About Jedediah Expertise I can answer questions about exotic rodents (among others jirds, mice species, chinchillas, degus): how to keep them, what to feed them, how to make toys ect.
I cannot answer questions on breeding or medical questions. If your animal appears to be sick, you need to see a rodent vet as soon as possible, don`t waste time asking me.
Experience I keep, have kept or am planning to keep a number of exotic rodents and I am constantly doing research on many species to keep informed.
Question hello,i would like to know how i could give my two gerbils the oppertunity to dig,i have a aquarium they live in, so i was wondering how i could give them the oppertunity to dig and feel as natural as possible,and if its possible tell me what other things i could do to make it more natural for them ( without spending much money )
thanks for your time
jordan
Answer Dear Jordan,
thank you for your question.
You can fill the aquarium as high as possible with layers of woodshavings and hay, maybe put some hardwood twigs and branches in the mixture (hazel, beech, birch, oak, willow). The gerbils will have fun chewing everything and the mixture will allow them to dig tunnels that don't cave in. Cardboard boxes or toilet paper rolls, either empty or filled with bedding and some food, make excellent gerbil entertainment. If you have access to an untreated lawn, you can give them patches of grass or grow some yourself from their food. The soil should be not fertilized or you use coconut fibre substrate (sold for herps as Eco Earth or Forest Bedding). You can offer the grass complete with the soil, it's just messy, but the gerbils will love it.
Leaflitter from the trees I mentioned above are is fun for them, too, as long as the trees are untreated. If you're afraid of bringing in any bugs, nuke the leaves in the microwave for 2 minutes or so, that should kill everything.
To give them more space, you might want to build an upper part for the tank where they can run and climb, that way the whole tank can be filled with bedding. An old cage that fits the tank is another option, you can often get those at garage sales or formt he ads in the local paper ect. Here are some pictures of gerbil cages that are homemade, for example by building a top or by connecting two or more tanks: http://www.diebrain.de/pix/re/Aquagro.jpg
http://www.diebrain.de/pix/re/julia/schritt2.jpg http://www.diebrain.de/pix/re/groskafig.jpg
http://www.diebrain.de/pix/re/eigene/gehege06.jpg
