Food+a new owner?

[Moi]

I may be getting some gerbils soon and had a few questions. For reference, I am in the USA. I did some previous research but am looking to learn a bit more.

is Higgins sunburst for hamsters and gerbils okay to be fed alone?

what should I supplement food with?

what’s the ideal GA for gerbils over a year?

average pet store gene lifespan?

is it alright to have 2 males in a 55 gallon tank?

how can i transfer them to a new home easily?

any Supply recommendations that aren’t super expensive but also not plastic?

does 10 dollars for gerbils with all there supplies seem like a scam? The Craigslist poster seemed extremely knowledgeable, kind, etc. and the images are not from google. I did not contact them yet, though.

best chews? 

ideal bedding depth?

would I need to go through the taming process again?

sorry for all the questions and relative lack of capitals, I’m in a bit of a rush and mostly using autocorrect. Have a good day and thank you in advance!

[LilyandDaisy]

Hello!

is Higgins sunburst for hamsters and gerbils okay to be fed alone?

Yes, I think Higgins Sunburst on its own is considered a good food in the USA. Have a look at this page for more information about diet.

what should I supplement food with?

You can also feed fresh vegetables and herbs, millet and seed sprays, dried or live mealworms, cereals etc. More occasionally, mine get fruit, cheese, bits of dry toast, and raisins.

what’s the ideal GA for gerbils over a year?

I think they say 6-8% fat and 14% protein but the contents of the diet are probably more important than the exact nutritional analysis (within reason). "German-style" diets with only whole foods typically have higher fat and protein levels than typical pet shop processed pellet mixes.

average pet store gene lifespan?

About 2.5-3.5 years is average but they can live longer. You hear of the occasional 5-year-old gerbil and a 4-year-old gerbil is not uncommon.

is it alright to have 2 males in a 55 gallon tank?

Yes, definitely. That's a great size tank.

how can i transfer them to a new home easily?

Do you mean the process of them settling into a new tank, or physically moving them? For the former, ideally try to get some of their old bedding and add it to the new tank. Then leave them for couple of days at least to settle in and build their burrows before disturbing them too much. As for physically moving them, try to get them to walk into a tube or jar. It's not always easy, especially if they've fallen for the same trick before!

any Supply recommendations that aren’t super expensive but also not plastic?

Grapevines are very good value because they last ages. Mine have never yet destroyed a grapevine but they can be buried and form part of their burrows, or they can be used for climbing and perching. Cork logs are also good but can be destroyed faster. If you have deep bedding layered with plenty of hay, you don't really need a lot of stuff to fill up a tank.

does 10 dollars for gerbils with all there supplies seem like a scam? The Craigslist poster seemed extremely knowledgeable, kind, etc. and the images are not from google. I did not contact them yet, though.

Anything online could be dodgy, but they could just be very keen to rehome the gerbils. If you're unsure, take someone with you when you meet them and don't hand over any money until you've seen and inspected the gerbils.

best chews?

Mostly cardboard. They'll get through as much cardboard as you can give them. Mine also like willow sticks, loofah and cork. They also like shredding hay, and this wears down their teeth too.

ideal bedding depth?

As deep as possible, but ideal would probably be 12 inches+, which you can fit in a 55 gallon.

[Moi]

Thank you for all the answers! They’ve been super helpful

I found a new more-

Someone on Craigslist has a free ‘mini gerbil’. I know some unethical local shops sell duprasi, and I can’t tell if it’s a doop or a robo hamster. Are there any identifying marks from the face (they do not show the tail or body). It also has some grey in its back.

How can I set up the cage to accommodate a sand bath? Should it be in 24/7?

Are there any good Etsy shops that have good gerbil supplies?

Less important, but does anyone have any name suggestions for two grey gerbils? One has a white tail and a more silvery pattern, and the other is more brownish with a dark grey tail.

[LilyandDaisy]

I don't think any pet shops in the USA are selling duprasi yet. They're rare and there are only a few breeders over there. An animal on Craigslist has almost no chance of being a doop. A duprasi will be a light ginger colour with a white belly whereas a Robo will often be a light mousy brown with a white belly, sometimes white with brown patches and occasionally all white. Some Robos have a white face, or a bit between the eyes that's a lighter brown, whereas, if I'm not mistaken, doops always have the same colour face as the rest of the body.

