Gerbil Essentials - A Start Up List For Gerbils

Hey guys, and welcome back to The Gerbil Vine ! Thank you so much for supporting the gerbils & I , you all are so amazing !! Today’s video is going to be my Gerbil Essentials Start Up List, which is a product guide of your must have items when purchasing gerbils. I hope you guys enjoy the video !
Sorry about the Vietnamese subtitles, for some reason KZbin won't let me change it :(
As always, make sure you like, subscribe, and leave us a comment 😊
(please)
Gerbil Essentials - Start Up List
1) A Minimum of a 40 Gallon Tank ( 36x18x18 inches)
2) A water bottle or bowl ( or both )
3) Bedding - A combination of paper, aspen, and hay
4) Bendy Bridges ( Tunnel Support ) & Hides ( Nesting Areas )
5) Food - A nutritious option, that also has variety
6) Sand & Sifter
7) Toys !
8) A minimum of an 8 inch wheel
9) Natural wood & Rocks
Optional Items
• Platform
• Small broom & dustpan
• Hygrometer
• Pet carrier
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[@beccstaarr33]

Really good video ! Thank u for making this video, and I can't really think of anything else that is essential, u pretty much covered everything lol your gerbils are so cute to

[@TheGerbilVine]

Thank you so much!

[@dubliners0999]

Nice video. I noticed that Amazon in Canada now sells the "medium" 10" Niteangel Silent Spinner Hamster wheel for $56. In the U.S., I get the same wheel for about $36. It's a really GOOD wheel.

[@giovannisingergs4159]

I really want to gerbils but I don't know how to take cage of one so your channel is gonna help me so much

[@mariotorrecilla254]

Nice video, and a great guideline for begginners owners essentials :) I am wondering about the paper roll hanging from the ceiling. I have never seen it before.

[@TheGerbilVine]

Thank you Mario ! The paper roll from the ceiling is toilet paper, and I have a metal piece that connects to my tank topper to hold it. The gerbils will drag it off and shred it up into nesting material :) .

[@tarryn2843]

Im getting a pair of gerbils later today! I can't wait to spoil them!

[@TheGerbilVine]

Yay! Congratulations :) !!

[@howtobesuitcase2758]

The gerbil at the end looks so much like my momo. Even down to the stripe under her chin lol. It’s a bit unnerving and definitely very surreal

[@VadaS5009]

Corn meal?! Aww!

[@TheGerbilVine]

It really works 😃

[@EdwardBradshaw]

i made my own cage it is so big as long as my bed

[@TheGerbilVine]

Congratulations, I'm sure they love it!

[@bianca_ayany]

I live in Brazil. My nam e is Ayany and I dont speak English well, but I try! Thanks for the vídeo... Please, put Centímetros and metros in the next vídeos. I am subscribe!

[@rafaelavasconcellos9805]

oiii como brasileira posso te dizer que gerbils valem mtoooo a pena mas prepara o bolso hahahahah

[@bianca_ayany]

@@rafaelavasconcellos9805 Já me doeu fazer um primeiro aquario de 120x60x50cm, que me custou 480,00 e um pacote de ASPEN de 6kg por 130,00 + 120,00 de frete para o interior de Pará. É verdadeiramente muito caro... mas eu não vejo a hora de ter meus bebês gerbils e mais gastos hauahuaahu

[@molliegopalan1009]

Do you reccomend bringing gerbils while on vacation (5-7 days) and if so, what portable tank/cage would you recommend for a pair of gerbils?

[@TheGerbilVine]

For a week I probably wouldn't bring them. I would fill up two water bottles, add a bowl, and a ton of food and cardboard into their enclosure. For a temporary setup you could use a 20 gallon.

[@parrotlove30]

What do you do to clean foraged rocks? Boil them?

[@TheGerbilVine]

It's actually quite dangerous to boil rocks. I just run them under hot water for about 10 minutes and then let them dry out completely.

[@Tacky1172]

Is there a link for the corn meal?

[@TheGerbilVine]

I buy it from the baking section of my grocery store. You can use any brand, its really all the same. :) I use this one : www.fortinos.ca/Food/Pantry/Baking-Ingredients/Flour-%26-Baking-Aides/Cornmeal/p/20105105_EA

[@VadaS5009]

Would a bowl of water typically be okay? Or do they fill it with bedding?

