Hiya,

So I've basically used all the stuff advised for my gerbils. Chucked it all in!

Few weird things I've noticed when I've put the stuff in the cage appears full the next day it's about half down again - what are they doing with it????

Also I put alot of hay in there and it appears to have pretty much vanish! lol.

They do seem to quite enjoy munching it

The only thing I'm not happy about is that they do burrow frantically but nothing in there can create a tunnel. I feel I'm depreving them of something. They burrow but the stuff just kicks out behind them. I want them to be able to make tunnels but not keen on the idea of using peat.

Is there anything else I can try?

Now I'm go to go off and puzzle over how on earth half their substrate has disappeared over night! What are they doing with it? lol

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Mummy to 4 piggies, Manny, Floyd, Izzy and Eve, 3 hammie's, Jean Claude van Ham (aka JC), Princess & Prince Philip, 3 Gerbils Itsy, Bitsy and Ditsy. Foster piggies China & Alfie.

Im guessing its compacting down, as they make tunnels they are usng some to strengthen the walls e.t.c

when you put it in, i guess its thrown in and fluffed up abit, so once they start their magic on it, it looks smaller e.t.c

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Owner to-
lots of rodents
2 monster dogs
1 slinky cat

It happens with my lot too....the substrate disappearing. I think like Daynna said it's just because it's compacted/the substrate settling.
When I clean my gerbils out I fill 3/4 tank of megazorb with hay on the top plus a layer of their old bedding and in the next day or two it's gone down to just 1/2 tank of stuff!
So I just chuck in more megazorb, hay and bedding.
Then as they shred cardboard over the next few weeks the stuff nearly touches the tank lid!

Oh and yep if the hay is disappearing too they are eating it (it's good for their teeth) and chopping it up and using it in their beds/tunnels.

What do you use at the moment?