Could I put water snails in my gerbils bottle

[ella888]

Hi I have 2 gerbils and their bottles sometimes have this green algae even though I do clean them weekly and I was wondering if I could put a small ramshorn snail in there to eat the algae. Would this work or would the snails poop hurt the gerbils?
Thanks
Ella

[LilyandDaisy]

I wouldn't. Snails can carry germs, and it probably wouldn't be good for the snails living inside a water bottle either.

Do the bottles get direct sunlight? That can cause algae growth. You could try moving them or covering them to block out any light.

[szamora]

I agree with LilyandDaisy , it wouldn't be hygienic to put snails in the water bottles. If you have stable surfaces in your gerbil enclosure, such as platforms, I actually would recommend ceramic bowls rather than bottles. Due to being heavier than wooden bowls, they don't get knocked over so the water won't spill in the bedding. They're also much easier to clean. I have used ceramic water bowls with my gerbils ever since I adopted them and it's worked out wonderfully.

[Markpd]

Btw, forgot to say, you should change your gerbils water at least every couple of days to keep it reasonably fresh.