do, I learn a lot from your channel.
OMG VICTORIA!!!! I finally convinced my parents to get 55 gallon bin cages for both of my hamsters thanks to you!! Thank you so much!!! My hamsters are so happy now!!!
Thank you for the this video. It not only outlines the dangers of these types of enclosures but I ultra appreciate the intro with the dangers of bringing a hamster outside. I've heard even of people taking their hamster in those hamster balls outside thinking being outdoors benefits the hamster in some way. The dangers not only of literal predators but the risks of fungus, bacteria, or bugs / ticks is a huge huge thing that people don't think of as a dangers when bringing their pets outside.
Love how you are out here and telling others how to correctly take care of a hamster. Including me. I got into hamster care many months ago from my RUclips feed showing a hamster video. Since then I have been very into hamsters and back then Is when I found your channel. Which was literally one of the best things ever. YOU ARE any favorite hamster RUclipsr and I am highly sure I have watched like every single one of your hamster and hamster care videos…..anyways keep doing what you are doing because it is TRULY helpful!☺️
I loved how this video was taken down and you posted it anyway! I loved this video and was slightly distracted by your nails (how are they perfect?!) during the video 😍 Love your vids Tori ❤️
I’m so glad you made this video. I’ve been saving up to do this for my hamster but I guess she doesn’t need it. She already has a really big cage and a big sand bath so ig she’s doing fine
You made some really good points. I'm glad you made this video. It does look fun to dig in the dirt, but there are so many more aspects to a good enriching hamster enclosure.
I love this, your points are spot on! I had the same concern with mould in a full soil enclosure, then I got a dig box with moist soil and low and behold there was mould growth after a week.. it's a dry soil dig box now, which the gerbs prefer much more anyway! ☺️
Hey victoria my hamster melvin just passed away so i came to watch your vids again because I watched them when i first adopted him. Your videos helped me give him a nice life so thank you🙏
Thank you Victoria for this video. I commented multiple times for hamster care but they don't seem to bat an eye on my comments. They are spending and earning so much money for the videos and they keep bringing hamsters but I feel like they don't care about the hammies much. Someone in my comment replied that thats what they can afford which is bs cz the cages and glass terrariums are far more expensive than any decent hammy enclosure.
i was looking to build a bioactive enclosure for my syrian rescue, since my five cresties have a bioactive build- but i'll continue with how i have her now! thank you for the information ❤️
Hi Victoria I love your channel so much I have been watching your channel for years even before I got my first hamster Misty and you have given me so many wonderful ideas my current roborovski hamster nutmeg is getting a cage upgrade soon even though it is over the are bare minimum it is still too small so I'm upgrading and I feel like this is a good example on how much room a hamster needs❤️
I also thought it was too small and didn’t have much enrichment. don’t know if you saw the video where they added a small pond in the enclosure, but I thought that wasn’t a good idea either.
Oh no this is so bad. Just imagine if the things they collected was poisonous or had animal waste on it. That could stress the hamster out . I love the look of bio setups but it’s a pain to maintain. I know this part is random but it’s a bit of news. I’m currently fostering a winter white dwarf hamster. I’ve never had one before only Syrians now I’m in love with them 🥰
I just found out about this channel a couple weeks ago! This channel has their mind in the right place, but the way they execute their hamster care is inferior. I love that you're reacting to it, I have quite a few opinions on this setup as well. 🙂 Excited to watch!!
Hi I just want to say thank you for changing the way that I care for my hamster now I have learnt so much and now I am trying to educate others about the proper hamster care.😊🐹
I avoided filling my cage with soil because of the potential for bacteria growth that you mentioned and because it would just weigh too much! Nimby's cage would weigh about 1000 pounds if I filled it with soil 😂 Thanks for all of your great advice!!
i just got a 40 gallon breeder tank this week! now my hamster has an excessive amount of less bar bitting and stress behavior. i would never know to upgrade if it wasn’t for you 🥰. im obsessed with your videos
hey vic. my hamster passed away a few days ago, at the age of 2 1/2. i am heartbroken. thank you so so so much for educating me on hamster care, or he probably wouldn’t have had a happy life!! so thank you for making his life so happy! much love to you❤️❤️
Great video as usual! Do you think you can react to HamsterLAB? The enclosure uses soil only as well but they do a lot of extra stuff and even though the setup looks very interesting I do find some parts concerning like having the hamster drink from the lake they made in the cage.
but the water in that pond it constantly running and being filtered, its not just standing water. i cant honestly think of anything else of concern, what other potential issues are there? is it safety? because that is pretty much how a hamster in the wild would drink, right?
I had all the same thoughts! I won’t even go in the hamster room if I’ve been working outside in the yard because I’m nervous I could bring mites, bugs etc.. into their environment.
There’s a fourth reason that I sadly found out the hard way when I was a kid - I let my hamster play on my grandma’s lawn and something poisoned him - the vet said he probably ate a plant. And my beloved Harry (he was SO amazing - such a strong and funny character) died. It was awful, poor little thing.
