Some general questions on setting up a 29 Gallon Vivarium

[Kazten]

So I managed to pick up a 29 gallon aquarium (30" x 12" x 18"H) today on the cheap, and I'm planning on making it into a vivarium for an Asian forest scorpion (specifically a type native to Vietnam, but I'm not sure on the type of Heterometrus).

I know this is maybe overkill for meeting the needs of the scorpion, but I want to have a nice looking vivarium for my room while making sure I'm not sacrificing any of the scorp's needs.

So my questions were for my false bottom I'm planning on using Hydroballs (specifically zoo med if it matters), and an abg substrate, as I want this to be a bioactive vivarium. I'm curious to know if anyone can help me figure out about how much hydroballs/substrate I will need to properly fill a 30" x 12" space. I'm planning on making the substrate anywhere from 4-6" deep.

Also I was wondering what the best heating solution might be for my tank. I've heard mixed things about heating pads, but I am not sure if I will have enough room on top of the vivarium for a ceramic builb, as its placed underneath a cabinet to discourage my cat from breaking into the top.


Adding that I do not yet have the scorp, I wanted to make sure I was set and ready with proper tank before I pick one up. First time owner.

 

[Marvinxox]

You could use a heating pad on one side-panel of the enclosure (or on the back) and just have one side be heated and one be a bit cooler. The scorpion will adress his thermal needs by going to the places where the temperature fits his needs the best.
And regarding the drainage/substrate, you might want to have about an inch of each, so just calculate the volume your groundspace*an inch and voilá you have the volume of hydro-balls and substrate you need. But take about a quarter more of the substrate, as you might need it for scaping the terrarium.

Heterometrus sp. generally are quite hardy, so it will do fine as long as you provide him with hides and the appropriate temperature. But in an enclosure this large, it might happen that you barely ever see him, so you might consider getting a small group of them.

 

[Kazten]

But in an enclosure this large, it might happen that you barely ever see him, so you might consider getting a small group of them.

I've heard mixed things about setups for multiple scorpions, so I'm a bit worried. I'm not against it, I just don't want to mess up my first scorpion setup. Is there a rule of thumb for how many Heterometrus sp. per floor space?

 

[Marvinxox]

I've heard mixed things about setups for multiple scorpions, so I'm a bit worried. I'm not against it, I just don't want to mess up my first scorpion setup. Is there a rule of thumb for how many Heterometrus sp. per floor space?

Communals generally are possible with some species of scorpions and as far as I know, Heterometrus sp. are one of these species.
But I don´t know how dense you can keep them. Regarding this question, I would recommend that you ask in the "Scorpions"-section of this forum.