If you're a member of the yahoo freecycle in your area, you can request things on a certain day of the week (which day in your area, I don't know, it's Fridays for us). I have gotten several of my tanks that way, then your initial cost isn't so high. Also instead of spending $10 & up per tank lid, I buy a roll of 1/2 inch mesh hardware cloth for $10-$15; a 24 inch x 5ft roll will make 4 or 5 ten gallon lids, depending on your overhang. I breed mice though, so they aren't as strong as rats... rats might be able to push it off. My mice just like to hang upside down from it.
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whitesnake77
0.0.1 leucistic (Texas?) rat snake
0.0.1 reverse stripe CA kingsnake
1.0 reverse brindle boxer: Ozzy
2.0 cats: Oliver and Harley
lotsa mice
