How to Build a Glass Aquarium Gerbil Cage
Gerbils are small desert rodents found throughout Africa and Asia, which are also popular as pets. There are several options for building a living environment for a gerbil, but a glass aquarium is a popular one that will work well. To make a glass aquarium usable as a gerbil cage, however, you will need to add a few things to keep your gerbil happy, healthy and inside the cage.
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Things You'll Need
- Glass aquarium (5 gallons per gerbil)
- Wood shavings
- Hanging water bottle
- Nesting box
- Toilet paper
- Sandbox
- Sand
- Running wheel
- Structure with multiple levels
- Wire mesh
Instructions
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Cover the floor with wood shavings or a similar material. Wood shavings will be comfortable for your gerbil and will soak up any urine. Use enough wood shavings to cover the floor 2 inches thick. Be sure to avoid cedar wood shavings and scented wood shavings.
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Hang a water bottle from the top of your cage. Gerbils need a constant supply of fresh water.
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Include a nesting box with a suitable nesting material, such as unscented toilet paper.
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Give your gerbil a sandbox to play in. Remember that gerbils are desert creatures. You can use chinchilla dust or regular playground sand to fill it.
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Include a running wheel inside the cage to give your gerbil some exercise.
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Add toys and entertainment to your gerbil’s cage. Something simple like cardboard can give your gerbil something to chew on, as well as something to nest with. Also popular with gerbils are houses and other structures with levels.
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Add a food dish if you wish but gerbils are happy eating off the floor.
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Secure the top of the aquarium with wire mesh, to keep the gerbil from escaping. Gerbils have powerful hind legs and are good jumpers.
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References
- Photo Credit Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images