...I saw a video the other day where someone was making a naturalistic hamster enclosure. They make it MASSIVE with LOADS of digging room, BUT... They proceeded to fill with dirt and sand which would obviously collapse when the hamster burrowed in it AND THEN THEY MADE A POND😭😡🤬😭!!!! They said that it was ok for hamsters to swim as they apparently do it all the time in the wild😭. They put the hamster in and there was nowhere for it to hide... It tried to dig a burrow but the soil kept collapsing 😭 it started running laps, 100km/h, obviously incredibly stressed out!!!😭😭😭 The owner then said how their hamster was so excited and that's why they were running laps... The poor little guy😭😭😭😡😡😡😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🥺🥺🥺
My hamster recently passed and I have been so sad. Ive watched your video even before I had a hamster but im still going to watch your videos because they are amazing ❤
This is a very helpful video. I was planning to do this to my hammy because I thought its nice to have a "natural habitat" but never thought of these repercussions 😰😰😱
RUclips spammed that video too much lol and the first thing I saw was the size of the enclosure. Too small, as you said. I didn't watch the video, i thought the size of the enclosure spoke by itself on how poor is their real knowledge about hamsters caring :/ I hope they watch this video and think about their mistakes. Domesticated hamsters are not the same than wild ones :/ Ps: I'm not ranting or what. Just saying that people have a lot to learn. Myself as well. I'm learning a lot thanks to you and Munchie's Place. And it's not good when people don't want to listen. I hope they do their research and give a better enclosure.
I have been one of your long time favourite RUclips fan because I have a hamster of my own, I learned a lot from your show so now my hamster is still kicking well. Looking forward of seeing your video soon, he he.
I don’t really understand how this is natural at all (considering this enclosure doesn’t look like the typical setting a wild hamster would be in) and I’m so glad you worked hard to make this video possible even tho Stephan’s owner was being difficult in letting you put their content in your video for you to comment on. I hope That eventually, the owner will understand where they went wrong and provide Stephen with all the necessary items for him to live a happy life. Over the past year, I’ve learnt so much about hamster care from you and i am ever so grateful that you are continuing to spread the good care info! Also wanted to ask what you thought about Erin’s animals’ billy XL enclosure that has soil as the main substrate at one point
Hi! Your vids have made me take care of my hamsters better. I have always taken care of them and they have had a big pet store cage but now my winter white lives in ikea detolf and my syrian in a big terrarium! Thank you!
Hi Victoria, I had actually watched that video and I was worried about the type of food they were giving as it just looked like dried vegetables. An amazing video. See you in the next one.
Hi Victoria!! I am a new subscriber and I love your videos! I used to have a hamster a couple of years ago and unfortunately I never knew about you so she didn't have the best life, but now I have been watching your videos and I've learned so much about hamsters from you!
Hey Victoria thank u sm for making these videos my hamsters used to live in a 179sq cage and now they live in 750+ Tysm thanks to you my hamsters are so much happier
It would work well as an addition to their full cage space. A tube that leads from their full cage to the dirt area. I’ve done similar things with my hams.
Hi Victoria! I have been watching your videos since like 2 months ago? But ever since i have been a big fan of yours. It made me learn more about hamsters! Thank you :) ilysm
I searched for their RUclips and weirdly enough I was suscribed. I scrolled down and couldn't find any video that would justify me subscribing to them. Weird.
I'm so glad you are covering this channel. I've been pretty irritated by this. And of course they don't want to hear from you. You're the hamster guru/whisperer and they know you'll make them look bad by telling the truth lol.
I'm in a group on Facebook where people make bioactive enclosures for small pets. Mainly hedgehogs and sometimes guineapigs. It's incredibly interesting and people do try proper bioactive for hamsters. The main issue isn't even really the spot cleaning although that is needed, but actually that the hamsters will eat the insects 😂
i think your really underatted you helped so many people keep there hamster a long happy life . for example i did not know that you needed a big cage and my cage is so much better now i use the right food and bedding thank you so much Victoria . you deserve 10mil subscribes
so glad you addressed this. they have so much advice in the comments but don't want to hear it. this is hamster number 2. there are follow up videos that have ore concerns. you can tell he's trying but he's using it as a personal experiment and is not interested in research. he was shocked the hamster likes to dig and advises the mustn't eat fresh veg. the top has to be built up as the hamster keeps trying to get out. the cat is often around the tank with the top open also. it makes my anxiety very high watching it.
I have kept gerbils (I know not exactly the same) in a converted tank. I split it in two sections, different substrates. I found substrates of chinchilla sand, hay, aspen, carefresh and cardboard tubes gave them really good opportunity to dig and build as the cardboard and hay helped to hold tunnels together. They had large wooden houses, bridges etc burrowed underneath to give them more sturdy burrows. The second part was bedroom with an wooden arch creating a den stuffed with carefresh. They obviously brought other materials from the other part to make their bedroom cozy. We attached their wooden wheel to the cage cover to save on floor space. I have tried peat and Coco coir before and I felt like the risk of respiratory tract infections was too large and worried about the cleaning and ventilation. I don't believe you can have such enclosure and never need to clean it. Gerbils are much cleaner than hamsters (especially the pee part), however still required regular substrate cleaning! Plus the wooden houses and bridges etc do soak up urine. So they're also not lasting forever
this video is so good. there’s so many layers to why this is so good im now obsessed with ethical hamster enclosures. i don’t even have a hamster and have never even considered getting a hamster lol.
