(Part 3) Top products from r/gerbil

Sure!

I buy practically everything on Amazon and these would be my top recommendations:

Hidey Hut - this is large enough to fit two grown gerbils and my first survived the chewing for close to 4 years.

Small Animal Pet Playpen/Exercise Pen - this is just tall enough for the jumpers. I've still had some be able to reach the top but it is a struggle and you'd be able to catch them in time. Really sturdy as well.

Kordon/Oasis (Novalek) SOA80304 Bell Bottle and Hold Guard Small Animal Value Set, 4-Ounce - this is by far my favorite recommendation of the bunch. I cannot tell you how many water bottles were just destroyed and I would come home to an empty bottle and a very wet gerbil. This thing is impenetrable!

Kaytee Hamster Silent Spinner, 6 1/2 inch Exercise Wheel - although I've had to buy a couple of these (they will chew the yellow part holding the bottom part to the wheel) I find that this is the sturdiest of them all. It becomes less silent the more they chew on it and push it around but it's never been loud enough to be considered especially annoying.

Great for cleaning cage and is safe

As far as dust baths go, I've tried several different kinds and find them all to be equivalent.

Would not recommend:

Ware Manufacturing Flying Saucer Exercise Wheel for Small Pet - the quality is fine here but if you are using carefresh, it gets buried and doesn't allow any give for it to spin.

Kaytee Woodland Get-A-Way Medium Hamster House - quality here is also fine and it's pretty thick so it would take a while to get them to chew. Since it is wood, it absorbs liquids. My gerbils would pee on it and it got to the point that it looked moldy and unhealthy so I just threw it out.

Alfie Pet by Petoga Couture - GARI Wood Hut for Small Animals like Dwarf Hamster and Mouse - Size: Large - this is the cutest little home I've ever seen. I had to eventually throw out though because the wood was so thin that the back wall collapsed due to their chewing and would no longer stand up.

Prevue Pet Products Multi-Color Small Pet Playpen 40090 - I think the quality is here too. It's just too short. My gerbils were easily able to escape this.

GreatChoice Water Bottle - chewed through in a week and Same

Destroying is the whole point of a gerbil's existence! Also never underestimate the power of a toilet paper roll. Good for both chewing and tunneling. The best tunnel is one that he's made himself, so lots of materials for digging and such is good. Here's a few links to some tunnels my gerbil has enjoyed.

https://www.amazon.ca/Living-World-Chew-nels-Alfalfa-Medium/dp/B004ZP9SB8

https://www.amazon.ca/Living-World-Tree-House-Large/dp/B00CE8SOIQ/

https://www.amazon.ca/eCotrition-Large-Activity-Guinea-Rabbits/dp/B000FTEQA6/

I've got this wheel for my two little friends and it's remarkably quiet:
http://www.amazon.com/Trixie-Natural-Living-exercise-wheel/dp/B0057FZ9AO?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage

It runs on an axle with ball bearings. At first I thought the wheel would have too much mass, but in the evenings one of our two gerbils tends to go full throttle in it.


Also, gerbils like some privacy and some hiding places. Wooden houses or hollowed out coconuts are great. Mine gnawed away the ropes on this one: http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Hendryx-62801-Naturals-Hideaway/dp/B007PO3AEC?ie=UTF8&psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00 (bet they were really surprised when the coconut met gravity), so I replaced the upper rope (to suspend it from their ceiling) with a ball chain.

I've also found they enjoy lying in the morning sunlight, so you might want to place the tank somewhere it does get some direct sunlight some times of the day.

I've read before that corner digging is a learned behaviour and is related to stress (apparently it's common from gerbils brought from pet shops as they are often overcrowded). I had a gerbil who used to do that. I got her to stop by really going to town on enrichment. I would recommend getting a load of things to chew on, try blocking the corners with hanging chew toys and driftwood. I'll drop a few links below of things I found actually helpful, I've wasted a lot of money over the years on toys that they don't like so these are just the ones I recommend.

Here are some things that my gerbils go crazy for;

1. chew toys (this material in general they love, they also love wood with bark, avoid plain wood and fruit/coloured chews, never known a gerbil show interest in them and they end up getting tossed out with bedding) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Boredom-Breaker-Treat-Chain/dp/B00PUENT9U?ref_=Oct_BSellerS_471575031_44 - I'd remove the bell personally
   
   
2. boredom breakers https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rosewood-Boredom-Breaker-Animal-Activity/dp/B002NKD0BG?ref_=Oct_BSellerS_471575031_0
   
   
3. This wheel (22cm) can easily be suspended from their ceiling with some metal wire and is a must have because it's so quiet. Couldn't recommend it enough.
   https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Wooden-Wheel-22-cm/dp/B008H2VA6G?ref_=Oct_CABSellerC_13755519031_2&pf_rd_p=3e28c275-fcd8-5699-9995-a5ba5528b63f&pf_rd_s=mobile-hybrid-6&pf_rd_t=30901&pf_rd_i=13755519031&pf_rd_m=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&pf_rd_r=SNRAXCADSZQJ00MTTZSX&pf_rd_r=SNRAXCADSZQJ00MTTZSX&pf_rd_p=3e28c275-fcd8-5699-9995-a5ba5528b63f
   
   Hope that helps!
   
   If some corner scratching persists, don't worry, sometimes that just happens. Hopefully they'll grow out of it!

mine looks like this http://www.amazon.com/Prevue-Pet-Products-SPV90013-Hamster/dp/B00BUFYAXC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1463437540&sr=8-2&keywords=gerbil+wheel

To be honest it does get squeeky every couple weeks but i just rub a little vegetable oil on the axle and it is quiet.

You could get a piece of glass or acrylic cut and attach it to the glass with silicone sealant.

You could also build a wooden platform on legs, or buy one like these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Happy-Pet-Raw-Wooden-Platform/dp/B00422KYBM/ref=sr_1_15?crid=31Y0TLIV17CB1&keywords=wooden+platform+hamster&qid=1563914482&s=gateway&sprefix=wooden+platform+%2Caps%2C161&sr=8-15

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Natural-Living-Shelter-30/dp/B000WFCFNI/ref=pd_sbs_199_1/259-0664693-9580769?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000WFCFNI&pd_rd_r=fee65e59-8291-45c6-9f3a-536606ede4ba&pd_rd_w=F9t4y&pd_rd_wg=VYmry&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=830ZW015KA0K5ZM0VB8R&psc=1&refRID=830ZW015KA0K5ZM0VB8R

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-62262-Natural-Living-Shelter/dp/B000WFFZ94/ref=pd_sbs_199_2/259-0664693-9580769?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000WFFZ94&pd_rd_r=fee65e59-8291-45c6-9f3a-536606ede4ba&pd_rd_w=F9t4y&pd_rd_wg=VYmry&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=830ZW015KA0K5ZM0VB8R&psc=1&refRID=830ZW015KA0K5ZM0VB8R

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trixie-Natural-Living-Stairs-Animals/dp/B000V9H9XG/ref=pd_sbs_199_5/259-0664693-9580769?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B000V9H9XG&pd_rd_r=9e15101b-e2b4-4e14-b701-f4ca2ca37403&pd_rd_w=nA1Qn&pd_rd_wg=6HJL2&pf_rd_p=18edf98b-139a-41ee-bb40-d725dd59d1d3&pf_rd_r=TAQ6YXW2C1YQKS30Y5SD&psc=1&refRID=TAQ6YXW2C1YQKS30Y5SD

Can you put it on an elevated platform or something?
Also I found this on amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008CH9TD2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awdb_t1_CqKWCb2BCEVVW?vs=1