Substrate

Riven said:
I normally use Coco coir for Syrians but have thought of having an area for Ares as I think he'd enjoy it. If it's bone dry it's incredibly dusty so you do need to keep some moisture in it. I gauge it by how much sticks to my hands. If my hands come out mostly clean then it's good to use. If there's a lot of dust and feels dry, then add more water. If your hands are very dirty, then it's too wet.
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I've just tried that and my hands came out almost clean. It has a cool rather than damp feel to it and now i wonder if that's the way it should be.
I used very little water because i ended up with mud on one ocassion and gave it to the plants then.
I also know what you mean by dry and dusty. I force dried it once with a hair dryer and the texture was awful. It ended up in the garden.
 
Yes that sounds about right. See what the hams think. I get a spray bottle and mist it as and when it needs it. Give it a mix and you're done. Depending on how much the hamster uses it depends how often it needs to be refreshed. For the rats it'd last a week, but for my Syrians it could last for 3 weeks. Niko had one and a batch could stay in for 4-6 weeks at a time.
 
Does it go off? It will go around her saucer in the loft so it's not a place she sleeps or nests in and i can keep an eye on it.
 
No but if they use it as a toilet it can smell. Also anything thing else that may accumulate in it may go mouldy as it's a damp substrate
 
That's my concern about using damp substrates.
 
I checked Orko's coco fibre yesterday and it is still dry. I notice he prefers using it to using sand.
 
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Maz said:
That's my concern about using damp substrates.
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I'm not using the coco soil until it's dry. It's currently in a large baking dish by the radiator and getting drier. I think to let it slowly air dry should prevent it from becoming too dry and dusty. If it's not going to work i'm not going to use it because i wouldn't put damp substrate into Lilly's cage.
 
Sorry I meant moist not damp :) I know people have found it fine to use. And a cage is well ventilated. I did get some kind of white mould growing in paper substrate once, when a water bottle had been dripping on it. Which is partly why I have water bottles over a shelf now. But if it's dry it sounds ok.
 
It isn't dry yet but it feels cool rather than damp so it's hard to know what it's supposed to feel like. It's a weird substance to work with. I've done the hand test Riven suggested and my hand comes out almost clean. I put it in the oven after my OH had finished cooking but that made it worse because it caused condensation and my hand came out sticky with coco soil. It's dried up again so air seems to be doing the trick.
 
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I have no idea what it's meant to feel like! I assumed it was dry stuff but held moisture if wet. That wouldn't stop a hamster wanting to dig in it though! I'm sure you'll know when it feels right.
 
Yes but i bought the block and had to add a little water to make it into soil.
The loose one was too large a quantity.
 
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Ah yes - I read that big - I'm not that up on Coco substrate so just trying to follow it all :)
 
I went back to the local reptile shop and bought a 10l bag of ProRep coco soil. They also stock coarse coco husk, different grades and beech chips and cork substrate.

I still like the idea of different textures for enrichment but don't have enough space left in their cages for a decent sized dig box.

Went to B&Q and bought a cheap plastic storage box for the coco soil to go in the freeroaming area instead. They can access it via a bendy bridge. The hamsters use the playbin and climb into the toyboxes so i think they quite like climbing into boxes.

I wished i could get rid off some of the spare hamster stuff (advertised but no interest) so i could free up some space for more freeroaming activities.
 
Having the coco fibre in the playpen is a lovely idea. I am sure they will all enjoy that.

What a shame you have not had any interest in your spare hamster stuff.
 
RainbowBrite said:
Having the coco fibre in the playpen is a lovely idea. I am sure they will all enjoy that.

What a shame you have not had any interest in your spare hamster stuff.
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I'm trying to find a rescue i could donate it to. The ones i know have plenty of stuff, limited space and adoptions are slow.
 
It must be frustrating not being able to free up more space but it does sound like a good idea to have it in the play area & they do seem to enjoy climbing into boxes so I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.
 
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elusive said:
It must be frustrating not being able to free up more space but it does sound like a good idea to have it in the play area & they do seem to enjoy climbing into boxes so I’m sure they’ll enjoy it.
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I could put small containers in their cages but want them to be able to have a proper dig and a Syrian needs space and depth for that. Clive is the agile climber who is always in and out of boxes. I wished i had thought of digging boxes when Rodney was alive and well.
 
Shop told me the coco soil is dry and ready to use but reptile people and hamster people seem to have different ideas of dry.

The coco soil feels like potting soil. I know that hamsters love it because i have often enough lifted a hamster off a house plant and they weren't happy about it.

I wouldn't keep it in a cage but can't see any harm to use it as a playground attraction.
See what happens tonight.

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