yeah~ it doesn't seem to matter how many holes you drill in the lid~ they still are too humid and the tub gets wet. NASTY! I did not have the same problem with the lids cut out and replaced with the hardware cloth. I never had one chew the plastic around the hardware cloth away~ but I always cut out most of the top to replace with the cloth so probably there was no good place to get a tooth set in.
As far as the water bottles~ when I was using the rubbermaid tubs going through the top was too tall for weaner rats~ they could not jump up high enough to get the water. I never had one chew around the hole in the side for the water bottle~ but I usually drilled the holes pretty tight~ pretty much exactly as big as needed to stuff the nipple through. I also only went that route for about a year before I built breeder racks so maybe none of my rats that year where just determined enough!
The tubs are a nice intermediary stage. When glass tanks are too much work but your not quite ready to move to the full breeder rack stage! But once you get there~ the breeder racks are much easier to work with (except for the occasional 5 gallon flood in an auto water system)
As far as the water bottles~ when I was using the rubbermaid tubs going through the top was too tall for weaner rats~ they could not jump up high enough to get the water. I never had one chew around the hole in the side for the water bottle~ but I usually drilled the holes pretty tight~ pretty much exactly as big as needed to stuff the nipple through. I also only went that route for about a year before I built breeder racks so maybe none of my rats that year where just determined enough!
The tubs are a nice intermediary stage. When glass tanks are too much work but your not quite ready to move to the full breeder rack stage! But once you get there~ the breeder racks are much easier to work with (except for the occasional 5 gallon flood in an auto water system)
