A Happy gerbil, well almost!

[dietpeppers]

I pulled Baby Pickles out of his Critter Trail tonight and put him in his new home, a 106 quart Sterlite container full of so many fun things to do. He has 10 squares of toilet tissue, (unscented of course), 2 toilet paper tubes, sand, aspen, tunnels, a wheel, water bottle, and scattered food. I've never seen him so active since I pulled him out of the 29 gallon tank after he was attacked by the other three in there. He always stayed in the top of his cage, in the loft. Now he's running and playing and he seems to be really happy tonight!

I have a question. Instead of the wire that I see people put at the tops of their bins, I use a solder gun and put a zillion holes in the lids. I've had several geribls living in other bins with no problem, but are they really getting enough air in there? I'm considering doing a ring of holes around the bins as well. I'm not very crafty to do the door. Two of these gerbils are in these bins because they are escape artists.

I now have a 2 cage set up for 2 gerbils which are connected together with around 8 feet of tunnels, a 29 gallon tank that has 2 females and 1 male with 6 babies, a rubbermaid container with a male/female pair with 6 babies, and another rubbermaid container with Frodo by himself. Frodo and Baby Pickles will be getting BOY mates as soon as the babies are old enough to be separated from their parents as I hate that they are alone. The boy in the 29 gallon tank is coming out with one of his sons as well. The other two male/female pairs, I'm keeping them together.

Tonya

[gerbil]

Gerbils are tough animals (but not too tough) and I think they can stand low air levels. Although it's evil to purposefully suffocate them.

[sweetie]

The holes should be plentiful with a good circulation of air. I would not put holes on the sides of the bin since it would be a starting point for the gerbils to chew at. I have a 108 QT plastic bin with the wire on the top and the little buggers managed to stand on a box and chew the plastic beyond the wire and escape. I no longer leave boxes in there that would allow them the height to chew.

Did you say you have a home with 2 females, 1 male and 6 pups? How old are the females? Are they fighting? I would keep an eye on that situation.

[RitzieAnn]

I'd say add more holes! like 2 or 3 rings around as well at all over the lid. You don't have to use wire mesh, but make sure you keep an eye on the temp inside the container, and make sure that the walls don't get even the slighest damp with 'dew'. Usually it would probably be closer to the bedding since the air holes are up in the top.

[AndreaS15]

I'm thinking that would be fine... But The all plastic tub lid even with holes in it may be to hot in the summer. I don't think even alot of holes would let enough of the heat out like a mesh lid would. With the weather we have here and no AC in the house I would use wire mesh, but that's because of the climet we have here in the summer. I don't know your situation.

[dietpeppers]

Thanks for your replies. I've decided that for the next few weeks, I'm going to buy 29 gallon tanks for each of them except my daughter's who are in the 2-cage set up with the tunnels. Well, I think I'm also going to keep the 106 quart bin, because he looks extremely happy in there, but I'm not 100 percent sure what I will do there yet.

Anyhow, as for the 29 gallon tank that has 2 females, 1 male, and 6 pups... they do not fight at all. When I first picked the gerbils up from the lady, she had 2 females in there with 2 males and I had to remove one of the males because they were trying to hurt him pretty badly. Ever since then, that tank has been content. The pups are about 3 weeks old I think. They are just now opening their eyes. As soon as they are big enough to be removed, I'm taking the male out of that tank with one of his male babies and giving them their own tank. The two females who are in there, I'm going to leave them alone. I'm probably positive whoever the mom is, she's probably pregnant again. It's hard to know who the mom is because both females nurse those pups???