Extending my Rotastak tank :3

[leahbrowne]

hiya, i was watching my gerbils a while ago and noticed they seem a bit bored of their tank. i was thinking of adding in some extra bits and bobs around it to create new rooms and make it much more fun but I'm not sure what sort of things would be good for them.

When i got the tank i cut off the wheel as they scratched behind it constantly and also there's nowhere really for them to eat (i have the rotastak pink palace and they use the upper part for storing bedding, middle section as a bathroom mainly despite the fact i leave a dish of sand for them and the lower part for chewing/ sleeping).

I'm just wondering if anyone has any ideas of what might be nice to add on? even if anyone has made a swing or perch themselves?

[leahbrowne]

just saw the post above mine :S I'm from Kilkeel in Co. Down, Northern Ireland :3

[GeordieGerbil]

To be totally honest with you, that cage really is not big enough for 1 gerbil, never mind 2, it's really quite unsuitable. You should get them a tank (20 gallons minimum) or a gerbilarium. This is so they can have at least 8 inches deep bedding to burrow in.
Rotastak cages are really not suitable at all for gerbils.

Have a look through this thread: gerbilforum.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=housing&thread=19030&page=1

That will give you a good idea of the type of cage you should be aiming for. Gerbils aren't bothered about plastic tubes and stuff. The most important thing you should have to keep your gerbils happy is to have lots and lots of room for deep sawdust and digging.
Gerbils are not like hamsters, they really don't care for plastic tubes and 'add ons', all they are really after is a tank with lots of deep sawdust.

[leahbrowne]

thanks for the advice its really helpful ive tried filling my tank up with loads of sawdust and the space in the tank is just so small, could i put sand in the gerbilarium instead of sawdust or would this be unsafe?

[sofluffy]

yeah, GeorgieGerbil summed it up pretty well to be honest

[sofluffy]

I've tried gebril safe sand before, but mine hated it It's all down to your gerbil's personal preference I s'pose as long as it's safe sand

[reesesturtles]

Sand can be a pain to clean out, but it is perfectly suitable if don't mind the extra work. Kiln dried pine or aspen shavings work too, as do a variety of paper beddings. A 20 gallon tank should provide plenty of space for gerbil digging, burrowing, and other activity--just to agree with what Geordie Gerbil recommended. You could also make a homemade Bin cage which can be very spacious with a lot of depth.

[Emmys Gerbils]

I have the Pink Palace for my gerbils and my gerbils are happy and healthy mine has a good 7-8 inches of shavings in the bottom as i cliped the water bottle on the second level, mine also get time to run around out of it so they stay happy with all of the cardboard get

[leahbrowne]

thanks guys this is really helpful ive seen posts on making your own gerbilarium so i might try that too but if you have any tips on this id appreciate it ^^

[steffholmes]

i bought the pirate ship rotastak set, then a add-on cage that is toblerone shaped, and all three seem happy, they use the main room as their sleeping area and then make a mess of the rest haha
I've found that as long as i have plenty of sawdust in each section they can burrow perfectly, its just the clean up that can become a pain