Would a 20cm wheel be too small?

xrrebeccaax · 09-28-2015, 01:24 PM

I have adopted a Syrian who currently has the 6.5inch silent spinner. I know that ideally syrians should have 11-12inch wheels, but I have read that small syrians will get away with an 8inch. This would work out better for me as it will mean I wont have to alter her cage to make a bigger one fit! But obviously I want to make sure she isn't in pain, and will get a bigger one if necessary.

I haven't had many Syrians before, so basically is this hamster a 'small' syrian or will she need a 29cm wheel?

jemmalg · 09-28-2015, 02:00 PM

Hm, she looks quite big to me! She's very cramped in that wheel and I can't see how and inch and a half would make much difference... I'd always go for bigger on the wheel if you can, she'll be much happier with an 11"

Pebbles82 · 09-28-2015, 02:12 PM

I think she needs an 11" too. Sorry! A German member once posted this photo which I found useful - it shows a syrian running in an 8" and in an 11" wheel and shows the correct running posture in the 11" - the head and neck should be in a straight line. Although the 8" is obviously better than a 6.5" the picture shows the neck still bends up.

The most compact 11" wheel is the Wodent wheel senior - it's only about 7cm deep and about 30cm tall on its stand. You can also hang it upside down by slotting the bar through the top of the cage, putting 2 or 3 cable ties on and attaching the wheel to the stand once it is in place. What cage do you have? You would need 31cm to 32cm internal height for the wodent wheel to fit in.

This is the 27cm wodent wheel in an 80 x 50 cage. Our cage is 36cm internal height and the bigger 30cm wobust wheel fits (just!).

Just realised - it probably isn't the height that's the issue but you don't want to change her cage set up to fit a bigger wheel in, is that it? I'm sure she'd be ok with some small changes, especially if she gets a wodent wheel as a reward lol! Hamsters seem to love them and dive straight into the holes.

We have a large Syrian and the 27cm one wasn't quite big enough for him so I had to get the huge 30cm one. 27cm is about right for an average sized syrian, and it should be ok - but your hamster does look quite large, so the 28cm Trixie wheel might be better (or the 29cm Karlie Wonderland wheel). The Trixie wheel is easier to clean too. You'll need sandpaper and plastikote handy if you get the Karlie wheel! Some people have had issues with splinters and rough edges on them (including me lol).

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_..._wheels/174195

http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/small_..._wheels/125485

It's a pain when the wheel takes up so much cage space, but then it's the hamster's favourite toy!

xrrebeccaax · 09-28-2015, 02:25 PM

I did think she was a big girl! And it is actually the height I'm worried about! At the moment she's in a cage 53x32 4 storey cage. It's too small so I have bought a second hand book case to convert into a hamster cage. I thought a 30cm wheel would fit in one of the levels but now the book case has arrived it appears not! I will have to alter it a bit but I can make it work. Think I'll probably go for either the trixie or karlie wheel.

Would you recommend one over the other? I have plastikote ready for the cage anyway.

Wanna Hamster · 09-28-2015, 02:29 PM

Oh, Karlie hands down. It is a great wheel! It is super silent and smooth.

Pebbles82 · 09-28-2015, 02:32 PM

Tricky to recommend either. They are both good wheels. The Karlie wheel is nice and sturdy and is also virtually silent. The Trixie is also very popular - although I found it a bit lightweight for a large hamster - so probably the Karlie would be my recommendation - 29cm is good for a large hamster. It was fine for our syrian until it broke lol. I got him the Wobust wheel as a temporary replacement until a new Karlie one came and now he won't give it back lol.

While she is in the 4 storey cage, could you maybe have the 29cm wheel on the base of the cage with a shelf over it? It might mean having 3 storeys instead of 4, or having 4 storeys with some levels closer together, which might not be a bad thing.

xrrebeccaax · 09-28-2015, 02:39 PM

Thanks, I will go for the Karlie! I'll order it tomorrow.

Yes, the new wheel will easily fit in her current cage, it's the new cage that will need some tweaking!

Pebbles82 · 09-28-2015, 04:35 PM

I used some 100 grade and 240 grade sandpaper on my last one! The 100 sands the rough bits and the 240 makes it smooth as a baby's bottom. It only took me 10 minutes. It was mainly where the edges of the struts meet the front and back of the wheel, and a bit on the rear stand. And then the plastikote also adds a protective layer. You might be lucky and get one that doesn't need sanding though. She will love it. Although Charlie loves the Wobust now he has it, he had great fun in the Karlie wheel because it swings backwards and forwards when they stop running so he would sit and swing in it. Then sometimes he liked to jump out after a run and land in a big pile of soft substrate - so I always left a good bit of space in front of the wheel for him to have a nice soft landing. Then he'd lie there all pooped out as if he was sunbathing. So yes it's a good choice!

Do you have a photo of the cage - we might be able to interfere with creative ideas lol.

Scargirl · 09-30-2015, 01:31 PM

Hi! I have a syrian, scarlet, and she has a 7inch exercise ball. I hope this helps!

xrrebeccaax · 09-30-2015, 02:31 PM

Hi, sorry I've taken so long to reply! I've been thinking about it but still a little stuck.

I have attached a photo of what I am converting into a cage. Each level is approx 76x30cm, but the problem is the height is only 27cm, so I don't know how I am going to get a wheel in! Any creative ideas would greatly be appreciated.

I have thought about getting this rat wheel from ebay. It's 24cm so would fit in the cage, but I still don't know if it would be big enough, and I have tried to look at reviews online and can't find any so don't know if it would be any good quality.

Pennine 24cm Rat/Ferret Exercise Wheel Running Plastic 3007 | eBay

Let me know what you all think!