# Anyone keep their gerbils on sand ?



## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

Just wondering with them be a desert animal if anyone keeps theres on sand was thinking about giving mine a more natural enivornment.

What type of sand would be best? chinchilla (sp) sand ?


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## Breezy_One (Jan 12, 2006)

I would be interested to know this also. I have seen it where they mix a little sand with top soil, but have read somewhere that certain sands cause irritation.


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Its good to use, as long as you dont have messy gerbils. If they pee everywhere then dont bother, if they pee in one corner then its worth it. They love to dig and roll in the sand. 
Play sand works well but chinchilla sand will work aswell.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

LoveForLizards said:


> Its good to use, as long as you dont have messy gerbils. If they pee everywhere then dont bother, if they pee in one corner then its worth it. They love to dig and roll in the sand.
> Play sand works well but chinchilla sand will work aswell.


 
Mine are really that messy at all i havent a clue where they wee though lol

Suppose when i clean them on on sunday ill find out :whistling2:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Mischievous_Mark said:


> Mine are really that messy at all i havent a clue where they wee though lol
> 
> Suppose when i clean them on on sunday ill find out :whistling2:


Yes you probably will lol. Try just putting a few sheets of newspaper in the bottom of the cage for a day or two. Generally they will just pick one or two spots to go to the toilet.


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## fenwoman (Apr 15, 2008)

Sand won't do any good since they like to burrow tunnels and the sand will just collapse in on them.Chinchilla dust is too fine and will get in eyes and noses and cause breathing problems and could perhaps end up suffocating the gerbils if they try to burrow in it.
Luckily gerbils hardly pee so it's easy to keep them clean. About 25 years ago, I kept a colony of gerbils in a huge tank which was 2/3 filled with a mixture of peat and potting compost pressed down to compact it slightly. You'll need a mesh lid on the tank of course. Put things like dry leaves and branches on the surface to look natural and give them something to gnaw. You'll find they dig long tunnels which you can see through the glass. I think I only cleaned mine out every month or so as they simply don't make as much pee and poo as say hamsters do. Cleaning is easy, just take it all out and dump it on the garden and refill with fresh compost and peat.


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## Mischievous_Mark (Mar 16, 2008)

fenwoman said:


> Sand won't do any good since they like to burrow tunnels and the sand will just collapse in on them.Chinchilla dust is too fine and will get in eyes and noses and cause breathing problems and could perhaps end up suffocating the gerbils if they try to burrow in it.
> Luckily gerbils hardly pee so it's easy to keep them clean. About 25 years ago, I kept a colony of gerbils in a huge tank which was 2/3 filled with a mixture of peat and potting compost pressed down to compact it slightly. You'll need a mesh lid on the tank of course. Put things like dry leaves and branches on the surface to look natural and give them something to gnaw. You'll find they dig long tunnels which you can see through the glass. I think I only cleaned mine out every month or so as they simply don't make as much pee and poo as say hamsters do. Cleaning is easy, just take it all out and dump it on the garden and refill with fresh compost and peat.


I might try that once i get them off the top of my wardrobe.


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