Tank/cage cleaning products

[Markpd]

I don't have any Gerbils yet lol, but I've got the tank , obviously not going to need to clean it for a while. 

But I was wondering, when it comes to a major clean, do I really need to use an 'animal safe' cleaner if I'm going to wipe it after with a damp cloth? (to get rid of most the scent).

Or I do need one anyway? In which case, which would you recommend?

Whilst I've got your attention , do you think the bottle is ok where it is?

I put it there so that it can't get covered by the bedding, nor will it be out of reach if they empty that side of bedding! lol (it is directly above the 1st ramp and barricade).

It's a glass bottle btw, and much larger than I realised, it's meant for Guinea pigs! (the only other concern I have is that the full weight of it will bow the lid....).

(better still if I can get it to show here) [edit] nope! Won't work, here's the link photos.app.goo.gl/NjgKhEHQAE47cjHH9

[LilyandDaisy]

I think a damp cloth is fine for normal cleaning. I also use water and vinegar sometimes to polish the glass, which might also have some antimicrobial effects.

I can't see the photo of the bottle for some reason. I never found a good way of preventing bottles getting buried when inside the tank, unfortunately, plus one of my gerbils has a hobby of destroying bottles, so I actually sit mine on the tank lid. The lid has 6mm mesh but I've cut the wire in one corner to form a 12x12mm hole for the spout to go through. As my tank has an in-built shelf along the back, the bottle is never out of reach. I think this only works with the Classic bottles as other bottles are the wrong shape and won't sit upright.

[Markpd]

Aww now I wanta see the whole cage and Gerbils .

Err anyway, so do you think a damp cloth alone? Or regular surface cleaners and then a damp cloth? (which was what I meant).
She wouldn't destroy my Gerbil's bottle
Re photo, ah I see they're long links, let me see if I can change that....[edit] working now?

[LilyandDaisy]

Oh, I see what you meant now. Things like bleach and other cleaning products could be quite dangerous if gerbils came into contact with them. Technically if you washed every trace off, it would be fine though. I usually do a deep clean of each tank once a year where I actually wash them in soapy water and use a pet-safe disinfectant spray. The rest of the time, I just remove the bedding and replace it. Bacterial growth shouldn't be much of an issue in dry bedding and on a smooth surface like glass. The only time some kind of cleaning product would be essential would be if there had been a contagious illness in the tank, and then you would need something stronger than the pet-safe sprays, like bleach.

This is my 120x40x45cm tank:

It's home to Lily and Daisy:

Lily is the grey agouti (silvery grey colour) and Daisy is the polar fox (light with grey ticking). Lily is the water bottle destroyer. She figured out once it was a good way to get my attention! She can be a bit highly strung but is getting better with age. Daisy is really laid back and calm, and very smart.

This is my smaller 75x45x40cm tank:


It's home to my newer pair (adopted in May) Rocket and Storm:





Rocket is the black one and she's female. Storm is the grey agouti and he's a neutered male. He's so friendly and tame, even purrs when held sometimes.

[LilyandDaisy]

I can see your bottle photo now. I've never seen one hung like that but it looks fine. I don't think that would easily get buried. I would just make sure it dispenses water properly in that position.

[Markpd]

I got the idea to hang it like that from someone around here, I've forgotten who
And I will check it, their should still be enough pressure as it is tilted slightly, not to mention it's ridiculous size!

Loads of bedding in your tanks (more than mine), I'm limited by the height of the barrier I have, I'm already thinking about a topper because of that! (Raystede rescue ctr mentioned I could removed the wheel and have the substrate going right across, no way when that wheel and stand cost £50! (incl. delivery).

Lol at how Lily was getting your attention! , all beautiful Gerbils, I'd love to hear Storm purr! Very cute! Didn't know Gerbils could!

Nearly forgot, so what petsafe disinfectant do you use with the big clean?

[LilyandDaisy]

I'll be interested to hear how your future gerbils get on with the Tic Tac wheel as I've often looked at them myself but been put off by the price.

Gerbils purr by grinding their teeth, but it's pretty uncommon, so very special that Storm does it. He was found abandoned in a box before coming into the rescue so I'm amazed he's so comfortable with people.

I use this spray: www.petsathome.com/shop/en/pets/johnsons-clean-and-safe-disinfectant-for-small-pet-trigger-spray-500ml

I can see your tank photo now. It looks really good. My tanks are lower than I would like so you probably have about the amount of bedding. It looks like less because your tank is taller.

[Markpd]

Excellent, thank you, that's cheaper than Zooplus's version, and less delivery.

Re the wheel, knowing my luck the Gerbils won't use it! And yea they are a bit pricey, the way I saw it is if I got a wooden one (~£20) and they chewed it, the cost of 2 would be nearly as much as the metal one, so I should be better off in the long run....... assuming they use it!

Btw, I just had an email back from Raystede saying that the wheel isn't suitable because their tails can get trapped! I thought, wth!?? Are they serious!? Anyway I politely replied that they (maybe only her) are thinking of an open or runged wheels. But I previously sent them a photo clearly showing it, so they should've realised that!

Poor Storm being abandoned in a box! I hope they at least left him at the door step of the ctr).

[LilyandDaisy]

There's no way your wheel could trap a tail. It's possible if you said it was metal they thought it was one of those open mesh wheels which can be quite dangerous. Perhaps send them a link to the Tic Tac wheels website if they're still not happy.

[Markpd]

Exactly what I thought, she probably didn't bother looking at the photo, I forgot to say that I did send her a link to their site.

Btw, I just ordered that J&J cleaner for £4.81 delivered from vetsuk, that £1.69 saving makes up for what I spent on that wheel!

Another vet place was listing it cheaper, but to find out delivery costs you had to order it 1st! wth?? So I didn't bother with them.

[Thelodar]

I would definitely use something you're confident is pet safe, just in case you don't get it all when you wipe it down afterwards. When I clean my tanks I remove all the bedding, suck out the excess with a hand vacuum, then spray with a pet safe disinfectant. Wipe with paper towels until all liquid is gone, then let air dry (the spray I use does not need to be rinsed but should be totally dried before returning pets to the enclosure, the ingredients aren't safe to consume). You may not need to use a disinfectant at all, just wiping with a damp cloth might be enough, but I imagine it helps prevent odors. Where there's pet waste I feel like disinfecting is a good idea.