Thank you so much.. I got sent that video as like a "hey you like hamsters how cool is this idea??" and I was internally screaming the entire time I watched it
Couldn't agree more! I have the same feelings on bioactive rodent enclosures, especially for mice. I don't thin a CUC could keep up with a single hamster, let alone a group of mice. I think they're nice ideas, but don't really work well.
Finally! I commented on that I said “ i’ve seen on your video with small cage you need to put 450 in.² of floor space pls change that” and then someone said “are you insane” (commented on my comment)
Victoria, I'm not a blogger, so I apologize for my low-quality RUclips videos. I have some experience keeping hamsters, and nothing more. And since you have long become a great authority for me and I decided to make some videos and show you the conditions of my pets. I am very grateful to you because your channels have shown me a lot of good and useful information that I would use and recommend to other hamster owners. Good luck and thanks again.
As always very informative love it Victoria ❤❤ I have a robo hamster name brownie 🐹 used to be living in a small cage from the petsmart then after gave him a 20 gallon tank but finally got him a nightangel cage large n he's been loving it with enrichment 🙌🙌😭 its been 9 months with him . Thank you 😊
Your chanel taught me so much thinks 3/4 my knowledge of hamster care. Your ideas of hamster enclosure are awesome. Mabel is such a cute snowball, Dipper is just incredible, Waddles is the fastest chinees hamster I ever seen (and also first I ever seen). Lola and Cleo best sisters. Sadie and JJ best friends/cat siblings. Plants are awsome and the birds of paradise will be so amazing when it grow bigger. I also know much more words in English because of your chanel.(I'm from Poland) Keep cross fingers for your and your animall future:)
The fact that these people tell them self they know everything and pass the wrong info whereas our Victoria is helping a lot of hamster owners to provide their hamster a best life... I recently got hamster after watching you for an whole year...(he is in a small cage for now) my dad is impressed that I studied them before getting one so my dad is building a new one (550* sq inches of floor space) thanks to Victoria
Thank you for drawing attention to this. Just because something may look "nice" or "natural" doesn't mean it's what's best for a hamster's well-being.
VICTORIA! My brother has had his hamster in a 20 gallon tank for her whole life, and I FINALLY convinced him to upgrade her to a 40 gallon. She is doing sooo much better now and it’s thanks to you!
That’s amazing you could help convince him to upgrade!!
I'm so happy you did that :)
I'm glad that you shared that with him
Good job!
They can live in 10-20 gallons…
and it’s kinda sad how people are praising them and attacking people who actually know better about hamster enrichment
AYEE MA XIAO TIAO
I got mad at HamsterLAB for pouring water on to the hamster during watering the plants. The last straw was when they put in a proper water "pond" as a drinking water source which is when I unsubbed.
@@imogenlaci-mai I hate having the hamster 🐹 being "baptized" by its owner. Hamsters need to be kept dry for their own health.
Yeah and they can't even imagine being a little creature stuck on a tiny cage without food or with no escape. This makes my heart 💔
I remember seeing a comment talking about how much the hamster dug and them claiming this was proof that having a normal hamster cage was actually cruel. But the only reason the hamster dug so much is because they gave him absolutely nothing else to do
It’s been driving me CRAZY seeing how many people “LOVE” this enclosure because its “natural”.
Just because it’s natural does not mean it is appropriate. Thank you so much for making this video! 💖
I saw this and immediately thought, this cage is so low with no lid that hamster could easily dig a mound and then climb that mound to escape.
@@novaangle2183 you didn't watch the real video on Slivki Show channel and yes they have a lid but just didn't show it in this video
the channel just has zero knowledge about hamsters, but if he was to reengineer the idea with knowledge backing up his creative process then maybe he can win this idea. But he’s making a random enclosure and just throwing a hamster inside. Idk it kind of a seems like he’s only obsessed with the idea of playing God.
Free Willy
It's so weird to me (someone who keeps reptiles bioactive) that he didn't put any kind of mesh between the LECA and the soil. Any bioactive tutorial , whether you have vertebrates in it or not, will have that and since he knew to put the LECA surely he saw or read something along those lines. And why not make it bioactive? Springtails and isopods are not hard to buy and would at least help keep it clean, plus they might be interesting for the hamster. Also It bothers me so much that he has made this wet foresty tank for an animal that comes from an arid climate. It is possible to make an arid bioactive setup which could be cool if done well, though personally my experiences going bioactive with burrowing animals haven't been great so idk if it would be good with a hamster.
I noticed that to, (I keep Reptiles, amphibians, and terestrial crustaceans in bioactive setups)
I did recently see a video on his channel where he added in springtails, but I agree with everything you said. Its like this guy is taking bits and pieces from bioactive enclosures and modifying it to make it his own. His methods are not beneficial and sure to fail.
Clearly he has zero idea what he''s doing and too lazy to do enough research and just doing parts of different things ge has seen or looks cool and thinking this will be enough and make it a real bioactive enclosure. Maybe he's just too lazy to clean the waste and saw this as a cool idea.
