Too Late For Split Cage?

[SpunkyMunky]

I have two almost 2 year old gerbils. They were supposed to be tank mates, but I had to separate them because of a serious fight. I've been thinking a lot over the past week. I'm really scared to split cage, because of the possibilities of them fighting. I want to get a young gerbil for each of them. I want to introduce them to a new brother.

In other words: I want Stompy to be matched up with a young gerbil. And I want Bobo to be matched up with a young gerbil.


So, do you think it will work. I mean they are reaching 2 years old this August. The young gerbils will be a little over 2 months. Do you think it'll work?

[LikeItOrNot]

It's not too late to split cage them and introducing them to a younger gerbil would work too. But then maybe in a year or so you'd have to do another split intro when the older one dies. Another problem might happen when the younger one hits a certain age (usually happens around 8 months) and decides he wants to fight the older, weaker one for dominance.

Just saying because you seem to make it sound like with young ones it's guaranteed to workout or that the ones fighting will anymore easily accept them than eachother.

[SpunkyMunky]

OH my gerbils aren't weak at all! They are very active, and very strong. They've also got a really muscular build (excuses for overweightness LOL!). But seriously, they don't seem weak at all!

[LikeItOrNot]

Yeah because they're only 2. I meant as they get older. The average age for gerbils dying is 3, although many live as long as 5. 8 mohth olds usually decide around then that they want to be dominant so that can cause some issues.

So it'll work, just saying if you didn't know, you should be aware that problems can still happen. :)

[SpunkyMunky]

Im aware, and that's what I am afraid of. Although if anything happens, I will know what to do, and I will have a spare cage ready. Im still scared for what could happen.

I also want to know. I've got the gerbils in seperate 15 gallon aquariums. I think the aquariums have 20gallon floor space, but they are just about 2 inches shorter than a 20gallon. Can I use the 15 gallons to split cage them?

[LikeItOrNot]

Yeah, you can use any sized tank to split them as long as you can make a secure enough splitter.

Good luck.

[kimsgerbils]

What I did was take a 15 gallon tank and silicon in a U channel to slide in hardware cloth. I put one gerbil on each side and would occasionally swap them (this was a 3 year old super unsocial male and a 1.5 year old male who had lost his companion) I was cleaning cages one day and saw them laying near the divider. I thought "aww, maybe they like each other" so I put them in a neutral territory for a bit then put them back in their split cage after about 15 minutes. After a few days of this I left them in a neutral cage and they did fine and to this day they are paired up. It is possible but it takes a while. My two males took about 4 months but the older grumpy male finally warmed up to having a companion.

[Jiffykat]

It took me about a month with Hedwig & Pigwigeon. They acted like they were scared of eachother, but I put them in nuetral territory and they were fine and then put them back in the cage and there was a few minor chases (I think the last qualms about who was dominant.) They have now been happily caged together for a few monthes.