Sorry, I sent this as only a reply the first time.
I would like a second opinion, but I would guess that using bleach cleaner is fine as long as you wash it out very thoroughly with hot water afterwards, dry it completely, and then rub the insides with some fresh bedding to ensure that there's no smell. To be safe, though, I know that pet stores usually carry special disinfectant for cleaning. I don't know how strong it is, but it may be just right for what you need. In terms of what to do with the space, enjoy it! They'll probably be happiest if you devote a third or so of the space to bedding so they can burrow, but there are endless possibilities of how to use whatever you have left. Gerbils love to climb and divide their space for different uses, like we tend to do, so they like having multiple levels. It's definitely harder to accomplish in a glass tank, but you can use tape, wires, or even stable objects to hold various things up, as long as you're sure there's no risk of the little ones hurting themselves. Tubes and wooden toys make great additions, as well as a private area for them to sleep in or play in if they're sleeping in their tunnels. I've made unusual shapes out of large pieces of cardboard boxes for my gerbils to climb on and chew up to their hearts' content. You can use plastic tubes like those in the pet store, although they may get chewed up, stones, branches of wood that are not poisonous to gerbils, and anything else you can find that might be fun, that you don't mind getting chewed up, and that you can safety-proof for your curious little ones. I installed additional levels with wire and shelves from an old organizing unit, but I try to change the whole set-up every few weeks to keep them from getting bored. For more ideas, check out 1001 ways to house a gerbil at http://www.maisel.de/~eva/cages.html Have fun, Dana :) __________________________________________________ Move your email to a better address. Over 1,000 domains to choose from! FREE! PRIVATE! http://www.MailSpace.com
