best gerbil bedding?

[smallgreyelephant]

Hello,
DD2 has 2 gerbils. They have a big gerbilarium with 2 levels (plastic tanks bottom/ wire top and wire levels to climb on) and she mucks out once a week and cleans with pet-friendly cleaner before putting down new bedding. The gerbilarium gets quite smelly in a week.
Any recommendations for odour-absorbing bedding?
TIA

What are you using at the moment?

I use Pets at Home wood shavings (not the scented ones). I find they last ages (as in months) before they get smelly, although that is in a bigger tank, smaller tanks will need cleaning more often.

You can also try placing a bowl of sand in the wire top. Gerbils like to poo and wee on raised surfaces, and especially in sand.

Hello GiantGerbil!
Thanks for the advice. I'll try wood shavings.
We have tried sand but the gerbils kick it all over the room. It's amazing how far they can make the sand go from their gerbilarium.
We have tried a poo/ wee area. We put a (very) large jam jar in one corner with sand in it but the gerbils didn't use it. I will try again with the toilet being raised. [Also tried a small animal "toilet". It was made of plastic so they shredded it!!!]
Any further advice for a gerbil loo much appreciated!

You could try using a small fish bowl or round vase for the sand, which might help keep more sand in.

Sand as bedding isn't great - it does get really smelly, really quickly and it doesn't hold up tunnels very well.