Your gerbil's cage must provide him with security, stimulation, and room for exercise and play. In order to provide adequately for these needs, it is best to furnish a pair of gerbils with at least a 10 gallon aquarium. Plastic enclosures with tubing can be exciting additions, but make sure the gerbils do not succeed in chewing holes through these enclosures. The main cage should either be filled several inches deep with bedding to allow for burrowing, or be furnished with a nesting box and tubes. Never use cedar bedding.
Most gerbils are allergic to the oils in cedar, and some are also sensitive to pine.
If your gerbil gets a red, sore-looking nose, discontinue your use of pine bedding. Your gerbils will spend hours gathering, chewing, and arranging these materials into a fluffy nest. How often you change the bedding depends on the size of the cage, the amount of bedding, and the number of gerbils. Cages should be washed with mild soap or very hot water, and all old bedding materials should be replaced. Toys are important additions to cages in order to prevent boredom and lethargy in your gerbils.