----- Original Message -----
From: "Ronni Mcdonald" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, October 02, 2000 6:47 PM
Subject: Smelly Bedding
> Hi List People!
>
> I'm using aspen as bedding for my gerbils, mixed with a little
construction
> paper for color (it looks pretty!)
>
> I have 2 gerbils per tank, with 2 to 3 inches of bedding per tank. Within
a
> couple of days, the bedding starts smelling, and just gets worse till I
> change it. I've tried starting with more bedding, mixing more aspen in
with
> the existing bedding, scrubbing out the tanks really well when I change
the
> bedding and no matter what, they start to smell within a couple days.
It's
> a really sharp, acrid odor and very unpleasant. I can deal with it for a
> while, but I don't know how my poor gerbies can stand it!
>
> How come it starts to smell so rank so quickly?
>
> Can I sprinkle baking powder in with the bedding to neutralize the smell?
> (Will it harm the little guys? Will it do any good?)
>
> Any other suggestions?
>
> Thanks
> Ronni
>
>
Try mixing crushed corn cob in with the Aspen. This is what I do. I first
put 3 cups of corn cob in the bottom of the 10 gallon tank, then I put 2-3
inches of Aspen shavings.
Also, bare plastic or glass can get smelly fast. They seem to like to use
these surfaces for bathrooms. This is one of the reasons I gave up the
hamster style cages with all the plastic tubes connecting everywhere. The
gerbils always went to bathroom on those surfaces, and they always got
smelly fast.
Some people put a small plate or saucer in there for the toilet, this way
the bedding didn't get smelly as fast, but you have to clean the plate
often.
Ann-Marie Roberts
T&T Gerbils, member of the AGS
Pup Count Project creator and maintainer
Please visit my website and pup count project at:
http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Reserve/1928/
