Bath Sand & Bedding

[panthershadow83]

sorry, this is my second thread in a row...

What sand baths would you reccomend? I know that chinchilla sand isn't very safe, because it's much finer than normal sand, and can be inhaled by the gerbil, which can cause respritory infections.

Also, is Carefresh bedding OK for gerbils?

[spaniard]

The sand that I use for my gerbils is the kind that little kids play in.
Personally I like Carefresh better but people say that Aspen bedding is the best ( I think aspen is too dusty ) ;D

[simcoe]

There are actually two different chinchilla products on the market, chinchilla sand and chinchilla dust. The sand is a crunchy, granular substance made from pumice rock. It's very absorbent and the particles are not too fine. The dust, on the other hand, is what you need to beware of. It's just that, dust. Too fine for the gerbs' lungs.

I think if you use the sand you'll be ok. If you want a cheaper option, though (because the commercial chinch sand is a little pricey) you can use untreated playground sand.

[spaniard]

Does anyone know if its okay to use cat litter for sand bath

[tasha]

I think i remember someone else talking about using it. I guess the most important thing is to see if it is too dusty. There are some very dusty clay-based cat litters that probably would not be suitable. It probably varies a lot depending on the brand. I use a combination of children's play sand and 'reptisand'. I was worried at first that the reptisand might be too dusty because the particles are quite fine, but actually, when i pour it into the bath bowl, it makes no 'cloud' at all (unlike play sand or the expensive chinchilla sand), and the gerbs seem to like it best. It is more expensive than play sand, but less than chinch sand, and seems to smell less when they later use it for a toilet.

[panthershadow83]

Do you keep the bath sand in the cage all the time, or do you only put it in for a little bit??

[tasha]

I leave a bowl of sand in always and change it every two days. They roll around in it and have a great time when i first put it in there, and then they use it as a toilet. I like this arrangement because they never urinate (and rarely poo) on their bedding, which means less frequent whole-tank cleanings. The sand does tend to smell quickly though and does need to be changed frequently, but it only takes a minute to dump out the bowl, rinse with dish detergent, and fill with new sand. From past posts, it sounds like a few others use this method too. It would get pretty costly if you are using chinchilla sand though.

[sweetie]

Chincilla sand is better than chinchilla dust. I have used dust on my gerbils who were 10 weeks old. It did not affect them. It will affect smaller pups since the dust is so fine, it will cause respiratory illnesses.

I now use play sand. It is cheap, has bigger pieces, is non toxic and they love it. You can go to a craft store or Wlamart and buy a 5lb bag for 2$ (US).

It is an option if you prefer to leave it in the tank. I do not becuase it ends up out of the dish. They play in it and knock it about. I have seen a set up where half the tank is sand the other shavings. It looked great but I can not figure out how to put in the divider. Also I can only put it in certain caes since I don't want my pups exposed to it.

[j]

I recommend Aspen more than the Carefresh.

Aspen:
Unlikely to have an allergy
Cheaper
Takes longer to smell which means less frequent cleanings
More stable for digging tunnels and making burrows with

Carefresh:
Somewhat likely to have an allergy to
More expensive for a stupid little bag
Smells fast so you have to clean the tank more. And it has a weird smell to it even dry. (smell the bag in the petstore and see if you like it..)
They can't dig stable tunnels and burrows in it, they can basically only push it around. Which also means they'll probably do that stupid corner digging thing.

Chinchilla sand (not dust) is fine for bathsand. It's bad for pups, not adults. I use childrens sand. I get like a 50lb bag for $3 at Home Depot.

Don't use cat litter for sand or shavings.

You can keep it in the tank at all times. If you do that, then you have to clean the tank even less because they'll use it as a bathroom. You'll just have to clean out the sand every couple of days. Also some gerbils like sleeping in it. So if you want to keep it in the tank, then go with the big bag of childrens sand because it's cheaper.
I use one of those plastic travel containers (Kritter Keeper) for a sand bath and use velcro to attach it to the side of the tank. I put it high enough so they have to jump to get in it. If you just put it on the bottom, they'll bury it with shavings, kick the sand out and dump it and its a waste.

[sweetie]

J

Is the childrens play sand a seasonal thing at HomeDepot?

[simcoe]

No, it's usually in their lawn and garden section. We're in the middle of snowstorms here and I had no trouble picking up a bag at Lowe's.

Ask any clerk and they'll be able to point you to it.