cleaning

[Clair]

I am new to gerbil keeping and I have had my three girl gerbils for almost a week now. I was wondering how often I need to clean them out, they don't seem to have made too much mess and do not smell. :confused:

[BrandyJo]

Under normal circumstances, usuallly 2-3 weeks is recommended. However, if the water bottle leaks, definitely do it sooner.

[cmrmmm]

Oh wow, I clean my gerbils cage out 2 times a week! Is that too much? There is a couple of places, not in their bedding that they like to poop and pee on, but I agree that their bedding doesn't get too dirty and they don't smell, I just thought that keeping them clean would prevent them from getting sick or something. Because it can't be good for them to be around their own feces, right? I guess I don't know much either. I have only had my gerbils about 3.5 weeks and they are my first ones as well. Before that I had a hamster, and she smelled really bad if I didn't clean out her cage at least once a week! Please let me know if I could be doing any harm by cleaning their cage that often.

[BrandyJo]

What kind of bedding do you use? twice a week is definitely not necessary. If using just tissues or something, it may need to be cleaned sooner, but with Aspen or carefresh or even corncob, every couple of weeks is normal.

If you clean it too much, they never get a chance to build tunnels and play in them.

[cmrmmm]

I use carefresh bedding. I will have to remember that then. I guess I should just wipe down the areas that they pee and poop on then.

[Miagerbil]

I clean my gerbil cages every saterday,is that to much?

[HondaRaycer]

I clean my gerbs cage once every two weeks. . .I don't wait for it to start smelling, once I see a lot of little poops I know it's about that time.

[andreaS15]

I ahve a few 20G tanks, and I can let them go for a month before I clean them. I sometimes scoop out the places they use to go to the bathroom, and I'm always putting a ton of carboard in, so it's like new bedding everyday!
But 2-3 weeks sounds fine, Unlike Hamsters gerbils don't stink after a week, so it's ok to leave them longer.

[Jiffykat]

I usually let my tanks go for about a month. (Unless they start to stink, which isn't too often.) My hammies, however are smelly little beasts who need to be cleaned on a weekly basis at least.

[gerbilgirl92]

I only change the beddding about every 4 weeks. Try putting a glass jar in the cage for them to use as a bathroom. If it works, you won't have to change it so often. Just clean the jar out every night. Remember that it stresses the gerbils out when you change there bedding.

[Gerbil1189]

I clean out my tanks every 2-4 weeks, or whenever thay start to smell.