adopted 1.5 year old female. What now?

[Littlecloud]

Last night, I was at the pet store with my sister, Tikal, as we do every Tuesday. To make a long story short, I ended up adopting a beautiful agouti 1 1/2 year-old female gerbil. We gave her a sand bath when we got home, and she is looking much less "lethargic" (she was oily). We already had a 10g tank, so she is living in there with a wheel, water bottle, food in a dish, wooden house, a paper towel tube, and aspen bedding (a piece of cardboard separates off a deeper area for digging).

I want to give her a larger tank and a tank topper, but don't know what size to go for (I was thinking a 20g?). So that she isn't lonely, I think she should have a companion, but I don't know if I should go with 1-2 younger gerbils or an older one (about her age). What should I do?

[latentfire]

thank you for giving your little one a forever home

lots of people say 20g is min for two gerbils. bigger the better- depending on money.

they say its easiest and has a higher success rate doing a younger one in the split with the older one. females are a bit harder than males since they are the more territorial sex. so it might take longer. they say not to introduce a 2:1 ratio cause the two could gang up on the lone gerbil.

good luck with what you decide and hope to see pics soon! whatd you name her?

ps. i found this website (among others) very helpful in my split caging adventure hhgerbilry.com/splitcage.html

[Littlecloud]

Thanks. Her name is Lumina, and I will post pics in the morning (I'm in the US, so times might be off if you're not). What exactly are you proposing in terms of new gerbils? I'm confused.

[johanne]

If you wish to give Lumina some company, try 1 or 2 baby females. Introducing babies to adults is much easier and more likely to work than trying to introduce adults to adults. The younger the babies the better. Especially with females.

If you decide to get 2 baby females, you'll be better off with something bigger than 20 gallons. Consider converting a storage bin into cage. They're cheap and roomy Proper digging requires quite a bit of space.

[*Tikal*]

Johanne, would a 20 gallon filled to the brim with bedding and a topper not work? It seems like it would be plenty big enough for 3 gerbils.

[Littlecloud]

I finally got the pics! Sorry for the delay.

another view:

and finally... Lumina herself!

[johanne]

Littlecloud, Lumina is lovely! She strikes me as a gerbil who's had a hard life and is finally getting what she deserves

Tikal, cage sizes are a controversial issue, and it's no wonder: gerbils differ in their needs. There are lines that have been bred to tolerate crowding. They would do fine, and some individuals with certain temperaments would be fine also. But there's also the question of what is "fine." Many owners don't recognize subtle signs of stress in their gerbils, especially when it develops slowly.

My daughter and I have been keeping larger numbers of gerbils over the last 16 years in a variety of different types of homes. Our observation is that gerbils do better with larger amounts of square footage, or floor space. Deeper bedding is great for tunnelling, but as tunnels get deeper they also require more of the bedding for holding themselves together. Thus there isn't really as much space to move around as if the space were arranged over a broader area.

We would not personally recommend a 20 gallon with topper for 3 gerbils. Some gerbils would be ok with it, but why take the chance? And why squeeze them into the smallest possible space you can get away with? Why not give your gerbils the best life you can with the resources you have available? If that's all you can manage, for whatever reason, then so be it. Reality for many people is that they can't do and have everything they want for their pets. But I still wouldn't recommend it as the "best" option.

[Littlecloud]

Thank you soo much for helping me out. I'm thinking that I'll get her a 29g tank (idk why they don't make 30g) with a tank topper. I don't think I could fit anything larger in the area I want to put it, but this definately sounds like enough. Then, I will get two youngin' gerbils (female, of course) and go through the quarantine, then split cage processes. Does this sound like a good plan?

[johanne]

Sounds like an excellent plan You've done your research well.

[Littlecloud]

I have one more question: would there be an increased risk of fighting/declanning in a trio?

[*Tikal*]

yes

[sofluffy]

There would be an increased risk, but as with most things, it's not definite..

[Littlecloud]

Soo... Would it be worth it to get the third gerbil or should I just add one to Lumina?

[sofluffy]

There's really no definite answer, it's more a decision up to you.. I would suggest using the split cage method at first though..

[*Tikal*]

Happy 13th birthday Littlecloud! I hope to see you with a full account later today:)