@@Allthingshamster springtails don't do EVERYTHING and would not be enough
@@Clover_knows_pets Yes! I have learned this. I was just saying that the channel did add in springtails for the clean-up purpose. As the original poster was questioning why springtails weren't being used. Yet, like you said, it wouldn't be enough. :)
I will never get people who make tutorial videos about their "I have no idea what I'm doing" way of life, without any research on the topic, without knowing that what they are doing is wrong on so many levels. Thank you for pointing these out and I find it pathetic that they tried to block you without any self reflection.
when i worked at petsmart in 2014 (omg almost 10 years ago im getting old lol) i would always tell people to not get hamster cages and go w fish tanks/terrariums. so glad to see another person so loving towards these little babies! never heard of someone making a natural terrarium so this video was very interesting and informative! and im sure if done properly it could be a good thing but i was having the same thoughts as you throughout the vid. anyway sorry for the ramble! keep up the good work!💕
looking back at your vids im realizing ive followed you on twitter for a long while and i think you’re the one that i actually learned the tank idea from! so thank you i convinced many people to do that and not get the normal hamster cage. you’re awesome girlie!
That’s awesome! You have a lot of hamsters a better life from those few words. Kudos to you^^
I'd love to know the reactions people had to your good advice
When I got my hamster the petsmart people told me to get this tiny tails cage. I feel bad that my hamster had to live in that until I upgraded him to a 40 gal tank 2 weeks later. Hes happy now
What if im poor?
They could've gone with an arid, bioactive enclosure in a 40 gal, and that would have been interesting to see. I do bioactive enclosures for arboreal geckos so I am not sure if bioactive enclosures for hamsters are similar, but they did everything wrong just from a bioactive reptile enclosure standpoint.
I'm in a group on Facebook for creating bioactive enclosures for small animals and the main issue for hamsters is they will destroy the roots on any plants and also eat the entire cleanup crew really fast 😆
@@Aspen_Husky Seeing that, really look like bioactive isn't for hamster XD
@@Aspen_Husky what's the group called? I would love to join
I always see my friends who have hamster and they always have super small cages and poor care. I always recommend your channel and hopefully we can spread good information around and the hamster care will get better!
This is a list :) hamsterhideout.com/forum/topic/112101-what-types-of-wood-are-safe-for-hamsters/?p=1186141
This frustrates me so much 😭 It isn't hard to give your animals proper care and housing. I'm so tired of people treating hamsters like they're decorations.
I know right!! It’s so tiring
I really think it is crazy how people mistreat hamsters 😢 Thank you so much Victoria for spreading awareness ❤️
This was very interesting! I always wondered how natural enclosures could work with soil substrate and being bio active/no cleaning. Your explanation makes sense. It’s also always fun learning about the landscape where hamsters come from 🐹 Thanks for the informative video!
Victoria, you are so great. After growing up myself with hamsters, which we kept in small plastic enclosure, not knowing any better, I came across your channel while researching when my own children asked for a hamster. I ended up getting a large enclosure made for her because I couldn't find anything suitable where I live, and the hamster is doing so well. It could have been so different without all the tutorials I watched. She has sand and soil boxes, we try to keep her stimulated, and she has 20cm of paper bedding not sawdust. It's all thanks to you 💛💚💙
the reason they didnt want to hear ur thoughts is prob bc they know ur right!🥰glad u didnt give up!
I adore how smart yet sweet and classy you always are ❣️ 😘 You have inspired me since day one to ALWAYS research and do your homework before taking on a new pet. It's so rewarding to help a new critter with the best care possible. 🙏🙌
Since getting a frog I’ve been more interested in naturalistic hamster setups. I don’t want to risk anything for my hammy right now but maybe after more research it can be something I could try in the future! I think it would be interesting to see what can be done with store-bought materials for a naturalistic enclosure to make sure its as safe as possible
there are lots of hamster groups on Facebook that are really good for information on this topic! a lot of people use normal bedding with safe plants in pots, with small areas that are tailored to the type of hamster they have! you can easily make a sand bath more naturalistic looking too, and loads of people already use things like cork logs that can be amazing enrichment and also decorations :)
dried moss also is great to give a real earthy feel in the enclosure! i love seeing my hamster really search for his seeds between it. With my gerbil I didn't use it, but for the hamster its really great, looks great and serves a purpose for him too :)
I have learned from my experience with worm farming that it is really easy to introduce an invasive species (especially mites) that can thrive in an enclosed environment. Sadly bringing things in from outdoors or letting pets go free then bringing them back to their homes indoors means exposure and could lead to an infestation and so much harm 🥺
Hey Victoria! I have always been such a huge fan of your vids, I have learned a lot to improve my hamsters life. Thanks you :)
I’m happy I could help!
Straight up, happened with my hamster when I was nine. Stupid young me brought her out and put her on our deck's planter, where she started digging and making tunnels (which was also the first time I saw her do that and thought it was cool) but she bit thru the plastic that was holding the dirt, and fell below the deck. I was so upset and just seeing this dudes videos makes my heart hurt so so much
Oh god I am so sorry that happened
sorry for asking, but what is a deck and a planter?
