what else will i need?

[jimbo]

hi everyone i just purchased 2 mongolian gerbils a few hours ago and i must say they are very intertaining:) ok so ill tell you my setup..... i have a pair of females in a 25 gallon aquarium fish tank with around 2 inches of sawdust ..... i have made them a house/bed from a small shoe box filled with gerbil bedding..... i have a food dish.. and a water bottle... i also have put 2 toilet roll tubes in for then to gnaw on ......... would there be anything else i would need for them to be happy?

thanx for any help someone can give me

[queenofthenile]

I like to put *tons* of cardboard in my tanks. I get those carboard tubes from floral wrap at the grocery store and stack them three high ;D. They absolutely love it! I also use little wooden houses, this castle from an old fishtank and a gerbil wheel. You don't necessarily need all these things, but if you want to get a bit crazy ...

The only recommendations I have are that you watch your gerbils' reaction to the sawdust. If you start seeing red or runny noses you may want to switch to Aspen, corncob or carefresh litter. Sawdust is usually too dusty and can result in the flare-up of gerbil allergies or respiratory infections. And instead of *buying* gerbil bedding, I just shred up toilet tissue. Some of the beddings have fibers that are too long, and if ingested by the gerbil can cause intestinal blockages. The fibers in facial tissue are very short and so there is no potential for an impaction.

The best of luck to you and your gerbs!

[Ritzie/Admin]

I would not use sawdust either! It is best to use woodshavings, or other bedding.