Sand question

[Axolotl hammy]

Hi all,

Can I use aquarium sand in my enclosure? I have some left from my Axolotl tank- it’s a fairly fine (similar to reptisand) undyed sand with no added calcium or anything. I believe it’s a silica sand which most are.
It is the brand stoney river if that is at all important.

Thanks in advance

 

[Maz]

Hi. I haven't heard of that brand before. People do use some reptile sand, if it's calcium free, but the main thing is that it's not dusty and the pieces aren't too large or sharp. If it's quite coarse-grained then it probably isn't suitable.

 

[Axolotl hammy]

Hi. I haven't heard of that brand before. People do use some reptile sand, if it's calcium free, but the main thing is that it's not dusty and the pieces aren't too large or sharp. If it's quite coarse-grained then it probably isn't suitable.

They’re tiny fine grains. It’s leftover from the bag I bought for my axolotl tank so it has to be fine because of the axolotl lol. If it’s not sharp or coarse is it ok to use?

 

[Maz]

I would use your own judgement on it then . I haven’t heard of anyone using aquarium sand for a hamster. Personally I would be cautious. Is it sterilised? It might need washing and baking.

The usual ones used are reptisand or Komodo natural sand.

 

[Maz]

I think most hamster places would suggest not as it’s not something we’re familiar with. A bag of the natural sand costs about £10 and lasts for a very long time so it’s maybe not worth the risk.

 

[Axolotl hammy]

I think most hamster places would suggest not as it’s not something we’re familiar with. A bag of the natural sand costs about £10 and lasts for a very long time so it’s maybe not worth the risk.

Sand is very expensive here- that’s the only reason I asked, I will buy reptisand or playsand though.
It’s about $40CAD for a 5-10 pound bag of sand.

 

[Maz]

Whereabouts are you? Guessing that's Canadian dollars?

 

[Maz]

Amazon.ca has reptisand for $24 and Niteangel sand for $18.99

Reptisand

Niteangel sand

Also can you get childrens play sand? That is often very cheap, sterilised, and sold in a huge bag.

 

[Axolotl hammy]

Amazon.ca has reptisand for $24 and Niteangel sand for $18.99

Reptisand

Niteangel sand

Also can you get childrens play sand? That is often very cheap, sterilised, and sold in a huge bag.

Oh wow reptisand is so much cheaper on Amazon than at pet stores! Niteangel is saying it’s $31 but reptisand is cheap. It’s so expensive at Petsmart or petland. It’s like over $40 at pet valu.
I’m in Canada, a fairly rural province at that. Hamster stuff is so expensive now here. A bag of carefresh that used to cost $30 like 5 years ago is now about $50.

 

[Maz]

I've heard before that hamster stuff is more expensive in Canada, because most of it is shipped from the US

 

[Axolotl hammy]

I've heard before that hamster stuff is more expensive in Canada, because most of it is shipped from the US

Yep I think so, and everything seems to just be skyrocketing in price still

 

[SupremeOverlord]

It appears that silica sand is not suitable for hamsters, unfortunately. I'm seeing results reporting that they can inhale silica dust when bathing and digging in it, and it could even cause cancer when inhaled, as silica is a carcinogenic. Additionally, some say that aquarium sand is not suited for removing oils... While I am unsure of the exact ingredients in the sand, I would have to agree with Maz in saying that you should likely avoid using something for your hamster if you are unsure. I wish you luck in obtaining suitable sand for your hamster!

 

[Maz]

It appears that silica sand is not suitable for hamsters, unfortunately. I'm seeing results reporting that they can inhale silica dust when bathing and digging in it, and it could even cause cancer when inhaled, as silica is a carcinogenic. Additionally, some say that aquarium sand is not suited for removing oils... While I am unsure of the exact ingredients in the sand, I would have to agree with Maz in saying that you should likely avoid using something for your hamster if you are unsure. I wish you luck in obtaining suitable sand for your hamster!

Not quite. All sand is silica sand. While it can be carcinogenic, the research done shows it takes decades to become carcinogenic and hamsters don't live that long. Any sand used shouldn't be dusty.

 

[SupremeOverlord]

Not quite. All sand is silica sand. While it can be carcinogenic, the research done shows it takes decades to become carcinogenic and hamsters don't live that long. Any sand used shouldn't be dusty.

