There seem to be many conflicting thoughts on bedding and nesting. Some say 2in of bedding will be good. Others advise that you fill the tank up about half way. And still others say that you should have at least 8in of bedding. The latter group is correct.
The reasons why you should give them 8in or more is simple. In the wild, gerbils live in burrows, right? If you take away their burrows, you'll be taking away some of their gerbilness. In the wild, they have two options when danger comes calling: Fight or Flight. If you take away their tunnels, than you take away their Flight option. The only thing they have left do is Fight, if they feel like they're in danger. This means that lack of tunneling material may cause them to bite when they feel threatened.
In addition to this, not having enough bedding can cause stereotypical behaviors which are detrimental to a gerbils health. Digging frantically in the corner is one of these problems. This having been said, let’s move to the types of bedding that your gerbils can have, and the kinds they can't.
Name
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Pros
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Cons
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Pine
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Great for tunneling and chewing. Cheap. The best bedding! Easy to find. Use only if KILN DRIED.
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It can cause respiratory infection and kidney and liver problems, unless KILN DRIED
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Cedar
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None
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Has very nasty oils which may cause death, and certainly other issues. Even kiln dried this bedding is not okay.
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Corn cob
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Cheap
|
Can cause health problems, not good for burrowing.
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Sawdust
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Cheap
|
Too dusty, not good for burrowing
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Aspen
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Great for tunneling and chewing. Cheap. Easy to find.
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Some gerbils are allergic to it.
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Ecobedding
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Makes good nesting material. Good for tunneling.
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Can be pricey.
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Megazorb
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Good for tunneling and nesting.
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Expensive. Only found in the UK.
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Carefresh
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Comes in lots of fun colors.
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Dusty. Very expensive, and not very good for tunneling.
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Many people say that the nesting fluff sold in pet stores is good, but this could kill your gerbils. The fibers can get wrapped around intestines (much like a cat and curling ribbon). The best nesting material: toilet paper! Yes, I’m serious. Once a gerbil has shredded up some toilet paper, it’s incredibly soft. Makes my almost wish I was a gerbil… :D
