Worried About Barnaby and Troy - Fighting Alot.

[Hope]

Barnaby and Troy have always been a little 'fiesty' with each other, but over the past week or so the fighting seems to have got worse and become more of a regular thing. Up till now it has just been the odd box, or the odd bum or belly bite. 2 or 3 weeks ago they did have a fairly big fight that went on for a while, and looked pretty serious but then things calmed down, I didnt see any fighting at all for several days after that, but now things seem to be getting worse, not better.

There are no injuries, no blood, no scars or anything but I cant help but worry if they are both happy together. Some of the behaviour that I have seen is a lot of chasing, Troy will chase Barnaby round and round and round the cage, snapping at his bum, untill Barnaby shoots off into a bed. Then Troy will wait, and then all of a sudden pounce into the bed and the fighting, squeeking and wrestling continues. Often Barnaby will be minding his own business and Troy will be almost stalking him like a cat, (I can almost see his little mind working, waiting to attack ljust like my cat does with a bird!) Then all of a sudden will pounce on him and wrestle with him. There is also a lot of bum biting, and belly biting. Sometimes they will sort of be holding on to each other with their mouths, untill one moves, and then its fight on again! Also if Barnaby is sat eating a peice of food (I scatter food, so it is all over) Troy will westle him for it, once he has gained the peice of food from Barnaby, he will just drop it, its not even like he wanted it, its like he just wats to be a pain to his brother! I often see Barnaby hiding behind things, and Troy will be out and about in the wheel, on the climbing frame etc. If Troy comes near him he will jump, and run away from him. He does seem to be frightened of him. The individual incidents do not last long, but its the frequency that is worrying me. For example in the 30 minutes that I sat watching them for last night, they had about 10 scraps. I am worried that it is becomming stressful for them and that Barnaby is living in constant fear of Troy. And Troys is feeling like he has to fight all the time. I feel like I am just waiting for the one scratch or bite that draws blood so that I can seperate them. I thought perhaps that it may be just a phase, or one was in a bit of a chasing mood, but their behaviour has been like this now for several days, and I am begining to worry.

I have really tired to do everything right for them, when I clean them out, they get 50% of the substrate back with the new, the toys and the beds are the same. I mix some old bedding in with the new, and mix it between the two beds, I scatter food, I have moved the wheels from being next to each other, as even though each is happy to wheel in its own wheel, Troy just likes to push Barnaby out. So Barnaby will go to the other wheel, but then Troy will leap out of the one he has just commendered and push Barnaby out of that one and so it goes on! They have two sand baths as they were fighting over the one they had, when I handle them I make sure that I get both of them out so one doesnt feel left out and they both have my scent, when I give mealworms I make sure that they both get some. I just dont know what else I can do for them! I want them to live together, and I dont want to have to seperate them, but if it is going to be better for them in the long run then thats what I will do.

Perhaps I am just being an over cautious mum, and worrying too much, and this is all normal brotherly behavoiur, but if they would be happier on their own then I am willing to seperate. Any help or advice would be very much appreciated.