[@TheGerbilVine]

A bowl of water would be perfect. If it is not placed high up or in a safe location, it will be filled with bedding.

[@jadea.558]

You said "i dont recommend that even for a single gerbil" but i thought they shouldnt be housed alone... is that wrong?

[@gracehughes6202]

Sometimes a gerbil ends up alone due to them being overly territorial/aggressive although this is rare. Gerbils can also end up alone if their cage mate dies. Gerbils shouldn’t be housed alone intentionally but it does happen in certain circumstances . Her recommendation was covering all basis for people who may have a single gerbil due to either of these circumstances :)

[@TheGerbilVine]

@@gracehughes6202 you absolutely nailed the response, thank you Grace :) !

[@jadea.558]

@@gracehughes6202 and @thegerbilvine i see but i thought you should prepare for more mates beforehand if you have a pair since one can die and leave the other alone, is it ok to let them live the rest of their lives alone if their partner dies?

[@gracehughes6202]

@@jadea.558 You shouldn’t have to ‘ prepare’ as such , as even if you own a large group of gerbils eventually one will be left alone unless you keep adding new additions by bonding your gerbils with new ones every time a cage mate dies . This can lead to a cycle of gerbil owning that someone may not want as adding a young gerbil to an older gerbil means that the younger one will be alone eventually too when the older one dies then you have to find a friend for that one ect . It’s defiantly recommend that if you can get a Lone gerbil a friend then do so as they should not be alone ideally . Although deciding on getting a lone gerbil a friend should be done on a case by case basis . For instance , gerbils live around 3-5 years so if your gerbil is 4 years old you may want to let them live their life out alone . However if your gerbil is 2 years old that’s a long time left of loneliness and a friend would really benefit them. As an owner you have to observe your gerbils behaviour when your gerbils is alone ( if they end up alone ) and see what you think when it comes to getting them a friend . Some gerbils can come depressed and stressed when alone where others will continue with their life as normal . So wether is ‘ok’ to let them live out their life as a lone gerbil or not will really depend on multiple factors that the owner has to decide upon . The social aspect of gerbils can be very challenging so it’s good to be prepared to eventually have a lone gerbil and what you might do if the situation arises , eg : are you willing to get more gerbils if a gerbil is left alone ? How long do you want to own gerbils for ? How many gerbils do you have space for ? Am I willing to go through the bonding process with gerbils ? Asking yourself these questions before getting gerbils will mean that you already know your options if one of your gerbils dies end up alone . Gerbils shouldn’t be kept alone intentionally but getting them a friend Isn’t always the best option . For example if your gerbil was the more dominant one and is 4 years old you may feel they wouldn’t bond with a new gerbil , and therefore giving them a friend may be more stressful then anything . Observing your gerbils behaviour after they have been alone for a while will help you determine if they would benefit from a friend or not . All of this is best to be considered before you get gerbils as then you are in the best position possible to do the right thing for your gerbil if they end up alone :)

[@jadea.558]

@@gracehughes6202 Yes, it is a similar case with rats (as they are HIGHLY social animals) and in the community it is kind of expected that you'll be a long time rat owner (considering that you'll have to do this BEFORE getting rats in the first place) because of the cycle of adding new rats every so often to the group, and also if you decide to stop you could either give them away to someone who has a similar aged rat, or even ask for someone you know to let one of their rats temporarily live with them until they pass away. It's a delicate situation but never advised to leave them alone so that's why I had this doubt.

[@timothyjholloway]

Silent spinners are clearly garbage. I'm not an advocate for wheels if providing a lot of bedding and space. Mine didn't use an 11-inch $80 wheel so I gave it to the pet store owner. The Niteangel is the best, if you insist on a wheel.

[@TheGerbilVine]

I am aware of the argument that if you have enough enrichment and other things for your gerbil to do that they don't need a wheel. Might happen to enjoy it so I will continue to include it as long as they use it. That's really nice that you donated to a pet shop owner and I'm sure that they were extremely happy about that. I agree with your stand on the silent spinner. Trash.

[@ZenTeT]

i only got a 25 gallon tank for 2 female gerbils..