have got my gerbils o.k and tank set up ....but have been told they like peat to dig in ...and to mix some peat with their saw dust..is this right....also do they mean the type of peat you use for hanging basket...any help will be great.....thanks Sandy..

Although I personally wouldn't use peat purely because of the environmental factors - peat takes thousands of years to form, and habitat being destroyed etc.

However if you would still like to use it then make sure there are no added fertilisers, that it is all completely natural. Usually you add peat with hay or straw, as the long strands help to form tunnels, where as woodshavings don't do that. If you do get any hay or straw be sure to freeze it first as it is often one of the main sources of mites.

Peat can also be hard to maintain because it can dry out, causing loads of dust, so it may need a sprinkling of water to stop that happening. Some would also say to bake it first to ensure there are no creepy crawlies in it - such as mites again.

To help your gerbils built tunnels, add in wooden objects. These could range from untreated wood cut-offs, wooden fiddlestixs bridges you can buy in shops to driftwood bought in shops or found on the beach or branches from apple trees (be sure to bake in the oven first!)
I also add in ceramic plant pots, with a hole in the side smashed in, they will use these as nest boxes and also help to keep cool in the summer especially if you freeze them for a while first.

Good luck and let us know how you get on! :)

Hi Sandy - Ive started using Megazorb cos that doesnt give off the dust and fumes you get from sawdust and it is a bit more clingy so good for burrowing. As Wysseri suggests, add other objects to help your gerbs build their tunnels- Ive got a couple of fiddlestix bendy log shapes that can be formed into arches, plus the heavy duty cardboard tubes you can buy from Moddletions- they take some chewing and are great for hiding in the sawdust or megazorb. I like the idea of cool ceramic plant pots, that sounds great for something cool.

hi thanks to Katkin+wysseri for your comments,the gerbils are my grandchildrens and I have been left in charge while they are away,so I am upgradeing them to a larger home ...they are now in a fish tank 3ftx18ins with a wire cage on the top which makes it 2ft tall I dont like to see them in small places [there are three of them] with a new pot house as they ate the last one,a wooden log with holes in,a solid wheel,a clay pot with the end off,straw is now in freezer,and Im going to try the megazorb instead of peat or sawdust and of course food and water....

hi again,if any one has a couple of branches of an apple tree for the gerbil and lives near Graves park I would gladly collect...once again thanks.Sandy

Hi,

Megazorb is bought from horse centres... I don't know any in the Sheffield area that get it in - if you find someone, please let me know because I'd love to use it!!
There is a place in Rotherham that'll get it in, but you might have to phone them first as I don't know if they have it all the time. Also there is a supplier in Penistone, but I personally think that's too far out. So instead I use easibed, Aubiose or Snowflake softchips, these are all horse bedding too and come in massive bales for around £5. (megazorb is a little more expensive and comes in smaller sacks)

For a list of safe woods to use in their tanks check out this page:
E-Gerbil (http://www.egerbil.com/domestic6.html) So if you don't have an apple tree then you can use any of these.

Great to see you've upgraded their home! Be sure to fill the glass tank at the bottom with loads of substrate (which I'm sure you are doing :) ).They'll love it in there :D

I got mine off the internet but someone recently posted another (rat, I think) query here on the forum and they suggested somewhere in Sheffield where you could buy it- I'll have to do a search again....

Found it- TheGaffer recently said: 'Argo Pet Feeds near Penistone sell Megazorb for about £6 a sack. It's excellent!! I use it for my buns and piggies'

hi you two... you have both been so good with your advise,will check all the details you have sent to me and get back to you later..I must say they are interesting little things ,when I have been watching them,they seen to do a little dance[well a little feet stamping ] is this because they are frightend? also I have given small fresh food but I feed my wild birds on dry meal worm,thought I read that gerbils would take them is that true..Sandy

the pet shop told me to let my gerbils bath in chinchilla dust which is like a fine sand. I tried it with mine and they went barmy throwing themselves around in it.
Mine also do the foot stamping thing but my mum researched it and it said it was because they were happy, maybe someone else can confirm this?

hi Clarabella, thanks for your advise on the sand to roll in ,I will pick a bag up next time Im at the pet shop,well I hope the foot tapping is because they are happy ,though my hubby thinks it because of the music I play[ha ha] if thats true they are more in time with the music than him.......