Sand can definitely be made of things other than silica! There are sands made of many different things such as clay, rock, minerals, or, in Niteangel hamster sand's case, natural zeolite. Sand can be silica free, and different sands may contain some percentage of silica, which would not be an issue in low amounts. However, silica sand in particular is made of a high percentage of silica dust, or crystalline silica, at about 95% or more. Breathing in crystalline silica can certainly lead to lung cancer and other problems (stated by OSHA and NIH) and can definitely lead to respiratory problems in hamsters. Sand intended for aquarium use often will have dust as it is not intended for terrarium or rodent use.

 

[Maz]

It's true that some types of sand can have less silica and more of other things. But all the sands suitable for hamsters are silica sands ie the quartz reptile sands and desert sands. We had a very big debate about this on another forum some years ago, and I did a fair bit of research into it personally. The conclusion was that although dust from silica sand is technically carcinogenic, it is mainly humans who work with it day in day out (ie mining it), who are susceptible and it can take decades to cause cancer. Whereas hamsters only live two to five years and it's not a risk for them

There is also a lot of confusion about sepiolite sand too.

The Niteangel sand is predominantly silica (desert sand) with some zeolite particles.

 

[SupremeOverlord]

It's true that some types of sand can have less silica and more of other things. But all the sands suitable for hamsters are silica sands ie the quartz reptile sands and desert sands. We had a very big debate about this on another forum some years ago, and I did a fair bit of research into it personally. The conclusion was that although dust from silica sand is technically carcinogenic, it is mainly humans who work with it day in day out (ie mining it), who are susceptible and it can take decades to cause cancer. Whereas hamsters only live two to five years and it's not a risk for them

There is also a lot of confusion about sepiolite sand too.

The Niteangel sand is predominantly silica (desert sand) with some zeolite particles.

Desert sand can have many different compositions as well. A lot of brands do not list the exact components in their sand, so it is difficult to know for sure which is the safest option. It is even harder to be certain because of the limited research on hamster husbandry and health is limited and ever-changing. Niteangel does claim to sell desert sand without silica, which may be likely to be feldspar, as sands that claim to be silica free seem likely to be made from feldspar, which is safer than silica, but I cannot know for sure unless they list the actual composition. What source are you using that states that Niteangel's desert sand is predominantly silica?

Based on the research I have done, I found that most say that silica sand is unsafe for hamsters, so even if cancer is not guaranteed, I do not feel confident that it would be completely safe to use silica sand for them, especially if there is a chance that they could inhale it and risk respiratory problems.

 

[Maz]

Most sands are silica based Including those considered safe for hamsters. There are also different views in different countries. For example the Uk hamster community is very anti sepiolite sand these days (even though many of us used it without issue for years). Whereas in Germany they say it's preferable as although it's silica based, it's a different chemical structure to quartz sand. The general view in the Uk these days seems to be that it's clay based and can turn solid if wet, which could be a risk if swallowed. Yet it's not actually the same as pure sepiolite clay. I'd have to dig out my research to find the difference!

It's an important and interesting topic though. Apparently some aquarium sands are aragonite, which isn't safe for hamsters.

There are actually many things that could be classed as carcinogenic over a long period of time, that wouldn't affect most people, and primarily people who work with the materials.

 

[Maz]

Niteangel desert sand - says desert sand (silica) with zeolite particles.

 

[Maz]

Silica sand - like reptile sands, desert sands and childrens play sand - is safe for hamsters as long as it's calcium-free and not too dusty. There's a lot of contradictory stuff on the internet that isn't factually based It's like chinese whispers.

 

[Maz]

Which sand do you use for your hamster? There's a research article online showing that lung cancer from silica sand is mainly in industrial settings (ie people who work with the materials). While hamsters are prone to respiratory issues and fine dust is bad for them, I've never heard of a hamster with lung cancer. Various other cancers are more common, not related to the lungs. Skin cancers (melanoma), fibromas, lymphoma and mammary tumours are common for hamsters, but not lung cancer. Lung cancer from silica exposure takes between 10 and 30 years to develop after exposure.

That doesn't mean we humans are at risk from handling the sand for our hamsters, as we don't work with it daily in an industrial setting.

Childrens play sand is also quartz silica.

The few non silica sands are made from calcium carbonate which isn't safe for hamsters who need calcium free sand.

If your area is chemistry or similar though and you have more info from studies, it's always good to hear