Re: A natural enclosure
I've used sterilised top soil for a natural enclosure before and it was more effort and hassle than it was worth. It made the tank even heavier and impossible to move, it was difficult to clean out and you end up with a horrible mouldy/earthy smell in the room. Not only that but it was causing the seeds in the hamster food to germinate and grow. I've had natural enclosures since and have found that using different substrates in the same enclosure works well. I used a mix of beech chips, aspen, hemp, shavings and natural carefresh for the main areas and than had a large area filled with bathing sand.
You don't have to do full cleans regardless of the set up you have, it's always best to have some of the old substrate left over to mix in with the new. This reduces the stress on your hamster as their scent is still present in the cage
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