What is a Topper?

A tank topper is simply a second level in your tank, often made from the wire-top part of an old cage. This is a zone entirely separate from their burrowing and nesting area: a chill-out pad where Gerbils can enjoy a sand bath, run on the wheel and eat. There are plenty of unsuitable cages for rodents on second-hand selling sites. The top wire part, however, can be very handy to make a topper. We DIY’ed an old aquarium and added a topper in the pictures above.

Lids & frames for your topper

You can DIY this yourself, and remember any wood you use needs to be natural, free from dyes, preservatives and untreated. Or you can order with your dimensions from;

Happy Henry’s Homes make specific toppers and lids for Diversa Aquariums & Bucastate. You can also talk to them about Detolf lids and all sorts of accessories in 100% pet friendly, eco sourced wood. Email for custom sizes & items.

Kirsty’s Tank Tops Make all sorts of custom lids made to measure, flat and curved lids for Detolfs and replacement shelving for the Skyline Falco

ElleBelleSellsCrafts Make flat Detolf Lids. Sometimes sold out, email for availability.

To access the tank and hold the topper in place, you will need a lid for one section of the tank and a wooden frame/topper support to hold the topper in place, in the other section. You need a topper that is at least 4cm narrower than the width of your tank, to allow for the width of the wood used to make the wooden topper support frame. The lid is a wooden frame with mouse wire. The topper support is simply the wooden frame.

Tanks with a flat glass lip: If you have a tank with a flat glass lip which a frame/lid can rest on, you can construct both lid and frame to rest on the glass lip as in both pictured below.

Tanks without a flat glass lip: You will need to construct the lid a little differently. We’ve used an Ikea Detolf as an example so you can see how the lids rest on the glass edge. Although this example does not have a topper, you would create the topper frame in the same way but without the mouse wire. Tutorials are found online available, as are solutions bought online. Please see our Housing: which tank page for online custom detolf lids to buy.

Ikea Detolf Boaxel Hack

If you’re short on DIY skills and want a quick fix for an Ikea Detolf, then order two BOAXEL mesh basket, white, 80x40x15 cm – IKEA which are mesh baskets (for ventilation) which will fit on top of the Detolf and also give it some great height.

Topper Accessories

You’ll need to attach wooden ledges, i.e. GardenValleyUK | Etsy A simple wooden bridge allows access up and down Hanging Bridge You can attach the bridge with metal hooks in the wooden platform. You can then add your water bottle, sand bath, food etc. Top Tip: Cover your wooden ledges with thin card or cardboard to keep the wood fresh and for easy cleaning.