for that price go for the critter nation instead, has fully opening double doors which makes it easy to clean and decorate
there is also the chewy frisco rat cage which is basically the critter nation with built in scatter guards which the CN doesn't have
It's a double unit Critter Nation.
I third the critter nation cage ( https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NJ0DAY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 )
It did take some work to get it together, but has been great. I didn't really do any of the extra things TerrierGlider talks about. The holes on mine didn't seem sharp and no part seemed dangerous, so I left it as is. Its been a great cage overall.
In general, a Double Critter Nation (I'll put a link at the end) would be a good cage for your ratties! You can also google for "rat calculator" and you'll find several cage calculators to see how much room they need, though for me personally I'd give them way more than they need.
As for males vs females, keep in mind that all ratties have unique personalities, though the usual trend is that boys tend to be more cuddly and lazy, but also scent mark a bit more. Females tend to explore more and be more active, from what I've read.
I'm no expert, but for information I'd recommend reading through a few rat guides! (Such as the one on the sidebar) Don't hesitate to ask for specific issues here, though! I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say we want to help your ratties (and you, by extension!) be the happiest they can be!
Also, I'd look up a few videos about rat health issues and how to spot them early, such as respiratory infections!
https://us.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAY (This is the cage, but! also look around craigslist or facebook to see if anyone has a cage they want to get rid of! You might snag a good one cheaper that way!)
I recently recommended this to someone else, so I'm just copying and pasting:
I have this one, and my tiel and I love it:
Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001NJ0DAY/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_HrmMEbTJWSBN4
The four most important factors:
Great bar spacing
Its SUPER easy to clean because the whole front opens
The bars are all horizontal, so he can climb any wall
It's very big, so he has a lot of room to play when he isnt out and about
I have zero complaints on this cage.
that is way to expensive for how small it looks (though I didnt see dimensions listed which is a huge red flag) also my gliders have NEVER had a problem with vertical bars in the 4 years I have had them.
If horizontal bars are a must for you there are much nicer cages with bars also the tunnels are pointless an d there are much better ways to add environmental enrichment.
all of these cages are nice: https://www.exoticnutrition.com/Departments/Shop-By-Category/Cages/Sugar-Glider-Cages.aspx https://www.thepetglider.com/collections/sugar-glider-cages-accessories https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critter-162-leak-Proof-Measures/dp/B001NJ0DAY <<the double critter nation is a good size and has horizontal bars
Also, knowing how shady pocket pets is I would never ever recommend supporting them.
There was a cage question I replied to about a month ago, I will just copy and paste what I wrote of my experience :)
I upgraded to the Midwest Deluxe Critter Nation Two Story https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B001NJ0DAY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I like the horizontal bars, its size, the flat floor, large doors, and that you can expand it. I can only recommend it if you are willing to work on it, as it can be hard to put together and dangerous otherwise.
If the pieces were perfect, it would not be hard to put together. But some of the connections were bent and needed to be straitened, had a bad weld that made a gap, so had to be creative and a second set of hands to get it into place. It is just a one time headache and your set might be better.
For sugar gliders, you will want to not add the middle floor section, not adding it exposes holes, and then there is holes for where you can add the adjustable shelves.
The dangerous part is the holes have sharp edges, so they need to be filed smooth. Also, the punched out bit is still in the holes on most of them. They can be removed with needle nose pliers. If this is not done, I would worry about a curious sugar glider loosing a finger or whole hand...
The one I had before was the HQ Flight Cage https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B002UTZ040/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
It is a little smaller, but still a descent size, it has bars on the bottom and slide out floor under it, so with a bit of newspaper (or what ever you prefer) it was easy to clean it, the smaller doors can be an advantage if you have have trouble keeping the gliders inside when you open it.
I had it for three years, the main reason I replaced it is I did not like the vertical bars, even though I never had an issue, I worried about it hurting their feet, as they always slid down on the bars a bit and with the bars on the bottom, they did not have much flat ground to stand on. I also wanting something a bit larger.
Other wise, it was a great cage. It was easy to put together and the only adjustment I had to make was to zip tie shut the little bird doors on the top of it.
I looked into both cages, before getting them, to make sure they were not coated with anything toxic to sugar gliders, which is the main issue with cheap bird cages.
This one has been recommended here a few times. I got it and feel like its a good amount of room for my 2 boys. Its safe and has horizontal bars, which makes for easier and more comfortable climbing.
It's modular so you can stack them up to 3 high easily with the add on for more space.
I've had mine for just over 2 years now and am still very happy with it.
Critter nation cages are the common one that is used
DCNs are just two singles. TCNs are triples. (triple critter nation)
I had one cage that was 4 and split it into two after their joeys were older.
I dislike their pricing though. For an Addon its about 150$. Just the cage.
For a single its about 200, which comes with the wheel base/bottom rack.
A double is 319$
Got it. The Critter Nation comes with very shallow plastic pans. They're definitely not 2.36" deep. I'm not sure what cage you were looking at but I wouldn't recommend it without seeing a link.
The actual Critter Nation is a fantastic cage, though. In order to use a loose substrate (for digging and such), you'd have to get a deeper pan for the base. There are lots of options, though. Modding a CN is pretty common and you can find lots of info online about it.
As for your main question, a pan that is 2 to 3 inches deep is fine but it isn't going to hold much bedding and it will get kicked out a little bit. Providing an additional dig box would be beneficial.
http://www.amazon.com/Midwest-Critter-Nation-Animal-Habitat/dp/B001NJ0DAY
Buy nice or buy twice! My girlfriend and I have one of these cages and it has served us quite well.
I don't see anything wrong with it, but it is small for that price.
For $15 more you can get this cage https://www.amazon.com/MidWest-Critter-162-leak-Proof-Measures/dp/B001NJ0DAY/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=critter+nation&qid=1561570690&s=pet-supplies&sr=1-3
which is was recommended to me from this sub, and it has been amazing.