Bringing Home Gerbils!

I've recently decided that it would be a good idea to get some gerbils! I have a 10 gallon tank that used to have fish in it. They were too much work and not all that fun, to be honest! The tank sat empty in my room for ages, but after starting work again at a small local pet store,  I remembered how much the little gerbils intrigued me. It took about a week or so to collect all the supplies I needed to make a neat little habitat for them. The most expensive part was the wheel! The actual tank and stand were a gift, so lucky me. lol

So, meet my cute little men! Smitty and Tater are dark eyed white gerbil brothers that were actually born in the store last summer. :) Being a hockey fan, they are named after two of my favorite Red Wings players. One being Brendan Smith who most of us fans call "Smitty" and Tomas Tatar who some of us affectionately call "Tater". lol They are curious little monkies who love to chew and climb. They seem pretty happy in their new dwellings! Here are all the things I bought to help me get started on my new gerbil adventure! I've included some links so you can get a better view of some of the products. Check local pet stores, Amazon, Ebay, Dr. Foster and Smith, and other online pet products sites to find the best deals. :)

(1). Making the Platforms

To make these platforms, I mostly used unfinished craft wood from Hobby Lobby. The "legs" are made of 1 1/2 inch wood cubes. The bottom level has three sets of two cubes that make the legs. I did this to make it tall enough for it to double as a hiding area. The top level is separated from the first by one cube. The first platform is a 6 x 6 inch square and the top one is a 9 1/2 x 3 inch rectangle. I used some non-toxic glues to keep the pieces together. The wood was a little over $4 at Hobby Lobby. I used this piece and this piece. I had the cubes laying around. They were meant for a scrapbooking project. They came in a pack of nine and I bought them for only $1.47 at Merchandise Outlet!

(2). Other Supplies

I bought a Super Pet 8oz plastic water bottle and holder from the store I work at. I might later invest in a nice glass one! Together, these cost around $8. I also invested $14 into a Super Pet Silent Spinner Wheel from another pet store since we were all out and I didn't want to wait. lol I got the "regular" size, which is 6 1/2 inches and supposed to be for hamsters and gerbils. I have been making wood chews for my own rabbits for a while, so I decided to hang one by a paper clip in the gerbil tank. I bought my supplies from this lovely seller on Ebay. I also have rainbow colored wood chew sticks that I bought at Walmart for around $2. I am saving up toilet paper and paper towel rolls for them to chew up as well. I decided on the aspen bedding (packaging is a bit different than that link, mine is blue) made by Alfa Pet. It is finely chopped and looks great for burrowing. It's very safe for them, unlike pine and cedar. The 9 liter bag cost only around $2 compared to the $8 Carefresh and Critter Care bedding.

(3). Room for Growth!

I also plan on getting a tank topper! That will give them even more new levels to explore. I found this Chew Proof tank topper by Ware that seems to quite nice. It comes out to around $30 where I've been looking online.

(4). Exploring Their New Home

They seem really happy and they just love that wheel! It is now officially worth that $14. lol I hope they continue to enjoy their new home and I can't wait to see them become more comfortable here.