Tank size??

[xxpetsparklezxx]

I was wondering if I could house 2 gerbils in my old aquarium its measurements are 24in long by 12in wide by 15in high? And what would be the best bedding.(uk brand)

[crittercrazy]

That should be fine for a pair of gerbils.
I don't know of UK brands. . . but aspen bedding is good. Things to stay away from are cedar and pine. (kiln-dried pine is fine though)

[blanknote]

Found on Blue Cross website: "Two gerbils need a minimum floor surface of 40cm x 75cm, by at least 30cm tall because they are such good jumpers." So, your tank should be okay for two as it's only a little bit smaller than the minimum measurements Blue Cross suggests. Although if you have the space/money I would recommend getting them a bigger place to live (you can get an Ikea Detolf cabinet quite cheap, and make a great tank for them).

For the bedding: I like to mix megazorb with some woodshavings and hay. You can get a huge bag (about 14kg) for about 15 quid online, it's the least dusty bedding I have tried.

[Shooting Star]

That's a fine size for a pair, I wouldn't go much smaller. I like to figure about a square foot of floorspace per gerbil as a minimum.

[xxpetsparklezxx]

Would it be better if I added a tank topper?

[sinthiav]

Of course more is always better.

[xxpetsparklezxx]

Two males or two females?
Sorry for all the questions?

[blanknote]

Here are some comments I found around the internet about female vs male gerbils that might help you make your decision:
"I've only kept female gerbils, but my sister-in-law has kept both genders. She says that male gerbils are more laid back and lazy than females. Her males were far more likely to fall asleep in her lap than the females, who tended to be more nosy and curious and willing to climb. Both sexes were equally destructive to cardboard, but the females dug more tunnels and ran on the wheel more. This was my sister-in-law's experience with her mixed-sex group of about 15 gerbils - but not all gerbils will necessarily fit the generalization."

"Many people say that males are more sociable and that females have a greater risk of declanning, but I've only ever had females, so I can't quite say from personal experience. I will say though, that I recently had three gerbils together for quite a while with absolutely no problems, they slept together all the time and never fought. The threesome only ended because one of the girls died of a SGT. Before that I had another 2 females together, and they were best buds too. So from my experience, females can be extremely nice and sociable, including with humans."

"Males are generally more known to be friendlier to each other than females. For gerbils, females are the more territorial gender hence, fighting can occur more easily and frequently than with males. Both males and females are friendly towards humans unless mistreated."

"Females are dominant in gerbil world (nice change LOL), so females are more aggressive and more likely to fight with another gerbil. But, females are more outgoing, so they're easier to tame. Male gerbils are laid back, and more shy. They're usually harder to tame because of their shyness, but male gerbils can live in groups of up to about five without any problems."

"I have found more significant behavioral differences between male an female rats and Syrian hamsters than gerbils, personally, although I agree with the above that male gerbils might have a tendency towards being more laid back. I have had equally gentle and/or boisterous male and female gerbils. I do not think gerbil behavior is tied to the sex of the animal as much as rats where males are much more relaxed than females, overall."

In the end, I think it comes down to your own preference, or which ones are available to you. I have only had my boys that I have now, so don't have experience of female gerbils, or other males. But at least my boys are pretty outgoing (in my opinion), they often come to see what I am doing, and take treats/food from me and don't really seem shy to me.