Ordering Bass Pans with Stainless Steel Option Question

Hi everyone. I'm adopting 2 chinchillas in the near future and have a Ferret Nation 182 Double on the way. Bass pans have been recommended for this cage, but it appears they need to be treated in some way because they are galvanized steel.

From what I've read, that metal will absorb urine, causing stains and possibly trap odors. Some people will treat the pans to last longer, such as powder coating, painting, etc.

After contacting Bass Equipment, they will make the pans in Stainless Steel at an extra cost. The scatter guards can also be upgraded from 2.5" to 3"

Question:
Will Stainless Steel fix all these issues? (Safe, no treatment required, last longer, no urine stains, no odors, no rusting)

I find the extra cost for Stainless trivial compared to the time and money for powder coating. I plan to lay fleece on the surface to protect it most the time.

The stainless steel is going to have more corrosion protection than the galvanized steel. Since you are only buying pans for one cage, it would probably be worth the cost. Just be aware that stainless doesn't mean that it is completely impossible for it to rust. It will probably last twice as long as the regular pans.

With the galvanized steel there is a lot you can do to prevent rust. It mostly comes down to keeping them clean. Pans rust and have the urine etch through the galvanization because wet urine or other liquid is allowed to sit against it for extended periods of time. Cleaning on a regular basis and not allowing wetness to sit against the metal will help extend the life of the pans dramatically. With the fleece there is a tendency for it to lie close up against the metal and trap urine so it does not dry and it has time to etch the pan.

There have been pans that I have seen last for 10 or 15 years without rusting through without being treated with anything...and pans that rust out after 3 years because someone never bothered to keep the pan clean enough. Here we put the pans through a whole lot and I get about 6 years before they start to rust through and must be replaced.

Anyway, I am guessing that if you were to buy the stainless pans, you'd probably get at least 10 to 12 years out of the pans before they start to really corrode...maybe a little less, maybe more. But, even if you get them, make sure to change the fleece or litter often and take the pans out for a good scrub down or a vinegar soak to keep them nice for as long as possible.

Thanks for the detailed advice. Maybe I was worrying too much about the galvanized steel. Seems like you'd get your use out of it with good regular cleaning. So I see what you mean now, if you have many cages, it's not economical for this upgrade considering how long galvanized lasts.

Galvanized Prices with 2.5" walls

• Pan 1: $23.95 (+ $6 for 3" walls)
• Pan 2: $32.75 (+ $6 for 3" walls)

Stainless Steel Prices (Not sure if these are for 2.5" or 3")

• Pan 1: $39.95
• Pan 2: $45.95

So they are roughly $29 more. If I want to go the fleece route, then stainless might be better due to the trapped urine issue. Is the urine issue on fleece reduced by using a litter box with bedding?

I like the look of fleece, but maybe I should research the pros and cons between it and normal bedding. Bedding by itself doesn't look the best, but would hide droppings better and absorb urine. Fleece can be an expensive investment with having to order several sets to change out through the week. How often would do you replace the bedding with two Chinchillas?

Maybe the bottom tray could be all bedding, promoting it as a litter box, and the top tray fleece. Then maybe one day switch to all fleece and add a bedding litter box if they show they usually go in the bedding.

Again, thanks for the reply AZChin. Actually, your site caught my eye yesterday for possibly ordering my first supplies, Mazuri Pellets, Timothy Hay, Treats and some chew toys.

I received confirmation that the Stainless Steel prices are for 2.5" walls. Stainless would also be $23.25 shipping. If I go stainless, I probably can't justify the extra $6 each for 3" walls. I still need to get ledges, food bowl, water bottle, food, hay with container, treats, dust bath container and dust, fleece/bedding, etc.

Assuming your chin actually uses the litter pan, it can reduce of the metal corroding. I honestly don't think it will damage the pan that badly if you get the galvanized. These pans last a really long time and as long as you're on top of cleaning, you shouldn't have to worry about all that.

With pine shavings, replacing the bedding once a week is fine. With fleece, it just depends on if the chins are litter trained and how often you want to sweep/vacuum poops. I found in the long run, pine is the easiest route for me.

for the price difference, I would go for Stainless steel, also is smoother to clean with a cloth.

I have never worn out a stainless steel pan in all our years and some have been here from the start. The galvalume I use to get my pans made up out of now is much cheaper than stainless and they are lasting forever also. Both are also much easier to clean.

Thanks again for the advice everyone. It seems galvanized steel has been durable from the experience of others, and a great option if you need to purchase for several cages. With a single cage, Stainless seems to be a good upgrade for the money, but not necessary.

So, today, I'll probably order stainless.

My only other question, anyone find it necessary for 3" walls for an extra $12 total?

Can that extra half inch make a huge difference? Maybe it's noticeably so for those using all bedding, but not so much for fleece?

I thought I'd throw out my two cents. I have had my Bass pans since 2008. If you look back at my Trixie and Pixie thread you can see what they look like. They have a little discoloration now but they are still in good usable shape. That's 5 years of use already. I had just one chinchilla in them from 2008-2012 and now I have two girls in them. I would say that the number of chins will also impact wear. I used bedding with the male chin from 2008-2012 and now I use fleece liners. I have always replaced liners at least once a week and did a bedding dump weekly as well when I had it. The Bass pans stand up a really long time. I clean them with a vinegar solution and have taken them outside and hosed them off a few times. I used bleach (and let them sit 48 hours after a good rinse) between chinchillas. I am not sure stainless steel is necessarily going to buy you a lot more time. I don't foresee replacing these bans for another few years. I think if cleaned often you can easily get 7-10 years out of the normal pans. Oh, and as far as liners... mine are triple layered so the pee doesn't usually get on the pans a lot. Well... not unless my bratty chins roll them up.

It probably wouldn't make much of a difference to have the extra half inch unless you plan on using shavings...at that point every little extra bit of height helps.

Quick Update:

I just called the California Bass office to place the order. When I mentioned stainless steel they said they don't do that, at least at their California facility. So they took down my information, the quote I was given from my email communication, and they are going to contact their Missouri facility that are probably the ones that offered the stainless option.

Also, I'm sticking with the 2.5" walls. I plan to use fleece with a litter box, so bedding won't be a huge issue. I also want a Chinspin to clear the pan for easy removal, and 3 inches would force it to be mounted higher.

Oh, and I understand the prices a bit more now. Why? I just put the FN182 cage together a few days ago, these pans will be huge!

Assuming the older model and new model have the same spacing between bars... there's really only one place you can put a Chinspin in a FN. As far as how far up/down. I have the normal 2.5" pan walls and it's a chore to get the pans in and out period. They fit very tightly. I don't usually remove them very often. I just clean the pans while they are in the cage. The wheel is even more of a chore. I currently don't have mine in as I need to order a new bearing (my girls just loved it too much) but I know to get it in and out I usually preferred an extra pair of hands. Thankfully the large cage doors make the FN still one of the easiest cages to clean. My first chin cage basically had to be disassembled to clean, though that was years ago.