Introducing Gerbils By The Split Cage Method

Stranger gerbils are easiest added together when they are young (the younger the better) and it is often easier to put two males together because females may end up fighting when they get older if they don't to begin with, although this can happen with males too. It is a bad idea to add new gerbils to a already established group - it is difficult to get a new gerbil accepted by a colony, even with this method. When introducing gerbils to each other they should be carefully monitored.Be careful when introducing stranger gerbils, it is often a challenging process and requires patience.

The time it takes gerbils to accept each other through the split cage method varies on the gerbils, it can take days or weeks to be successful. This is why it is important that this process is not rushed.

How To Make A Split Cage (and when to take it away)

To make a split tank you will need:

An aquarium (10, 20 gallon etc.)

Metal wire mesh (can be bought from hardware stores)

Pencil, Wire Cutters & Saw

1 cm squared lengths of wood (needs to be able to make 9 lengths for the split)

Aquarium sealant

Tape measure or ruler, sanding paper

The lengths of wood are cut almost to the height of the tank, sanded and glued in three layers with the aquarium sealant. This way you can have two layers of mesh (cut with wire cutters & filed to get rid of sharp bits!) put in between the gaps.

If the aquarium didn't come come with a well ventilated (ideally mesh) lid then you can make one with the mesh you bought previously.

When to remove the mesh partitions:

To acheive maximum interaction between the gerbils, the less toys in their tanks the better. Also put their nests directly either side of the split. It is essential that they still have access to fresh water and their regular food!

They should be switched over regularly so they spend time in both sides of the tank.

Signs that one partition can be removed are: trying to groom each other through the tank, being relaxed when switching sides and sleeping very closely between the partition. When these signs are clear, try removing one partition (sheet of mesh) so there is only one sheet of mesh dividing them. When they are sleeping in the same nest and the signs mentioned previously continue clearly then remove the final partition. They should get on fine but they should be very closely monitored until you are sure. Don't overload the tank with toys and such, this way they have less to be territorial about!