There are a few ways to have a sand bath in a tank. If you have a fairly long tank, you can have a smaller shallow section for the wheel and sand bath etc. Another option is to have a platform above the bedding for the sand bath. Another option is to build a topper to hold the sand bath. The sand bath doesn't necessarily need to be in the tank 24/7, so another option is to just place it in for a while, a few times a week.

I'm not sure about Etsy shops and I'm also not very good with names so hopefully someone else can answer those questions.

[betty]

Doops also have a big fat pink naked tail - half as long as their body at least.

Hamsters tails aren't usually a noticable feature so that is a real easy way of telling them apart.

In the states - doops cost around $150-$200 to buy - so if they are asking anywhere near that much - you really want to make sure it IS a doop before buying. I am sure robos are worth nowhere near that!

[Moi]

I thought of some more, of course. Could anyone please tell me some more about cleaning schedules? My plan was to have 1/2 to 1/3 be 13 or so inches deep with paper and a little aspen mixed in, than slope down to 10 inches for a platform with a wheel (would I need two?) for cleaning, would removing 1/4 of the bedding weekly work? Has anyone successfully trained their gerbils in minor tricks? How often do they generally need vets, and should I bring both? Thanks again for all this advice

[LilyandDaisy]

You definitely won't need to remove bedding as often as once a week. Some people do more frequent partial cleans. I prefer to do a less frequent "almost full" clean, but always keeping some old bedding back. I empty the tank completely, wipe it down, then mix in two bags of the cleanest old bedding with the new. I do this "almost full" clean about once every 4-6 months depending on how the tank looks. How often you need to clean the tank will depend on many things, like bedding type, tank size and setup, your gerbils' habits etc, so it's a case of finding a schedule that works for you.

You can have two wheels if you have space but it's not necessary. I'd suggest starting with one and if it turns out both gerbils love the wheel and want to run at the same time, you could consider getting a second.

We had a recent discussion about teaching gerbils tricks that you might find interesting: gerbilforum.proboards.com/thread/34958/teaching-gerbils-tricks.

They only need to see a vet when they're ill, which in some cases might be never. Since it's better to be overprepared than underprepared, it's probably best to plan for the assumption that each gerbil might need to see a vet a handful of times, especially as they get older. With my last pair, one saw a vet twice and the other never (though she did have an appointment scheduled when she died). With my current four, one has seen a vet twice and the other three never so far. They're all about 2 years old.

Ideally you would bring both gerbils to the vet together, partly so they have each other for comfort and partly to reduce the chances of a declan due to new scents.

[Moi]

Thanks for all the information! Something unexpected happened today- I found a doop in Craigslist. I looked at the images and I’m 100% sure it’s not a dupe. However, they don’t show a price. I’ve already begun reading through the duprasi thread on here and plan on finishing, but are there any other good sources for doop care/how are they different?

[LilyandDaisy]

I believe duprasi are more similar to hamsters in their habits and care. They definitely need a wheel and they're nocturnal. But betty is the one to ask about duprasi. I've never had one (yet).

[betty]

"Yet" - nice little addition there!

Yes, they do seem to have a lot in common with dwarf hamsters in their habitat preferences, and seemingly a bit more insectivorous than 'normal' gerbils food-wise.

Join both the US Doop FB group - and the other fat-tail/duprasi FB group (which is international) - to get more info. Or start a thread on here or PM me with specific questions.

[PipSqueak]

There are a few shops online for gerbil supplies. I ordered from HammyPalsStore recently and haven’t gotten my order yet but they sell Niteangel things not yet available in the USA, sprays, herb mixes, leaves, and food mixes. Just make sure it is alls safe. The shipping is expensive but if you are willing to pay then the products are great.
If you want to get some wood slices for cheap check out BulkWoodSlices. There is 3 slices and have no chemicals on them and is a safe type of birch. My gerbils love sitting on them and chewing them. Shipping is free so this is a great thing to get.
You can look on Furnishables for static cling stickers to put on the outside of their cage. Works best on glass. I have bought these a few times and given them as a gift and they are great!
Check out TheHamsterPantry for cork logs, chews, bendable bridges, sprays, herbs, hides, and sand.