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04-09-2019, 07:41 AM
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#1
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 84
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Gerbil cages
Can anyone recommend minimum cage size? Preferably in cm? Thx
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04-09-2019, 07:55 AM
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#2
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Little Miss Tinytoes>
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 7,036
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Re: Gerbil cages
People are going to have different opinions. For me personally no less than 100x50cm for a pair whilst allowing for 25-30cm or substrate. But I would still go bigger as they are very active. I do think it’s better to try a larger cage rather than limiting cage size in an attempt to keep them bonded (which is a concept I have numerous issues with).
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04-09-2019, 08:01 PM
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#3
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Missouri, USA
Posts: 96
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Re: Gerbil cages
For gerbils, I think a glass tank/aquarium is going to be your best bet. They can't chew glass, which is good because gerbils will chew anything!
I started my gerbils out in a barred cage and they chewed their way out within a week. So, I moved them to a 10gallon tank but recently upgraded them to a 20 gallon. The recommended size for gerbils is 5-10 gallons per gerbil, so either a 10 or 20 gallon is a good size. Some people like to have them in bigger tanks, such as 29 or 40 gallons, or even an Ikea Detolf. But I'm of the opinion that small is safer, as larger territory may lead to declanning with a pair of gerbils.
I really prefer the 20-gallon aquarium because it's just big enough that I have room for everything they need. There's just enough room for all of the deep substrate that gerbils require. The only downside to an aquarium is that they usually don't come with a lid- I originally didn't need one but I absolutely had to make one after one of my gerbils escaped. I ended up making it out of wire cloth and zip-ties.
I hope this helps answer your question, if you need any other gerbil information, feel free to reach out and I'd love to help!
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Proud Ham-mom to Pip, male Syrian brought home 11.14.18
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04-10-2019, 02:03 AM
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#4
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Little Miss Tinytoes>
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 7,036
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Re: Gerbil cages
Sorry I do have to question where the ‘recommended size’ as 5 gallons per gerbil came from as that really is extremely small. It isn’t going to be suitable as any housing. There is a huge difference between an absolute bare minimum and a recommended size. In a 5 gallon you can really only fit one house and a small wheel in which doesn’t allow for any kind of enrichment.
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04-10-2019, 06:04 PM
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#5
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Hamster Pup
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Missouri, USA
Posts: 96
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Re: Gerbil cages
M&M I meant the 5 gal per as a general go-to, as gerbils really should be housed in pairs, thus a 10 gallon minimum for a pair. The only reason gerbils should be alone is if they declan with their tank mate and cannot be successfully repaired to another gerbil, even through the split-tank method. If there has to be a lone gerbil, it would do fine in a 10 gal. I didn't mean to imply that a single gerbil could be placed in a 5-gallon tank, that would be horrible! Hope this clears up your question.
__________________
Proud Ham-mom to Pip, male Syrian brought home 11.14.18
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04-10-2019, 06:50 PM
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#6
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Little Miss Tinytoes>
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: UK
Posts: 7,036
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Re: Gerbil cages
I see what you mean. Although I think we’re just going to have to disagree here as I really don’t think 10 (or even 20) gallons provides enough space for one/two gerbils. Unless you have a topper it isn’t going to allow for sufficient bedding depth either (bare minimum of 6-8” imo). I actually had a lone gerbil who refused to be re-bonded, some time ago in a 3ft tank and now wished I’d gone bigger, especially since she didn’t have any company. I think the enclosure becomes almost even more important when they’re alone, since as a species a lot of their happiness actually comes from living with others so that’s something you have to try and make up for.
I’m aware of the declanning risks but the way I see it is that there will always be that risk if you get social pets that need company. If you get two of any caged pet then part of that responsibility is understanding & being able to prepare for the possibility that the situation may not actually work out. So yes safety is important but so is giving them an enriching life - as I have to question the ethics of keeping two animals together that would only work out in a small cage. So not going for the smallest size that allows you to put the bare essentials in there but actually aiming to create the best environment you can for them. There are plenty of gerbils who do just fine in large cages too. If you’ve seen typical German gerbil set ups you’ll know that most are over 100x50cm (with 10”+ of bedding) and I’ve still very rarely heard of cases of declanning. If a pair is going to fall out due to being in a large cage it is going to be likely that they were not bonded properly in the first place - in which case I’d argue that the fall out was probably for the better and new housing arrangements can then be made.
Last edited by mangoandmimi; 04-11-2019 at 04:01 AM.
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06-01-2019, 10:31 AM
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#7
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PM Fluffy for custom title
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Central Scotland
Posts: 13,415
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Re: Gerbil cages
mangoandmimi wrote: I think the enclosure becomes almost even more important when they’re alone, since as a species a lot of their happiness actually comes from living with others so that’s something you have to try and make up for.
I have to agree with this. I kept gerbils (males) quite a long time ago now and although I had small groups or pairs, I sometimes did have the odd singleton who was either de-clanned from the others, or lost a paired cegemate.
The minimum length of glass tank I used for a single gerbil was around 30" inches long by 12" inches wide. These days I would be looking for 3 feet long tanks or more for the enrichment of space and changing/adding new things!
Gerbils are really fab little creatures and just love interacting. If you have the room space, go as big as you can and think about downsizing if the gerbil is old or loses it`s `zest` for playing a lot and prefers your company rather than living in a very large environment on their own in the latter stages of their life.
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