Question about substrate for desert terrarium

[Adiowns]

So I'm getting a terrarium in soon for a hadrurus spadix and was wondering how to mix and then apply a repti sand and excavator clay substrate. I do want to let my scorpion make it's own burrow but I'm afraid that the moisture in the mix of clay and sand may make it sick. So how exactly can I do this? All help is greatly appreciated, thanks

 

[loganhopeless]

What I do is get the sand wet, wring it out as best you can, and pack it in as tight as you can get it.. Then put the heat lamp over it and let it dry out for about a week just to be safe.. Then add your scorp! It can dig
it's own burrow and since it's packed it will hold it's structure perfectly!


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[Adiowns]

So should I only use sand or is mixing it with the excavator better?

 

[vespers]

is mixing it with the excavator better?

Yes, its much more stable.

 

[loganhopeless]

Yes, its much more stable.

I've always just used normal sand. If it's packed hard enough and doesn't get shaken around by picking up the terrarium it shouldn't collapse.


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[shebeen]

I use 85% play sand mixed with 15% excavator clay. The ratio doesn't have to be exact, anywhere from 10% to 20% excavator clay will yield a suitable substrate for tunneling. The more excavator clay and the harder you pack the damp substrate, the harder it will be when dried. You don't need the expensive repti sand. Any play sand from a home improvement or hardware store will work just fine. A 50 lbs bag costs about $4.

Greenjewls has a good video for setting up a Hadrurus enclosure: http://vimeo.com/74772099 . He uses Blue Death Feigning beetles for a clean up crew which is a neat idea. However, you may end up paying more for the beetles than for the scorpion. I don't use beetles and haven't had any problems with left over food items in my H. arizonensis enclosure. Any uneaten food just dries up and the scorp usually pushes it out to the surface where it can be removed with spot cleaning.

 

[vespers]

I've always just used normal sand. If it's packed hard enough and doesn't get shaken around by picking up the terrarium it shouldn't collapse.


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Its still not as stable long-term as mixing in excavator clay (or other clay soil, for that matter), and it more closely resembles the texture/friability/feel of the natural ground Hadrurus scorpions live on/in. I've kept a spadix and several arizonensis specimens in the past, and experimented with a few different substrates. Shebeen's mixture advice is spot on.