@@fridaaa0 it's a wooden porch like area. And planter is an area where plants or flowers can go
@@therealcourtftw Oh, that's so scary! Were you able to save her?
@@fridaaa0 nope :( never saw her again. That's why it's so scary to even think of taking a hamster outside. U blink for a second and they could be gone forever
Thank you so much for talking about this! I'm one of the people who asked about you reviewing this too. I knew something was wrong with the channel.
I love naturalistic hamster enclosers. I tried to do as much realistic I could in my bin cage with my hamster. It turned out great. (His bin cage was 780 sq (50 gallons) )
they can definitely be done well, and can really benefit hamsters if research is done into their natural environment based on the type you have... this one was just done really poorly unfortunately
@@Caviidae I commented a little bit too early before I watched the video. I thought it meant like I made mine more like with loads of bedding and natural woods like corklogs and other, instead of colored woods and plastic is what I thought realistic hamster enclosers meant. I wouldn’t use soil or anything from the store or outside but yeah this is really sad and I feel so bad for the hamsters that are just put into things that the people think is good which at least I’m glad they look out for their pets but not with research which research is always important.
I’m so happy you did this video, I was thinking of doing a video on it myself as I don’t think it’s right how he cares for his hamster. He lets the cat be in the same room as the hamster, while the hamster is running around on the floor and made them sit together for the video. It gives me so much anxiety watching it, especially when I first saw the video you were reacting to when the hamster was in a burrow/tunnel thing in the wild 😱 I honestly thought they had lost him but somehow they managed to get him back. I just think this person is irresponsible tbh and shouldn’t own small animals.
He's also ignoring all the comments that are telling him what's wrong with the enclosure, and liking the positive ones so they appear on the top of the comment section.
@Hadzera Duharkic exactly! It makes me think he knows he’s doing stuff wrong, but wants to continue to do it anyway so he has content or something. Poor hamster 😢 hopefully he’ll listen soon as he’s sending many wrong messages to people who don’t know any better. He (in my opinion) seems to treat the hamster as an experiment dummy which upsets me to see!
Among the youtube or tic toc channels tgat annoy me the most are people who force tiny pray animals like mice, rabbits babies, hamsters, birds to be next to predator like cats to create a "cute" video and almost even worse are all the low iq people gushing and praising and crying who cute it is, "the cat is so sweet" (even when he's hitting the hamster or baby rabbit), "they are such good friends".
Your videos are so awesome!!! I could watch them the whole day!🥰
Thank you for watching!
FINALLY! I had similar feelings while watching those videos. It didn't really feel like it's okay. Finally someone said them. They r basically testing on this animal. Obviously wrong methods to take care of little buddy. Thank u Victoria. Seek don't give up!
Yeah, it feels kind of like they're experimenting with the hamster, which is just so sad.
Edit: apparently they've literally stated that they're experimenting, oh god
@@fridaaa0 omg really... I'm not following them anymore so I didn't know :(
Thank you so much for doing a video on this! I saw these recommended myself and couldn't help but feel something was off as I was watching, even without seeing the first video where he described the measurements of the cage as too small. I tried commenting on the most recent video and sharing some of the information I've learned on this channel and others, but if they were going as far as to take down your video criticizing them, I doubt they'll listen to me or anyone else in their comment section. :/ Thank you for doing this video though! It was good to be validated in my own criticisms and concerns, and to even learn about things I hadn't considered as issues when watching these videos.
Clearly they know exactly that they are doing wrong but they are only using the hamster to make money or experiment with it so they don't care, only what gives the cash. Honestly makes me feel sick that people are like this but mostly I worry that kids will think they're care is totally fine and as example just go and get the bedding from outside.
Hi Victoria! I love your videos so much (and i dont even have a hamster). Im currently in the process of convincing my dad to let me have a hamster after watching your videos. If he says yes, i would be so excited to care for it properly using all your advice because honestly ur content is the best, most educating hamster care i have ever come across. Thank you so much again. The difference you are making in so many hamsters lives is unbelievable xx
Yay, another video ^_^ and thank you for this because I was thinking pretty much the same exact same things about these naturalistic enclosures w materials DIRECTLY from outside!! Even though I have a panther chameleon in a bioactive enclosure w live plants and all that, I still make sure to separate my leca layer w my substrate layer/s and use sanitized materials too. Right now, my dwarf hamster is in a 75gal aquarium enclosure w aspen, cocoa fiber, hay, and all of that:) thank you so much Victoria for all your insight and feedback for the hamster community
You are a wonderful advocate for hamster care! I often wonder if people post inappropriate care videos just to get attention. I feel sorry for their hamster and he likely will have a shorten life. Thank you for all you do, I learn a lot from your channel.
ive been watching you since 2018 i can never get enough of ur videos. you made me care well for my hamsters, thank you !
Amazing video! You have really helped me with my hamster care, so thank you! 🐹💕
I’m happy to hear that 😁
Never give up on hamsters enclosure! You are so brave Victoria 💜
hey victoria! thank you so so so much for teaching me about hamsters! my hamster patrick is living a much better life because of you! ❤️
Agreed! I don't understand why some people treat hamsters like lab mice and just do experiments on them to get views. Sad.
