About the sizes and so on

[sirius]

I'll write here some info about tank's sizes and what there should be and what not.
The minimum height is 30cm! And gerbils should have bedding over 10 cm, likely about 15cm.
Minimum size for two gerbils is eg. 50 * 30 * 30cm, and according to law, it IS minimum, so good tanks for two should be about 70 * 30 * 30 cm.
Law says about gerbil's tank/cage sizes like this:
Animal m2 m2 in group in one animal height (m)
gerbil 0.12 0,06 0,3
And this law is decided in 1.1.2000. (taken from here: www.munmaailma.net/jkjy/artikkelit/elainsuojelu.html

Gerbils should not have anykind of plastic near, so the cannot chew it. It may cause serious problems and it's dangerous for gerbils.

Gerbil may be kept in cage, but the tanks are better. I think that this thing is clear.
Gerbils may not me breeded before they are over 3 months (by this i tried to mean that it's not healthy for gerbil), and that doesn't mean they should be breed in that age. More older, like 6 months is way too better. Notice that it's not good for gerbil to have first litter over one year old, female's 'downstaris' are not enough flexible anymore. And you should let gerbil rest bethween litters. Take off male gerbil before the female gives birth.

Umm.. I think this it for now, I'll modify this later if someone want's more info about something

//modified 4.5, more info and some typos corrected

[jaswwp]

My tank is 30 cm high Its around 20 gallons. About the bedding, you all have more because of the cold weather? Its really very hot here in Malaysia and Singapore and gerbils dont really stay burried in the shavings. We dont have any law here on cage size, but just go according to research and personal opinion.

[sirius]

No it's not because of cold weather ;D lol

It for gerbils nature, that's what they do, they dig! And we should give them enviroment where they can dig.


And Finland is not could place, we don't live in antarctic;)
Winters are cool,but summers really are hot.

[Nezumitaro]

why my gerbil don't dig? any idea about that? i do give bedding more than 10 cm b4, but all is a waste. they don't even touch the bedding below 4 cm, why?

[sirius]

Maybe the bedding is.. umm.. how you say.. well I try to say it otherwise.. umm..
the bedding is too -- that it doesn't stay like tunnels and the tunnels collapse. You could try to change the bedding, or put some cardboard 'tunnels' yourself first and so they get the idea.
How often you change beddings?'

[Nezumitaro]

the bedding is untouch, its nothing do with collapse. n we hv to change once a week here. if not it will be smelly.

[sirius]

That changes that. What kind of bedding u use there? We do change beddings once in month,and it doesn't stink. And about week later the air has..umm.. gone from the bottom so the beddings ..umm.. gets more 'harder' if can say like that, and then they stay in tunnels. I can take a photo of some tunnels but the quality of the photos is not very good.

[jaswwp]

We use wood shavings as bedding. Some of our gerbils dig a lot, but some dont dig at all but prefer to chew things instead. Maybe they are like humans some have different hobbies? Like only 2 of my gerbils like to run on the wheel, the others dont even look at it.

[sirius]

Maybe, or they haven't yet realized that they actually have beddings enough to dig.
And what is said about those wheels in gerbils

[sirius]

I wrote just for 'pulling up' this topic, so that everyone reminds to read these facts.


remind that what smaller the tank is, the more common those fights bethween gerbils are.