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Post by phantomslayer on Nov 4, 2021 12:08:18 GMT -8
I'm not a gerbil owner "YET". But I always wanted one when I was younger however due to being underage and having to listen to my mom she said no.. Well I'm still living with them at the age of 23. From the age of 17-23 I had been into fish keeping. However the spark for that hobby died. The reason being is the limitations around me. Anyways I've been doing alot of research and making notes but theres some things I really want to ask personally. I didn't know where to put this so I put it in where the biggest uncertainty is. Housing.
Research says a 10 gallon with a tank topper at minimum for a pair. At first I thought about buying a tank. But then I looked online and saw that a 20 gallon long is realllyy expensive. Like yikes when did they cost almost $100 0.0 But then I realized duh I have tanks from fishkeeping lol. I have a 10 gallon that can't hold more than half a tank of water due to leakage but for some reason that size doesn't please me for the thought of gerbils. And then I remembered the ancient rectangle sitting down in the lean to next to the garage. I have a roughly 29 gallon tank down there. I say roughly because to be honest I got it from my great uncle and only used it once. So I don't know its actual size. It could be 30 gallon? It may still hold water but since gerbils don't live in water thats not much of a issue? The issue I have with it is the black trim. Its missing a corner and its just overall rough looking. But since I don't plan on going back to fishkeeping and never used that tank anyways I was thinking maybe I could clean it and use it for a duo-trio of gerbils? If I have to I can buy a tank but honestly I'd much rather clean that beast out and give it some life. But I also don't want it looking bad so I was thinking of removing the trim and making a cover? Its just every article/video i saw says "Buy a cage! Tanks are better because their glass" I've found zilch info on using an old\used aquarium and cleaning it for usage.
Another question that bugs me. Would it be better to look around for someone rehoming gerbils or in my case the only other option is petsmart which is over an hour and a half drive away? However I've kept an eye on craigslist, a few pet rehoming pages on facebook and petfinder and none are in range of me so I'm wondering if maybe people just don't post them? Ive seen rats, rabbits even a hamster or two. Like on petfinder the closest I found was in another state and I don't live in one of the illegal states to be owning them so like what??
Last question do you think itd be better to have bedding and stuff on hand before getting them even if their from another person whose rehoming?
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Post by barryozzy on Nov 4, 2021 12:52:22 GMT -8
Ideally, you would need at least 10 gallons of space for each gerbil. You could probably scrub the tank with vinegar to clean it, just make sure it doesn't smell or still have gunk stuck on before putting gerbils in it. If the old tank doesn't work out for some reason, you could try waiting for tanks to go on sale. Unless you can only find a trio, I'd recommend just getting a pair. Trios are more unstable and more likely to declan.
It would be better not to get one from PetSmart, you might get friendlier or healthier gerbils that way. I don't know what your PetSmart is like, but mine is not very good with their animals. However if that's the closest you can find any, it wouldn't be the end of the world or anything.
Yes! You should definitely have all your supplies and your setup ready before picking up the gerbils. I would also recommend starting your cardboard collection pretty soon because they just love to demolish stuff, haha
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Post by LilyandDaisy on Nov 4, 2021 12:57:45 GMT -8
Hello!
People used to suggest a 10 gallon as the minimum for a pair, but really it's very, very small and almost nobody would recommend it nowadays, even with a topper. A 29/30 gallon tank could work (depending on the dimensions - you don't want something that's very narrow and tall) but the bigger the better. 40 gallons+ tends to be the ideal size. A tank doesn't need to be leakproof to safely house gerbils. If it's very leaky, you may get some dust falling out, but that's not a huge problem. You can use an old aquarium for gerbils. I would clean it thoroughly with bleach, and then after all the bleach is rinsed out, use cleaning vinegar to get rid of any white staining, and rinse it out again before the gerbils go in it. You'll need to make a lid out of wire mesh and wood, or you could even make a topper to give the gerbils extra space. Gerbils do best in tanks because they need to burrow and they can easily chew through plastic cage bases.
In terms of numbers, gerbils always do best in pairs. Trios and more have a high risk of declanning (when gerbils fight and have to be separated) whereas the pair dynamic tends to be the most stable and peaceful. If you find a trio, you shouldn't separate them just because you want a pair, but a pair is the ideal, especially if you are limited to a 29/30 gallon tank.