OMG VICTORIA!!!! I finally convinced my parents to get 55 gallon bin cages for both of my hamsters thanks to you!! Thank you so much!!! My hamsters are so happy now!!!
Thank you for the this video. It not only outlines the dangers of these types of enclosures but I ultra appreciate the intro with the dangers of bringing a hamster outside. I've heard even of people taking their hamster in those hamster balls outside thinking being outdoors benefits the hamster in some way. The dangers not only of literal predators but the risks of fungus, bacteria, or bugs / ticks is a huge huge thing that people don't think of as a dangers when bringing their pets outside.
Love how you are out here and telling others how to correctly take care of a hamster. Including me. I got into hamster care many months ago from my RUclips feed showing a hamster video. Since then I have been very into hamsters and back then Is when I found your channel. Which was literally one of the best things ever. YOU ARE any favorite hamster RUclipsr and I am highly sure I have watched like every single one of your hamster and hamster care videos…..anyways keep doing what you are doing because it is TRULY helpful!☺️
Thank you For replying to this subject. I've seen This Type of style in the hamster industry lately.
I loved how this video was taken down and you posted it anyway! I loved this video and was slightly distracted by your nails (how are they perfect?!) during the video 😍 Love your vids Tori ❤️
Thank you! They are acrylics my nail tech cousin did 😄
@@VictoriaRaechel ah, cousins! Always good to keep it in the family! (And the discount! Lol)
I’m so glad you made this video. I’ve been saving up to do this for my hamster but I guess she doesn’t need it. She already has a really big cage and a big sand bath so ig she’s doing fine
You made some really good points. I'm glad you made this video. It does look fun to dig in the dirt, but there are so many more aspects to a good enriching hamster enclosure.
I love this, your points are spot on! I had the same concern with mould in a full soil enclosure, then I got a dig box with moist soil and low and behold there was mould growth after a week.. it's a dry soil dig box now, which the gerbs prefer much more anyway! ☺️
Hey victoria my hamster melvin just passed away so i came to watch your vids again because I watched them when i first adopted him. Your videos helped me give him a nice life so thank you🙏
I'm sorry to hear about your loss :(
I love 💕 watching turning around in the dig box. Very cute
Thank you Victoria for this video. I commented multiple times for hamster care but they don't seem to bat an eye on my comments. They are spending and earning so much money for the videos and they keep bringing hamsters but I feel like they don't care about the hammies much. Someone in my comment replied that thats what they can afford which is bs cz the cages and glass terrariums are far more expensive than any decent hammy enclosure.
i was looking to build a bioactive enclosure for my syrian rescue, since my five cresties have a bioactive build- but i'll continue with how i have her now! thank you for the information ❤️
Hi Victoria I love your channel so much I have been watching your channel for years even before I got my first hamster Misty and you have given me so many wonderful ideas my current roborovski hamster nutmeg is getting a cage upgrade soon even though it is over the are bare minimum it is still too small so I'm upgrading and I feel like this is a good example on how much room a hamster needs❤️
I also thought it was too small and didn’t have much enrichment. don’t know if you saw the video where they added a small pond in the enclosure, but I thought that wasn’t a good idea either.
Oh no this is so bad. Just imagine if the things they collected was poisonous or had animal waste on it. That could stress the hamster out . I love the look of bio setups but it’s a pain to maintain.
I know this part is random but it’s a bit of news.
I’m currently fostering a winter white dwarf hamster. I’ve never had one before only Syrians now I’m in love with them 🥰
Good lord, you're right... imagine if a cat had been on there, or a dog... but especially a cat, their waste is so toxic! 😱
Love cats, but good grief!
I just found out about this channel a couple weeks ago! This channel has their mind in the right place, but the way they execute their hamster care is inferior. I love that you're reacting to it, I have quite a few opinions on this setup as well. 🙂 Excited to watch!!
Hi I just want to say thank you for changing the way that I care for my hamster now I have learnt so much and now I am trying to educate others about the proper hamster care.😊🐹
I avoided filling my cage with soil because of the potential for bacteria growth that you mentioned and because it would just weigh too much! Nimby's cage would weigh about 1000 pounds if I filled it with soil 😂 Thanks for all of your great advice!!
i just got a 40 gallon breeder tank this week! now my hamster has an excessive amount of less bar bitting and stress behavior. i would never know to upgrade if it wasn’t for you 🥰. im obsessed with your videos
That's great to hear!
@@VictoriaRaechel thank you for replying, many youtubers don’t ):. i love your videos!
hey vic. my hamster passed away a few days ago, at the age of 2 1/2. i am heartbroken. thank you so so so much for educating me on hamster care, or he probably wouldn’t have had a happy life!! so thank you for making his life so happy! much love to you❤️❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss! ❤️
I used to have soil as bedding. And when my hamster would burrow his food, it would grow from it. As soon as I saw that a removed it completely!
Great video Victoria! Hopefully Stefan will stay safe and healthy! (On a slightly unrelated note, your nails look amazing!)
