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Post by zazi on Mar 17, 2008 20:55:31 GMT -8
I have a large guinea pig sized tank that is about 2ft x 4ft and i have put two potted plants in side the tank... they are in ceramic pots.... the plant is a small miniature christmas tree... does any one know if this is okay?
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Post by nikkiy21 on Mar 18, 2008 4:43:58 GMT -8
I would remove the plants asap - your gerbils are likely to chew/eat them and pine can be poisonous.
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Post by ajherring on Mar 18, 2008 5:28:07 GMT -8
What about other kinds of plants? If you could put plants in the cage, what kind would be safe?
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Post by nikkiy21 on Mar 18, 2008 5:48:14 GMT -8
I have never heard of anyone putting plants in their gerbil tanks! Don't know why you would want to really as the gerbils will decimate them and most plants will be poisionous to them in one way or another, if ingested.
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Post by ajherring on Mar 18, 2008 6:48:31 GMT -8
Just because you hadn't heard of it, doesn't mean someone can't do it. There is more than 1 way to set up a tank.. and so what if they tear it apart, they destory almost everything you put in there anyway, does it stop folks from making it look nice? As long as the plant is safe for them, I don't see why it matters. I didn't ask if it was a good idea, I asked what kind of plants would be safe if someone would want to.
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BTW As for WHY someone would be "insane" enough to put real plants in their tank... well some people like to have their pets in a natural looking enviroment. Even though they are desert animals, I am pretty darn sure there were plants in their enviroment and they must nibble on them. So I highly doubt that every single plant is toxic to them or they just would not live.
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Another reason: Not only to have a natural look & feel, but if they tear it apart they could use it for inside their bed or line their tunnels.
Hey a CUTE idea would be to "plant" some hay =) Fill the pot with a safe soil or sand, having the hay upright like a wild stragly plant. They can play in it, its safe, AND they can use it for nesting.
What could be done is, Get a hand full of hay, bunch up the end, and tie it with something safe... stick the tied part into the pot and bury it. Ta-da. A plant =)
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Post by gerbilmummy on Mar 18, 2008 8:33:02 GMT -8
The potential for mould toxins in the soil used for the pto plants would be a hazard apart from potential poisoning from the plants themselves. As we all know gerbs should only be given veg or fruit in very samll quantities no more than once a week, so having acces to foliage all the time is not a good plan. As for the hay idea they are happier to have this mixed in with the substrate to help them support their tunnels, I wound't think they would be too impressed with it planted in pots  |
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Post by Jill on Mar 18, 2008 9:59:42 GMT -8
Just because you hadn't heard of it, doesn't mean someone can't do it. Well, you probably shouldn't make a guinea pig out of yourself. The reason we've never heard of it, is because, as GerbilMummy said, it's not a good idea for many reasons. and so what if they tear it apart, they destory almost everything you put in there anyway, does it stop folks from making it look nice? Please try to keep in mind that your gerbils are not a part of an exhibit in a museum. If 'making their tank look nice' compromises their health, try to think of them instead of yourself, and what's aesthetically pleasing to YOU. As long as the plant is safe for them, I don't see why it matters. I didn't ask if it was a good idea, I asked what kind of plants would be safe if someone would want to. And the answer is, regardless of if it is a safe plant for them, even if you decided to grow heads of Romain Lettuce in your tank, you would not be able to monitor how much they were getting, and likely they would eat more than is healthy for them. . well some people like to have their pets in a natural looking enviroment. Even though they are desert animals Maybe you should draw a backdrop for behind the glass, so that you can be happy with the way it looks. Remember, these are domestic gerbils. Hopefully, none of them have ever seen their natural environment. A feral cat's natural environment doesn't look anything like the houses the domesticated version lives in, right? Another reason: Not only to have a natural look & feel, but if they tear it apart they could use it for inside their bed or line their tunnels. Maybe you could cut out some flower shaped pieces of cardboard so that this very much desired 'natural look and feel' does not harm them. It sounds like your best bet would to be get a terrarium, which I think you already have. This way, you could get the natural look you're wanting, without harming your pets. Jill |
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Post by AndreaS15 on Mar 18, 2008 10:32:05 GMT -8
You could grow some oat grass and place it in the tank for a few minutes each day maybe.
I would be afraid to place potted plants in the tank because of all the reason people have already stated and because potting soil has all sorts of things to help your plants grow, which I am sure many of those things are chemicals and can harm an animal if ingested.
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Post by qwerty on Mar 18, 2008 16:37:55 GMT -8
lol did anyone else think they actually meant "Pot" plants?
hahahaha. That would look cool though...loll
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Post by ajherring on Mar 18, 2008 17:57:54 GMT -8
actually you CAN control hoe much they get simply by not adding a lot.
Just because they are domestic it doesn't mean they shouldn't live in an enviroment that doesn't resemble where they would live.
A cage could look nice AND be safe and fun for the gerbils. Sorry, but a lot of tanks I see on here are BORING and not very pleasing to the eye. You can have something pleasing and still meet ALL the needs of the gerbil AND be safe to the fullest extent.
As for the one griping that they rather have the hay in their bedding, did I ever say not to put it into their bedding? I said it was a way for it to look nice. BTW not all soil has chemicals in it. I use soil for my rat's dig box.
If all animals were as fragile as everyone make them out to be there would be no animals in the wild!
BTW The reason why I suggested to just use hay was because of the soil thing that I know people would whine about.. and just use a safe sand.. it doesn't need to be watered because its just hay.
I already know people are going to gripe and moan about my own tank ideas, which is why I never posted them and probably never will. Because God forbid if someone is different than having 1/2 of a 20 gal tank filled with aspen & hay.
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Post by Jill on Mar 18, 2008 18:07:26 GMT -8
Maybe you should get fish if the tank is meant to be a decorative part of your house.
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Post by ohmylokix on Mar 18, 2008 18:11:30 GMT -8
Woah there, chief. No need to call in flippin' Second Chance Trees.  They live in the desert. x_____x You can't buy potted plants that resemble plants /from the desert./ Except cacti. But cacti can fall and hurt your gerbils. Badly. They spend much of their time UNDERGROUND. Because that's, uh, kinda where they live and raise their families. We cannot provide the same type of sand that occurs in the desert(very compressed), so we do what we can with tunnelable bedding. It doesn't have to look nice. It really doesn't. Gerbils do what they do, and there is no use risking their health with a potted plant. Plants need to be watered. That could cause mold/fungus growth, or an increase in humidity in the tank, which will not get a huge amount of circulation. Stick with the wooden tunnels and stuff. |
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Post by wildnose94 on Mar 18, 2008 19:42:36 GMT -8
You can easily grow grass for them. I saw a website of a man that grew grass for his gerbils, but he just got the shoots and gave it to them as a treat.
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Post by ohmylokix on Mar 18, 2008 19:45:46 GMT -8
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Post by RitzieAnn on Mar 18, 2008 19:59:30 GMT -8
I think if you can find some safe, non toxic plants it would be a great idea. I mean, it will look very cool, and very unique... HOWEVER, I would only ever use such a thing as a play tank. Doean't matter if it's a real plant, or a fake one- but ONLY as a play tank in my opinion.
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