They live in an aquarium that has an attachment on top that allows for a second floor. There are plastic tubes that run between the two levels. They both constantly scratch violently at them, and i dont want them to break the tubes. Does anyone know why they're doing this? And what can i do to stop them? Maybe there's something else i can give them to scratch?
crap on them then they will die and they wont scracht any more
The first thing you need to do is put the gerbil in a closet, bathroom, or another room at night so you can sleep and the gerbil can make noise. :) Gerbils will shred anything and everything so ideally they should be kept in glass aquararium tanks which are easier to clean and therefore more sanitary and healthier for your pet. Wire cages only encourage rodents to poke their noses through and chew on the bars. That's unsanitary because it's hard to clean and they'll often get sores on their noses from doing that. Also, since respiratory infections are common you want ventilation, but not a draft. So get rid of the plastic - it'll get chewed to bits eventually anyway - and get a tank. Also put plenty of chewing blocks in there so your gerbil can keep it's teeth filed down. That noise can also be loud, but it's a necessary for them to chew and you just put them in another room.
Gerbils do this naturally, and there is no way to stop them, aside from removing the tubes. Keep an eye for wear and tear and replace as needed.
