gerbils having "little spats"

[lizzy]

ok.. so i haven't posted on here in awhile..
i introduced juliet and raven back in july, juliet was about 16 weeks and raven 8 weeks about.. they were fine, there was always a bit of squeaking.. for a few months they were in an 8 gallon tank only then a couple months back i attached the 8 gallon to a 3-4 gallon and ever since then its got worse. they chase each other up the tube to the next tank, i think maybe it's like i've heard with them getting territorial and claiming one tank as their own.
you know the way gerbils act before they get into a ball fight?.. this evening they've acted a bit like that, getting pissed off with each other etc. i've decided when i get paid on saturday i'm going to get them another tank, but what do you suggest i do until then? i'm not home 24/7 so i can't watch them constantly.. do you reccommend split caging?

[callimico]

Yeah, the problem is they don't have enough room. Your right, the second small tank probably did make them territorial because they each want more room. Has the fighting gotten bad enough that one has bite marks?
I'd reccommend minimum, a 20 gallon. I know most people say 10 gallon is alright for 2 gerbils, but it really isn't that much space. All of my gerbils have 2-3 tanks a group, they use one tank to sleep in, one to play in, and one for food and drink. My group of 6 boys live in a 20 gallon connected to a 10 gallon and a 5 gallon, the girls live in a 55 gal connected to a 55 tall and a 10. None have ever gotten into a fight and are all very friendly, I still try to take them out every other day or so.
I'm sure they'll be fine once you get a bigger tank, but a split cage in an 8 gallon tank will mean neither will hardly have any room at all. Maybe when your not at home to watch them you could put them in separate tanks until you get the larger tank to move them into. Then you could split cage them if they still fight. Plus a 20 gallon will allow you to give them more things to play with and keep busy rather then fighting w/each other.
Do you take them out of the tank so they can run around a little?

[lizzy]

thanks for your reply - yep, i do take them out their tanks. they're actually running round in their playpen right now ^^

neither have bite marks luckily, i've been checking them thoroughly.

even in their playpen they seem a bit touchy with each other, it's raven who is trying to pick a fight rather than the other way round [juliet was always the one who would sit on raven in the tank and make her squeak, ehhe]