Gerbils can be hard to find in some areas unfortunately. I suppose all you can do is keep checking all the selling sites, and also look on the AGS website to see if there's a breeder near you. If you're rehoming gerbils, it is best to have bedding and other essentials already as you never know what they're going to come with. Even if the advert says they come with supplies, the food might be riddled with weevils, the bedding might be mouldy etc!
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Post by PipSqueak on Nov 4, 2021 14:38:32 GMT -8
Like BarryOzzy and LilyandDaisy have said it has been recommended at least 10 gallons per gerbil. I had a 29 gallon tank with 10 gallon topper for my gerbils previously but I got them a 55 gallon tank now and I definitely recommend. Tanks can be very expensive, I would look for any sales or anyone giving away tanks. I got mine on a sale and a 55 gallon tank was only $100 brand new from Pet Supplies Plus.
Definitely have the whole set up before you get your gerbils. That includes bedding, food, hides, a wheel, a sand bath, and other enriching activities. I would start stocking up on toilet paper tubes now, gerbils love them and it’s very easy to run out very quickly.
Pairs especially males are best for your first gerbils. I got my first two gerbils and current gerbils in August 2020 and they are both males. Females will go into heat and trios are more likely to de-clan. If possibly I recommend getting an already bonded pair as introductions can be hard. There is a chance that they will never bond or they will not be a stable pair.
If you cannot get gerbils from a breeder PetSmart is ok but they can have health issues due to poor breeding. I got mine from a local pet store. I’m not sure where they get their gerbils from, they aren’t a breeder but they were knowledgeable about them and they had been able to be picked up by the employee unlike PetSmart where they dump them in the cardboard box. If you do get them from PetSmart and that’s over an hour away I suggest getting a different carrying case. Gerbils chew very fast and it’s likely that they could chew out of the cardboard box in that time.
If you have any questions I will try my best to help.
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Post by phantomslayer on Nov 4, 2021 15:27:07 GMT -8
I'm not sure of the the dimensions of the 29/30 but it is longer than taller. Yeah I read more than 2 have a higher chance of declanning. I'm hoping for a male pair. I'm not against it if I end up finding a trio though. I guess my area is one of those that don't really have them being rehomed. I'm hoping to find someone rehoming a pair more than wanting to go to petsmart. I mean as far as I know our petsmart is okay. The few times I got fish from them I didn't have to many die offs. The reason why I don't want to go there though is because I don't drive and my parents act like I ask them for a million dollars to go there. Even if were just down the road from it. I heard females are more dominant than males. I didn't know petsmart would use carboard boxes 0.0 I remember when my sister in law got bunnies we got them from family farm and home and they put them in one and one peed so much it soaked through the box and that place was only a half hour away. So thank you for the get a sturdier transport cage.
As for timing I'm hoping to post on some places about anyone rehoming them around Christmas or probably around February. Reason being money lol
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Post by PipSqueak on Nov 4, 2021 16:16:10 GMT -8
Yes they usually give you thin boxes to put them in with little to no ventilation holes. The thickness is about the same as a cereal box, definitely thin enough for gerbils to chew out of in a few minutes.
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Post by phantomslayer on Nov 5, 2021 6:08:54 GMT -8
Yes they usually give you thin boxes to put them in with little to no ventilation holes. The thickness is about the same as a cereal box, definitely thin enough for gerbils to chew out of in a few minutes. Yeah definately do not wanna be driving over an hour with Gerbils crawling all over the back seat. My little sister may start freaking out or grab one by its tail... Definately don't need that lol |
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Post by yeti218 on Nov 29, 2021 23:07:34 GMT -8
You can start getting your stuff ready now so that if some gerbils come up for rehoming, you're not scrambling.
So, cleaning out your tank and building a lid if it doesnt have a suitable one. You can also keep an eye on craigslist/ fb marketplace for used aquarium/terrariums if you want something bigger. Clean up and sell your smaller tanks to offset the cost if you want. Where I live, there's a pretty robust market for used tanks.
I had a shopping list made in advance and then just went out on gerbil day and bought everything. Do you have a nearby pet store, or do you need to go 1.5 hours to petsmart for supplies?
