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Is this kind of sand ok?

Pastacat

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So, I went to the pet store yesterday and bought sand, but it looks different to reptile sand or playsand. Can I use this or do you recommed I buy reptile sand or play sand?
 
If in doubt, it's best not to use it. Reptile sand is safe, as long as it doesn't have any calcium added.
 
It depends what it says on the packet 😊. Do you know what type of sand it is? It’s hard to tell but it looks more like play sand - ie beach sand - is it quite heavy? If it’s reptile sand, the main thing is that it’s calcium free.
 
It depends what it says on the packet 😊. Do you know what type of sand it is? It’s hard to tell but it looks more like play sand - ie beach sand - is it quite heavy? If it’s reptile sand, the main thing is that it’s calcium free.
Sadly it doesnt say anything on the packet. The pet store just sold me this and a bird bath when I asked about sand and sandbath.

Also, how can I check that the sand is calcium free? I found a packet at an online store and the description doesnt say anything about it.
 
That's frustrating. Can you link any that you can find available and we can see which seems suitable. If it's reptile sand it sometimes doesn't say if it's calcium-free or not - I've had to email a manufacturer before now to find out. Desert sand or "natural sand" is usually ok. Childrens play sand should say on the bag if it's sterilised or not.
 
That's frustrating. Can you link any that you can find available and we can see which seems suitable. If it's reptile sand it sometimes doesn't say if it's calcium-free or not - I've had to email a manufacturer before now to find out. Desert sand or "natural sand" is usually ok. Childrens play sand should say on the bag if it's sterilised or not.

Here are a few, but they are all in Turkish: https://atakanpetshop.com/oase-biorb-desert-bedding-surungen-kumu-5kg-78184


It says reptile desert sand, but I dont know whether they have calcium or not
 
It’s difficult - short of emailing the manufacturer and asking, you won’t know if it has calcium or not. I would think the safest option would be to use children’s play sand and bake it to sterilise it. Which is a bit of a pain but people do it.

I remember - is your hamster a Syrian or dwarf hamster?
 
It’s difficult - short of emailing the manufacturer and asking, you won’t know if it has calcium or not. I would think the safest option would be to use children’s play sand and bake it to sterilise it. Which is a bit of a pain but people do it.

I remember - is your hamster a Syrian or dwarf hamster?
He's a Syrian hamster. I got him two days ago.
 
Ok. Well I wouldn't stress too much about a sand bath immediately then, and take your time to find the right sand :-) While most places say all hamsters need a large sand bath, in my experience, many syrians really aren't that bothered about it. Most of mine either ignore or just chuck the sand out (in an attempt to dig to the bottom. Whereas for roborovski hamsters, a sand bath is essential and it's important for dwarf hamsters too.

Even if you can't find any suitable sand at all in Turkey, he'd be fine without it. You could have a variety of other substrates instead. Eg cork granules, beach chips. Even just a cork log is a different texture. It's more about variety of textures. But the main thing is plenty of bedding, and somewhere dark to retreat to (eg a large house that's dark inside) and a good sized wheel. You're doing great making a good set up for him :-)
 
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