hi thanks to Katkin+wysseri for your comments,the gerbils are my grandchildrens and I have been left in charge while they are away,so I am upgradeing them to a larger home ...they are now in a fish tank 3ftx18ins with a wire cage on the top which makes it 2ft tall I dont like to see them in small places [there are three of them] with a new pot house as they ate the last one,a wooden log with holes in,a solid wheel,a clay pot with the end off,straw is now in freezer,and Im going to try the megazorb instead of peat or sawdust and of course food and water....

can i ask if you made this cage yourself??? I have two gerbils and have been looking at doing something similiar, so would be interested as to where you got the bits from and how you've set it up. Do you have a photo?

hi there,yes I made it myself,the glass tank is one of mine,but Im sure you could buy one second hand the wire cage on the top is the one off the gerbil cage ..it sits ontop and rests inside the lip where the fish tank lid would be..its is quite a tight fit so it cant be pushed of..there is a small gap at one end which I can put things in and out of I have made a lid for this so it is all excape proof...then added the fun things....hope this will help you ......Sandy

Here's a couple of piccies of my two gerbils, Itsy and Bitsy in their glass tank

http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u30/katkin2/Picture007.jpg
http://i164.photobucket.com/albums/u30/katkin2/Picture001.jpg

You probably can't tell from the photos but one is a spotted light colourpoint agouti and the other is a pink eyed white and they're about 22 weeks old now.

hi there nice to see your furries,here are my grandsons in their new cage with a makeover... http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/sandyd007/?action=view&current=DSCF1406.jpg.......http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/sandyd007/?action=view&current=DSCF1408.jpg......http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/sandyd007/?action=view&current=DSCF1411.jpg

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/sandyd007/?action=view&current=DSCF1405.jpg

hi, one picture of the updated cage which they seem to love...

http://s178.photobucket.com/albums/w247/sandyd007/?action=view&current=DSCF1408.jpg

fab! and I bet it didnt cost £40 like the gerbilarium in pets at home! They look really happy in there.

Years ago, I had an amazing 3storey cage that had 2-storeys caged and 1 storey tanked- it was a pure palace for my gerbs - wheels, ladders, climbing frames and tunnels. Eventually it got too tatty to keep and when I looked for a replacement there was nothing else quite like it on the market. I bought a singing dancing 3 storey all cage jobby but it was no good- they kepy kicking the sawdust througgh the bars- then I improvised and bought a small plastic fish tank that JUST fitted inside the bottom storey - not beautiful but it did the trick. It's nice to see there are other options available now, but still not as many as for hamsters.

The Perfecto glass tank is all very nice but hugely expensive and not very practical- a pig to clean out - the quarter-storeys are fixed and really difficult to get clean, plus the lid is flimsy - sadly I found that out after my big heavy norwegian forest cat bounced on it and got to my last lot of gerbs...The one we have now has a strong. sturdy cat-proofed double lid.

that cage looks fab-well done. I'm trying to do something similiar myself but can't find an affordable fish tank at the minute.

ClaraBella, every so often someone here on the pets forum offers one cheap (or even free) so keep a look-out.

Also, try Sheffield Freecycle- you'd be suprised what people throw away- you might get just the thing you're looking for for next to nothing. I gave my perfecto tank away on freecycle and so far as I know they are very happy with it- I just lost all confidence after the lid caved in.

hi all....well was a sad day today,my grandsons returned from there holidays and my three furries had to go back home...the kids were thrilled with what I had done with the cage..I also found a small table and put caster wheels on it so you can spin it round to view all the sides ,this allows you to see them digging at the back of the cage, I used it to move them around the room for hoovering..and to put them near the patio doors for some fresh air...it has been a pleasure to look after them as for Megazorb as I was told could be purchased from ARGO, which when the wood shaving run out I will give it a try...will collect a few bags as its a bit of a distance to go for one hopefully it will be better than shavings for them...will close for now thanks for all your advice chat....

hi all....well was a sad day today,my grandsons returned from there holidays and my three furries had to go back home...the kids were thrilled with what I had done with the cage..I also found a small table and put caster wheels on it so you can spin it round to view all the sides ,this allows you to see them digging at the back of the cage, I used it to move them around the room for hoovering..and to put them near the patio doors for some fresh air...it has been a pleasure to look after them as for Megazorb as I was told could be purchased from ARGO, which when the wood shaving run out I will give it a try...will collect a few bags as its a bit of a distance to go for one hopefully it will be better than shavings for them...will close for now thanks for all your advice chat....

You're very welcome- it's great to have a 'project' and I bet the boys were thrilled to bits with their fab new customised cage. We put ours on wheeled base too to help with the cleaning too. All the best x Kathryn