If theres nowhere close, you'll definitely want to get your supplies in advance, and figure out how you're going to transport them.
I used a small plastic animal carrier, I think they're often sold to keep crickets in, to transport my gerbils. It was plastic, but there was nowhere for them to get their teeth into to start chewing so it was secure enough for a transport cage. Recently I had to get my gerbils out of their tank for several hours during a move, so I put them in a 10 gallon aquarium. Definitely give them bedding and lots of things to chew during transport.
While your getting everything ready, you could set an alert on craigslist or wherever people rehome animals so you'll get a notification if someone puts up gerbils. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.
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Post by phantomslayer on Dec 3, 2021 0:05:34 GMT -8
Well things got rocky so its been pushed back a bit farther. My brothers family got covid and since I'm their babysitter I had to quarantine in my bedroom since my mom has a autoimmune disease. Overall I didn't babysit for 3 weeks. I've been peeking at craigslist once a week but I have mainly been keeping a lookout at pages for my area on facebook. One in particular I've seen gerbils on however their on the other side of the state x.x I'll keep a lookout. Not ready anyways. I mean mentally ready but physically I have nothing XD Here's the upcoming steps I figured I have to take after Christmas gifts though XD
-After I finish buying Christmas gifts the first thing is to buy a dresser. I'm picky but the only ones I'm finding decent is less than $100 its a steal frame with fabric drawers. You may wonder why a dresser? Well I haven't had one for years XD
-After dresser I can haul the tank up here and clean it.
-Then ask my dad for help to remove the trim and get his help on what to do about a lid.
-Buy wheel, water bottle, bowls, sand, wood stuff etc.
-Buy cleaning supplies
-Buy transport carrier
-Buy food and bedding
Its 3am so if I'm missing something opps lol But anyways I figure buying the food and bedding last will keep it fresh. Then if possible set up the tank the night before I get gerbils. However if I can't happen to find any being rehomed around that time I'll be going to petsmart. Which is usually last minute.
There is no pet stores around. Some stores have some pet supplies but I doubt theres a good selection. So for most of the supplies I'll probably be ordering off amazon. But I will take a look at bedding and food at the stores.
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Post by Markpd on Dec 3, 2021 13:25:27 GMT -8
Just a quick note for now to say, yikes! I hope you all get over covid without any major issues!
Btw bedding is usually sold in a plastic bag, so it stays good for months (if not longer if unopened), so you could order that in advance (space allowing!).
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Post by phantomslayer on Dec 5, 2021 8:11:01 GMT -8
Just a quick note for now to say, yikes! I hope you all get over covid without any major issues! Btw bedding is usually sold in a plastic bag, so it stays good for months (if not longer if unopened), so you could order that in advance (space allowing!). Thanks! I managed with little to no symptoms. My brother lost his taste and smell and thats all he complains about. That's very helpful! I thought it would start decreasing quickly. Now I know I can store a bag or two in my closet! Thank you! So I can probably buy the bedding around the time I buy stuff for inside their tank. Hmm... What about foods? I mean obviously fresh veggies and stuff would go bad quickly but like seeds/nut mixtures? |
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Post by yeti218 on Dec 5, 2021 9:38:07 GMT -8
Gerbil food is usually sold in sealed plastic bags, so if you dont open it, it will be fine.
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Post by barryozzy on Dec 5, 2021 19:41:17 GMT -8
If you put the bag of food in the freezer, it can even stay good much longer than the date on the package. Though my gerbils don't seem to like it cold.
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Post by phantomslayer on Dec 5, 2021 22:02:25 GMT -8
If you put the bag of food in the freezer, it can even stay good much longer than the date on the package. Though my gerbils don't seem to like it cold. Can't you thaw it out when you need to use it? Not exactly thaw but warm it up? That would honestly work for me since we have a secondary freezer in our basement. |
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Post by barryozzy on Dec 6, 2021 6:06:30 GMT -8
Can't you thaw it out when you need to use it? Not exactly thaw but warm it up? That would honestly work for me since we have a secondary freezer in our basement. Yes, it warms up pretty quick even just taking it out of the freezer. They just refuse to eat it until then  |
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