glass bottle brands

[azarin]

let me preface this by saying that Living World brand gets no more of my money or attention. theyve left me afraid for my gerbs lives on too many occasions. either the bottle wont dispense water unless i twack it every 30 seconds/leave the nozzle almost totally unscrewed, or i have this mornings experience of finding the bottle with nozzle on but totally empty, and soaked houses and substrate and praying theres no soaked gerbil. ive used three of their bottles and every single one the same problems, and so say many other reviwers online.

anyway, what brands have worked for you? is the trixie glass bottle any good?

and why is the living world one such a mess? we had a plastic trixie bottle but these new gerbs chewed it right up.

(i tried asking about the metal bottle protectors they use in stores but noplace around me sells them.)

[rhianna]

Remember that just because one product from a brand is faulty doesn't mean the entire company is horrible. Living World actually makes a lot of good, high quality toys, treats, foods, and cages for pets. I've even had one of their plastic water bottles and loved it, but it went with a cage I was selling so I had to include it with the cage.

Anyways, are you able to get Super Pet glass bottles? I've heard that they're supposed to be alright. I haven't heard anything about the Trixie one but you could try. In general I've been told that glass bottles never seem to work properly; it probably has something to do with the all-metal cap, I'd imagine.

[qtoffer]

ALL water bottles have issues - regardless of construction material or brand. I've personally tried every brand carried by three local big box pet stores.

I have several Living World and Super Pet glass chew-proof bottles. They look identical except one has a yellow floating duck and the other has a floating orange carrot
Here's some tips to ensure glitch-free operation that apply to glass bottles from both brands:

1) Never fill the bottle more than 1/2 - 3/4 capacity. I know it's stupid to have an 4 oz bottle that can only hold 2 - 3 oz, but that's how they designed these things. For some reason, filling all the way results in zero water dispensed and thirsty, frustrated gerbils. It has something to do with partial vacuum pressure or some such. Just don't fill more than 3/4 and it will work.
2) Make sure that the plastic gasket is present and seated properly in the cap. Otherwise, the bottle will leak out almost immediately.
3) Make sure that the dispenser tube that goes through the cap is seated against the plastic gasket. Once you screw the cap on, but before tightening it down, GENTLY push the tube into the bottle while twisting it. Do not force it - if it's already seated, it won't push in any further. Now, tighten the cap. This will eliminate those slow leaks.
4) Turn the bottle dispenser side down and give it a good downward shake. This will force air out of the dispenser tube along with some water. The bottle may not dispense water right away if you don't do this.
5) Install the bottle and check it for a few minutes to make sure it's not leaking. A couple of drops is normal.
6) Make sure it's dispensing. If you didn't overfill, this shouldn't be a problem. The best way to make sure it's dispensing is to witness your gerbils drinking. Every so often, a bubble or two should rise up from the bottom. You can also try tapping the tip of the dispenser with a finger to simulate a drinking gerbil - look for the little bubbles.
7) I suggest always having two water bottles installed in case one leaks out or fails to dispense.