Wheel Struggles

[lovebug6413]

When I got my three boys I inherited some supplies/bought some secondhand. One of these items was their wheel, its a green mesh(close knit) and I suspect 6.5 inch. Since they are going on 5 months I have been looking into some larger options for them to grow into. Now the other issue I have is they reside in the room I sleep in, so I need a relatively quiet one. The one I have now isn't the "worst" I have it weighed done by another object because it shakes a ton and I have to oil it with olive oil almost every night to keep the squeaking at bay (I dont like this because it seems to make the gerbils fur become greasy quite quickly since it flys everywhere after I oil it). At this point I feel like I have tried every wheel available in my local pet stores. I went the next size up in the type I have now but found the bars that hold the wheel aren't sturdy enough for that size and it just clunks around making a racket. I went for the kaytee comfort wheel but they dug at it constantly and since it had the attachment for the bars, it also wasn't the most secured and clunked around on the base. I even tried to secure their current wheel to the top to see if that would quiet the noise and it magnified it by ten. I have a whisper exercise wheel right now, but that will be a return too. Its a hard plastic so they DIG 24/7 at it which is that high pitched nails on a chalkboard effect. I also found that the base is so close to the wheel I can't weigh it down to quit the wobbling. I am in the US and can't seem to find a Wheely Fit, or that Trixie one I have seen people talk about.  The Wodent Wheel would also get chewed through in a heart beat. I did not bother with the Silent Spinner because they dont have the right sizes. I was looking into the wheels on Etsy for hedgehogs? The california Storm doesn't take refunds and I feel might be too big for my tank but I found another shop that does the same type but offers refunds if you're not satisfied. My only other option I think is a 7in mesh wheel similar to the one I have by Wild Harvest.  Any thoughts? Also does anyone use the flying saucer, and how does that work? My biggest issue seems that they run so fast the whole thing wobbles about and I think the saucer would be a good secure base

[the_gerbilpetsworld]

Hi lovebug, I have the silent spinner for my gerbils in the size 6.5" they seem to be fine on it, my gerbils are 1year and 7 months and the wheel still seems ok. It silent so it will be perfect for your room. My gerbils are in my room so I know your struggle of finding a wheel that doesn't make a noise but the 6.5" silent spinner should be fine, if your worried about their back they should be fine my gerbils have had it pretty much since I bought them and their backs are completely fine.
Your answer to the flying saucer. I have a 6.5" flying saucer as well but I only use it for playtime as there isn't really enough room in their cage. If you have a large tank there might be room for a flying saucer as well, the base is secure so it should be fine. The gerbils prefer a wheel to the flying saucer but they still do use a flying saucer. The only issue I have with the flying saucer is that it does take up a lot of room as you can't put it on the wire, also the flying saucer is silent as well so it will be fine in your room

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask!
Hope I helped
PetMad15

[qtoffer]

I've never had a problem with the 6.5 inch Silent Spinner with any of my full grown adult FEMALE gerbils. All of them have enjoyed using it and nobody has ever chewed on its hard polystyrene plastic. The 6.5 inch may be a wee bit small for full grown MALE gerbils, but I don't buy into the theory that small wheels cause back issues. The most dangerous threat posed to small animals by wheels are toe and tail injuries. That's why I avoid most metal wheels with mesh treads, or hub supports that can endanger tails while moving (like the Wild Harvest model you mentioned). Unfortunately, Superpet does not make an 8 inch Silent Spinner model, and I think that the 12 inch model would be too big and heavy for most gerbils to enjoy fully.

As far as noise, the culprit is almost always the stand or base. The clunking and vibrations are just as bad as squeaking hubs! I screwed the hub of my silent spinners to a block of wood, and bolted that directly to the frame of my cage toppers. Not a peep - even when the girls are going full tilt. One could also glue the block of wood to the inside of a glass aquarium with silicone, or attach it to the cage bars with screws and washers. The Silent Spinner is truly silent if you ditch the lousy metal base that comes with it.

I agree with your concern about the Wodent Wheel - I think the gerbils would chew up the soft plastic in short order. I used the flying saucer with mice - they really loved it! I'm not sure about it for gerbils, though. I suspect that they may chew it, since the plastic is soft. They may also be more likely to use it as a potty rather than an exercise toy.

In short, there really isn't an ideal gerbil wheel on the market. The closest thing I found is the 6.5 inch Silent Spinner, but I had to modify it to make it truly quiet. I wish SuperPet would make an 8 inch.
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Eowyn (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
Goldberry (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
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RIP
Maire 11/6/2008 - 4/6/2011; Eithne 11/6/2008 - 10/10/2011
Lori 5/2/2011 - 7/24/2013; Mo 5/2/2011 - 1/14/2014; Carly 5/2/2011 - 5/21/2014
Arwen 11/12/2011 - 2/8/2015

[blanknote]

Is it an option to take out the wheel when you go to sleep, and put it back in when you wake up? That's what I sometimes do with my wheel, as I feel the 6.5" Silent Spinner is on the small side for Richard, so wanted to get an 8" wheel, but it isn't as quiet. (Although he used to run so fast on the Silent Spinner that it wasn't too quiet either, to be honest...)

[lovebug6413]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, i think I might try both the 6.5 silent spinner and the saucer and just see what works better, if not online is my last resort. Unfortunately I have tried taking the wheel out at night and they throw an absolute fit, I mean louder than the wheel itself. I kid you not they will toss whatever is available up against the tank, those crazy gerbs!

Will update the thread when Ive have either found a solution or need more ideas!

[the_gerbilpetsworld]

I take out my wheel sometimes at night as they are in my room and sometimes they are noisy, so I now take out the wheel at night on a regular basis, they used to get stroppy when I took the wheel out and they started to chew the bars and everything even though they still had loads of chew toys and everything they still used to chew the bars but now they have got used to the fact that I take it out at night and don't chew the bars anymore so your gerbils will get used to it but just make sure you occupy them with other toys as well just to make sure. I recommend using wooden toys because it can cause digestive problems if they swallow plastic

Hope I helped
PetMad15

[qtoffer]

Cardboard toys are nice and quiet.

Maybe you could try providing a wheel during their out of tank playtime if you take it out overnight. For instance, I stopped keeping the sand bath in the tank 24/7 because the gerbils kept kicking out ALL the sand and over stuffing the bath jar with bedding. They have daily access to the bath when they come out for playtime - worked out great for everyone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Eowyn (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
Goldberry (F) 11/12/2011 - 20 gallon with 20 gallon topper
--------------------------------------------------------------
RIP
Maire 11/6/2008 - 4/6/2011; Eithne 11/6/2008 - 10/10/2011
Lori 5/2/2011 - 7/24/2013; Mo 5/2/2011 - 1/14/2014; Carly 5/2/2011 - 5/21/2014
Arwen 11/12/2011 - 2/8/2015