Topper Turned Toilet :(

[miche987]

Hello! So, I worked very hard for a whole weekend with my minimal building skills to construct this topper for Murph and George. It turned out great and they love it…as a toilet. The whole topper is used as one big toilet, even though they have a sand bath right there. I have included a photo so you can see the setup and Murph looking all innocent. Haha. This photo was taken after I cleaned up all the poop carpeting the wooden floor. Any suggestions?



PS not sure why the photo isn’t showing up, here is a link to the image. 
Photo of Aquarium Topper

[yeti218]

Nice work on the topper and your gerbils are so cute.

Don't have any suggestions, gerbils poo where they want. If they do have an area they especially like to go to the bathroom in, you could try moving the sand bath there.

Now that you have the topper, you could add some deeper bedding in the tank. Theyd probably enjoy that.

[teambenji543]

I love it! But the giant jar thing, what is that? A sand bath? If so how do they get in?

[PipSqueak]

I don’t think that the sand bath is large enough. There is hardly and sand and so it isn’t a large enough sand bath. What size is your enclosure? It looks quite small. I also noticed the ladder was vertical. How do they get up to the topper?

[LilyandDaisy]

I have a topper with wooden shelves and my gerbils do the same thing. The shelves do get quite filthy but I prefer it really because I can wipe them down and then I don't have to change the bedding in the tank below so often. They do have a big sand bath which they use about half the time, and the other half of the time, whichever shelf is nearest. I've tried putting a tile in the frequently used areas in the hope they would use that. It didn't really work for mine but perhaps it would work for yours.

If you haven't already, I'd suggest painting that wooden shelf with something like Plastikote (if you can get it where you are, and the paint not the spray) or a non-toxic version of Mod Podge (make sure the description specifies non-toxic). It will stop the urine soaking in so the wood isn't ruined, and give it a wipe clean surface so it can be easily cleaned.

I agree with Pipsqueak that the sand bath is too small. You could get a tray big enough to cover the whole wooden shelf, and put the wheel inside (which would also mean you don't have to paint the wood). It looks like they have to jump up to get into that jar which will deter them from using it all the time.

[Scott]

I made large two-level wooden shelves for my 40 gallon tank, and the kids reliably poop there. So I picked up this mini hand broom and dust bin and periodically give it a quick sweep up.


Of course, the boys won't stop trying to investigate what I'm doing, which makes it take longer than it ought to. 

[miche987]

Aug 9, 2021 7:13:04 GMT -8 Scott said:

I made large two-level wooden shelves for my 40 gallon tank, and the kids reliably poop there. So I picked up this mini hand broom and dust bin and periodically give it a quick sweep up.


Of course, the boys won't stop trying to investigate what I'm doing, which makes it take longer than it ought to. 

Thanks, Scott! Yes, I have been cleaning it up a couple times a day and they are hilariously curious about what’s going on. Definitely lengthens the process, but they’re adorable so it’s okay!

[miche987]

Aug 8, 2021 15:26:35 GMT -8 LilyandDaisy said:

I have a topper with wooden shelves and my gerbils do the same thing. The shelves do get quite filthy but I prefer it really because I can wipe them down and then I don't have to change the bedding in the tank below so often. They do have a big sand bath which they use about half the time, and the other half of the time, whichever shelf is nearest. I've tried putting a tile in the frequently used areas in the hope they would use that. It didn't really work for mine but perhaps it would work for yours.

If you haven't already, I'd suggest painting that wooden shelf with something like Plastikote (if you can get it where you are, and the paint not the spray) or a non-toxic version of Mod Podge (make sure the description specifies non-toxic). It will stop the urine soaking in so the wood isn't ruined, and give it a wipe clean surface so it can be easily cleaned.

I agree with Pipsqueak that the sand bath is too small. You could get a tray big enough to cover the whole wooden shelf, and put the wheel inside (which would also mean you don't have to paint the wood). It looks like they have to jump up to get into that jar which will deter them from using it all the time.

Thanks for the tips! I will definitely look into a bigger sand bath and Plastikote.

[miche987]

Aug 8, 2021 14:51:36 GMT -8 PipSqueak said:

I don’t think that the sand bath is large enough. There is hardly and sand and so it isn’t a large enough sand bath. What size is your enclosure? It looks quite small. I also noticed the ladder was vertical. How do they get up to the topper?

Thanks! I will search for a bigger sand bath. There is a ramp for them to get up to the topper. Not sure why it looks vertical? They have no problem getting up/down.

[miche987]

Aug 8, 2021 13:54:06 GMT -8 teambenji543 said:

I love it! But the giant jar thing, what is that? A sand bath? If so how do they get in?

It’s a mason jar. They jump up and in. They don’t seem to have a problem getting in and using it, but they prefer the wooden shelf. I’m looking for an alternative. Thanks 😊

[miche987]

Aug 7, 2021 23:15:58 GMT -8 yeti218 said:

Nice work on the topper and your gerbils are so cute.

Don't have any suggestions, gerbils poo where they want. If they do have an area they especially like to go to the bathroom in, you could try moving the sand bath there.

Now that you have the topper, you could add some deeper bedding in the tank. Theyd probably enjoy that.

Thanks!😊

[miche987]

Update:

I added an empty, metal dog bowl to the topper and now all the gerbil babies are happily pooping in it. It’s super easy to clean it out once or twice a day. Their sand bath is now something that I give them every few days and remove when they’re done. That way they don’t kick all the sand out and I can sift and reuse as needed.

I also got some outdoor ModPodge and will sand and seal the wood when I get back from tenting.

And I filled their entire tank with bedding, almost up to the brim. So they are now happily tunnelling their little hearts out.

Thanks everyone for your helpful suggestions!

[PipSqueak]

If you only keep the sand bath in part of the time what is in the metal bowl? I also recommend keeping the sand in there all the time unless they only use it to clean themselves. If there is sand in the metal bowl I don’t see why you have to clean it twice a day. I have a shallow glass dish that’s around 8 inches in diameter and sift it in the middle of the week and change the sand about once a week when it starts to smell.

[PipSqueak]

Also I would make sure that the modpodge is safe. I am pretty sure it is but I would check just to be sure!

[teambenji543]

I know that Mod Podge is safe for hamsters, so I’m assuming it’s ok for gerbils as well?.