Thank you!
Thank you! I've been waiting for this video to eventually pop up on my feed!
Great video as usual! Do you think you can react to HamsterLAB? The enclosure uses soil only as well but they do a lot of extra stuff and even though the setup looks very interesting I do find some parts concerning like having the hamster drink from the lake they made in the cage.
I would love to see that as well
Agreed, I had the same concern.
This is exactly what I want to ask.
Cotton is alive and super well. HamsterLAB knows what’s he doing.
but the water in that pond it constantly running and being filtered, its not just standing water. i cant honestly think of anything else of concern, what other potential issues are there? is it safety? because that is pretty much how a hamster in the wild would drink, right?
I had all the same thoughts! I won’t even go in the hamster room if I’ve been working outside in the yard because I’m nervous I could bring mites, bugs etc.. into their environment.
I love your channel sooo much!! ❤❤
So much amazing information on hamsters!
So glad you’re back Victoria! I watched every single one of your videos lol. Keep up the good work!!! Love youuuuuu!!!
Thank you for the support!
:)
Im really grateful that i have found you so i can learn more about my hamster, you really helped me alot!
There’s a fourth reason that I sadly found out the hard way when I was a kid - I let my hamster play on my grandma’s lawn and something poisoned him - the vet said he probably ate a plant. And my beloved Harry (he was SO amazing - such a strong and funny character) died. It was awful, poor little thing.
...I saw a video the other day where someone was making a naturalistic hamster enclosure. They make it MASSIVE with LOADS of digging room, BUT... They proceeded to fill with dirt and sand which would obviously collapse when the hamster burrowed in it AND THEN THEY MADE A POND😭😡🤬😭!!!! They said that it was ok for hamsters to swim as they apparently do it all the time in the wild😭. They put the hamster in and there was nowhere for it to hide... It tried to dig a burrow but the soil kept collapsing 😭 it started running laps, 100km/h, obviously incredibly stressed out!!!😭😭😭 The owner then said how their hamster was so excited and that's why they were running laps... The poor little guy😭😭😭😡😡😡😭😭😭😭😭😭🙏🥺🥺🥺
My hamster recently passed and I have been so sad. Ive watched your video even before I had a hamster but im still going to watch your videos because they are amazing ❤
I'm sorry to hear about your loss!
This is a very helpful video. I was planning to do this to my hammy because I thought its nice to have a "natural habitat" but never thought of these repercussions 😰😰😱
cant wait to watch!!! i always love when u post during the week! 🥰🥰 my hamster lives in an aMazing cage bc of u!!🥰
Well it would have been up last Saturday but of course it got claimed 😐
@@VictoriaRaechel oh goodness...🥰 thats fine...im just SO excited to see it up🥰🥰
thank you for posting this. unrelated to the content but I am feeling super unmotivated, so now I have something to do and think about
you can do it! 💗
RUclips spammed that video too much lol and the first thing I saw was the size of the enclosure. Too small, as you said.
I didn't watch the video, i thought the size of the enclosure spoke by itself on how poor is their real knowledge about hamsters caring :/
I hope they watch this video and think about their mistakes. Domesticated hamsters are not the same than wild ones :/
Ps: I'm not ranting or what. Just saying that people have a lot to learn. Myself as well. I'm learning a lot thanks to you and Munchie's Place. And it's not good when people don't want to listen. I hope they do their research and give a better enclosure.
I have been one of your long time favourite RUclips fan because I have a hamster of my own, I learned a lot from your show so now my hamster is still kicking well. Looking forward of seeing your video soon, he he.
I don’t really understand how this is natural at all (considering this enclosure doesn’t look like the typical setting a wild hamster would be in) and I’m so glad you worked hard to make this video possible even tho Stephan’s owner was being difficult in letting you put their content in your video for you to comment on. I hope That eventually, the owner will understand where they went wrong and provide Stephen with all the necessary items for him to live a happy life. Over the past year, I’ve learnt so much about hamster care from you and i am ever so grateful that you are continuing to spread the good care info! Also wanted to ask what you thought about Erin’s animals’ billy XL enclosure that has soil as the main substrate at one point
Hi! Your vids have made me take care of my hamsters better. I have always taken care of them and they have had a big pet store cage but now my winter white lives in ikea detolf and my syrian in a big terrarium! Thank you!
Hi Victoria, I had actually watched that video and I was worried about the type of food they were giving as it just looked like dried vegetables.
An amazing video. See you in the next one.
Hi Victoria!! I am a new subscriber and I love your videos! I used to have a hamster a couple of years ago and unfortunately I never knew about you so she didn't have the best life, but now I have been watching your videos and I've learned so much about hamsters from you!
Thanks for the video! I stept in the "It looks good" trap. Need to be more aware of these.
Hey Victoria thank u sm for making these videos my hamsters used to live in a 179sq cage and now they live in 750+ Tysm thanks to you my hamsters are so much happier
It would work well as an addition to their full cage space. A tube that leads from their full cage to the dirt area.
I’ve done similar things with my hams.
