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Post by eowynandpoppy on Oct 18, 2018 12:57:23 GMT -8
So I got my girls a Detolf because I felt bad for them in the 10 gallon... Not saying a 10-gal isn't terrible for everyone, but Poppy just needed more room to play ! I built a lid out of wood and 1/4 inch mesh. The tank itself is around 60 gallons and over 1,000 square inches. They absolutely love the extra room, and I split it in half for digging on one end. They don't seem to use the digging end much, though... Anyways, does anybody have ideas on how to make it a more stimulating environment? Thanks!
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Post by eowynandpoppy on Oct 18, 2018 13:45:17 GMT -8
The whole setup: The digging section: The play section:
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Post by flora7suzy4ever on Oct 18, 2018 14:30:43 GMT -8
Awesome set up! Can I just mention how much I love those pictures on your wall lol.
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xjvd
Member
Posts: 100
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Post by xjvd on Oct 18, 2018 15:29:37 GMT -8
The setup's awesome. Maybe hiding treats/toys in the digging area would entice them to dig? My gerbils dig a lot so its weird to me that yours dont. (On the other hand, I don't have a non-digging area.) I think hanging toys off the mesh lid would be a fun addition - I haven't managed to keep any hanging toys hanging for long but maybe you'd have better luck than me with that.
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tuftsnfluff
Member
AGS Ethical Breeder in DFW, TX
Posts: 589
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Post by tuftsnfluff on Oct 19, 2018 5:43:26 GMT -8
Very nice set up! Though, that's a LOT of room for a pair of gerbils. As it stands it seems, they are only really using half the tank, so really about 30 gallons, which is good for a pair at 15 gals per gerbil.
The branches though.. were those purchased or did you take them off one of your own trees? Please be very careful about bringing in wood from outside to place in gerbil tanks. It can expose them to wild animal excrement, urine, and bacteria that can be harmful or fatal to them without the wood being properly boiled, scrubbed, then oven or kiln dried.
Also, please be sure you know what kind of wood it is. There are several that are unsafe for gerbils to chew.
Just an FYI!
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Post by nazasaki on Oct 19, 2018 8:22:21 GMT -8
Love it! My dream cage if I had the space! If I were to do this setup I would take out the digging area barrier. As it is a barrier and would hate to see territorial riffs over the divided tank. I tried a digging area with my boys too. It didn't go over well as they like to tunnel from one end of the cage to the other without any obstructions. One HUGE space with 8-10" of bedding and tons of toys scattered about sounds like a gerbil heaven I also love the natural theme. (I hate colorful plastic....yuck). As others have said be cautious with the branches. From bugs, to pesticides, sap, and bird excrement it could be toxic and introduce mites (which love wood!) into your bedding. I use lots of cork bark from the reptile section and prop them against the walls of my tank as well as bury large slabs for digging. And they love to destroy it and it doesn't splinter like regular wood does. It is also safe and something to look into if you want a cool natural theme. Good job. I'm sure they love it!
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Post by eowynandpoppy on Oct 19, 2018 9:11:52 GMT -8
Thanks all! I got the branches from outside. They are beech and safe to chew/eat. I made sure to sterilize them first. Those are some great ideas! I will try to get some hanging toys and change the digging area a bit
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Post by saarapaara on Feb 28, 2020 13:34:50 GMT -8
This looks great! Just got the detolf as well. Did you put anything underneath? To support it? I remember reading somewhere that you should but can't recall where and why.. will be putting mine together this weekend!
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xjvd
Member
Posts: 100
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Post by xjvd on Mar 2, 2020 3:51:03 GMT -8
This looks great! Just got the detolf as well. Did you put anything underneath? To support it? I remember reading somewhere that you should but can't recall where and why.. will be putting mine together this weekend! Heres what I've heard about this. You need to put something underneath because the edges are a little taller the glass and lifts the glass off the table slightly - this puts a lot of pressure on the center when its filled, so you should put something underneath to support the glass. An alternative is to find a table that's exactly the length of the detolf, so that the edges can hang off the table. I don't own a detolf, so this is all hearsay - but I'm sure you'll see the problem if there is one when you put it together.
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Post by eowynandpoppy on Mar 2, 2020 9:43:51 GMT -8
This looks great! Just got the detolf as well. Did you put anything underneath? To support it? I remember reading somewhere that you should but can't recall where and why.. will be putting mine together this weekend! Yes, I had some thin books under the detolf to keep the glass supported
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Post by saarapaara on Mar 2, 2020 18:35:42 GMT -8
This looks great! Just got the detolf as well. Did you put anything underneath? To support it? I remember reading somewhere that you should but can't recall where and why.. will be putting mine together this weekend! Heres what I've heard about this. You need to put something underneath because the edges are a little taller the glass and lifts the glass off the table slightly - this puts a lot of pressure on the center when its filled, so you should put something underneath to support the glass. An alternative is to find a table that's exactly the length of the detolf, so that the edges can hang off the table. I don't own a detolf, so this is all hearsay - but I'm sure you'll see the problem if there is one when you put it together. Great, makes sense. I will stick something under there.
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Post by saarapaara on Mar 2, 2020 18:36:17 GMT -8
This looks great! Just got the detolf as well. Did you put anything underneath? To support it? I remember reading somewhere that you should but can't recall where and why.. will be putting mine together this weekend! Yes, I had some thin books under the detolf to keep the glass supported Good idea!
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Post by Markpd on Jul 4, 2020 9:21:50 GMT -8
eowynandpoppySo getting close to 2yrs now, how have they gotten on in the Detolf? I'd get one, but I don't really have the room, so I'm looking at getting a 120x50x50 tank.
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Post by eowynandpoppy on Jul 20, 2020 7:28:42 GMT -8
eowynandpoppy So getting close to 2yrs now, how have they gotten on in the Detolf? I'd get one, but I don't really have the room, so I'm looking at getting a 120x50x50 tank. Sorry for the late response! They did great in the Detolf! I would definitely recommend it for gerbils. The only thing I would change about it would be to give it a bit more height to fit more bedding in and hanging toys. Unfortunately, both of my girls passed away:( Now I'm using the Detolf for my Syrian hamster.
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Post by Markpd on Jul 20, 2020 11:24:48 GMT -8
Good to hear they liked , did they dig in the deep end after all? Just going by the photo it looks like quite large shavings, I wondered if it was too big to make tunnels? RIP your girls
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