Hi Victoria! I have been watching your videos since like 2 months ago? But ever since i have been a big fan of yours. It made me learn more about hamsters! Thank you :) ilysm
I searched for their RUclips and weirdly enough I was suscribed. I scrolled down and couldn't find any video that would justify me subscribing to them. Weird.
I'm so glad you are covering this channel. I've been pretty irritated by this. And of course they don't want to hear from you. You're the hamster guru/whisperer and they know you'll make them look bad by telling the truth lol.
I'm in a group on Facebook where people make bioactive enclosures for small pets. Mainly hedgehogs and sometimes guineapigs. It's incredibly interesting and people do try proper bioactive for hamsters. The main issue isn't even really the spot cleaning although that is needed, but actually that the hamsters will eat the insects 😂
Haaaa ive actually been WAITING for you to react to this
i think your really underatted you helped so many people keep there hamster a long happy life . for example i did not know that you needed a big cage and my cage is so much better now i use the right food and bedding thank you so much Victoria . you deserve 10mil subscribes
so glad you addressed this. they have so much advice in the comments but don't want to hear it. this is hamster number 2. there are follow up videos that have ore concerns. you can tell he's trying but he's using it as a personal experiment and is not interested in research. he was shocked the hamster likes to dig and advises the mustn't eat fresh veg. the top has to be built up as the hamster keeps trying to get out. the cat is often around the tank with the top open also. it makes my anxiety very high watching it.
I have kept gerbils (I know not exactly the same) in a converted tank. I split it in two sections, different substrates. I found substrates of chinchilla sand, hay, aspen, carefresh and cardboard tubes gave them really good opportunity to dig and build as the cardboard and hay helped to hold tunnels together. They had large wooden houses, bridges etc burrowed underneath to give them more sturdy burrows. The second part was bedroom with an wooden arch creating a den stuffed with carefresh. They obviously brought other materials from the other part to make their bedroom cozy. We attached their wooden wheel to the cage cover to save on floor space.
I have tried peat and Coco coir before and I felt like the risk of respiratory tract infections was too large and worried about the cleaning and ventilation. I don't believe you can have such enclosure and never need to clean it. Gerbils are much cleaner than hamsters (especially the pee part), however still required regular substrate cleaning! Plus the wooden houses and bridges etc do soak up urine. So they're also not lasting forever
Hi i love your videos and I subscribe.
You give me so much inspiration and you have helped me to give my hamster a good life.Ty. Love you Victoria❤
I've been waiting for a video like this ♥️
My favorite RUclipsr uploaded! 💗😄 BTW I love your animals
Thank you!!
@@VictoriaRaechel your welcome!
this video is so good. there’s so many layers to why this is so good im now obsessed with ethical hamster enclosures. i don’t even have a hamster and have never even considered getting a hamster lol.
Thank you so much.. I got sent that video as like a "hey you like hamsters how cool is this idea??" and I was internally screaming the entire time I watched it
Couldn't agree more! I have the same feelings on bioactive rodent enclosures, especially for mice. I don't thin a CUC could keep up with a single hamster, let alone a group of mice. I think they're nice ideas, but don't really work well.
Finally! I commented on that I said “ i’ve seen on your video with small cage you need to put 450 in.² of floor space pls change that” and then someone said “are you insane” (commented on my comment)
Thank you so much for creating this. I've blocked them long time ago since YT keeps recommending me their videos and its just so upseting.
Victoria, I'm not a blogger, so I apologize for my low-quality RUclips videos. I have some experience keeping hamsters, and nothing more. And since you have long become a great authority for me and I decided to make some videos and show you the conditions of my pets. I am very grateful to you because your channels have shown me a lot of good and useful information that I would use and recommend to other hamster owners.
Good luck and thanks again.
As always very informative love it Victoria ❤❤ I have a robo hamster name brownie 🐹 used to be living in a small cage from the petsmart then after gave him a 20 gallon tank but finally got him a nightangel cage large n he's been loving it with enrichment 🙌🙌😭 its been 9 months with him . Thank you 😊
That's so awesome to hear!
I'm glad you reviewed their hamster enclosure
Your chanel taught me so much thinks 3/4 my knowledge of hamster care. Your ideas of hamster enclosure are awesome. Mabel is such a cute snowball, Dipper is just incredible, Waddles is the fastest chinees hamster I ever seen (and also first I ever seen). Lola and Cleo best sisters. Sadie and JJ best friends/cat siblings. Plants are awsome and the birds of paradise will be so amazing when it grow bigger.
I also know much more words in English because of your chanel.(I'm from Poland)
Keep cross fingers for your and your animall future:)
Ugh you’re so real I love watching your vids, definitely helped me w my hamster!
Thank you!!!!
Hey Victoria I'm first. I love your nails they are really cute. Thanks for the amazing content❤🐹
Thank you!
Victoria, we need a HamsterLab natural enclosure reaction as well :)
The fact that these people tell them self they know everything and pass the wrong info whereas our Victoria is helping a lot of hamster owners to provide their hamster a best life...
I recently got hamster after watching you for an whole year...(he is in a small cage for now) my dad is impressed that I studied them before getting one so my dad is building a new one (550* sq inches of floor space) thanks to Victoria