# Official H arizonensis thread



## pandinus (Jan 5, 2009)

Desert hairies seem to be the "in" scorpion right now, and there are numerous threads popping up left and right about them, so i decided to create a write up of the essentials needed for the desert hairy. this is also a thread for people to ask questions, so that there arent 500 desert hairy questions floating around. so here are some basic facts, and feel free to ask any questions after reading


H. arizonensis is a member of the Caraboctinidae family (moved recently from family Iuridae). It is native to the south western United states including Arizona(duh) Nevada, Utah, and southern california, as well as extending down into mexico. As the common name suggests, this is a xeric scorpion which lives in desert regions in its habitat. while rare on sand dunes it is found in the wild under logs and rocks occasionally, but is typically found in deep burrows which can be in excess of over a foot. this is the largest species of scorpion found in the United states, and is known to reach lengths of up to 14cm(5.5 in). though not particularly toxic and not considered dangerous to a healthy human, the sting is considered to be very painful though as stated not medically significant. The desert hairy is a slow growing scorpion, and has possibly the longest lifespan of any scorpions some specimens having been recorded as living for 25 years. typically these are very defensive scorpions that will sting readily, and according to some literature an excessively irritated specimen is able to spray venom from its acueles, though many experts are somewhat doubtful and this is at the very least an incredibly rare occurence. living in dry arid conditions, this scorpion does not tolerate high humidity, and is highly susceptable to mycosis infections. they are very active scorpions that often intricate burrows and regularly alter and excavate like little bulldozers. while not absolutely mandatory, this is one scorpion that benefits from a larger enclosure, and is much more likely to use the extra space. the author has had the best luck with these scorpions in a 10 gallon tank though many use 5 gallons. in any case, a deep substrate should be provided to allow the scorpion to burrow properly. a good depth is 6-8" of substrate, though the scorpion will go as deep as you let it so feel free to use more. the substrate needs to be able to support burrows without collapsing. several substrates ore used to achieve this stability. the author personaly uses excavator substrate by zoo-med with good success. others recommend packing wet sand tightly, and still others reccomend mixtures of sand and soil or peatmoss packed down tightly. the key to using any substrate is to wet it first and pack it down tightly so it compresses together, but you must be absoultey 100% sure that the substrate is completely dry before introducing the scorpion. these scorpions do well at temperatures between 75-85F, and as with all scorpions, if using a heat mat, never place on the bottom of the enclosure as the scorpion burrows down to escape heat and so will do harm to itself if the heat is placed on the bottom of the tank. water dishes are typically neither required or used, and the scorpion will get the moisture it needs from its food. these scorpions are typically considered to be very aggressive to conspecifics, and are highly cannibalistic by nature. in the wild they are solitary, coming together only to mate. for this reason it is highly reccomended that this species not be kept communaly as the majority of cases where this has been attempted have ended in tragedy. breeding H arizonensis in captivity is a very difficult thing to do. since the adults are very aggressive, many times mating attempts turn ugly. in addition, female desert hairies are particularly notorious for eating their newborns at the slightest disturbance, or sometimes for seemingly no reason at all. another problem that arises is the fact that young desert hairies often times have difficulty molting in captivity, and often times failed molting is fatal. this no doubt is related to the dry well ventilated needs of the desert hairy coming into conflict with the requirement of increased humidity needed for young scorplings to moult properly, and finding the perfect balance has proved to be exceedingly difficult to hobbyists. in addition to a deep substrate, hides should also be provided and the desert hairy will often times begin its burrow underneath a hide, especially if the hide itself is also partially burried. some desert hairies can be persuaded to adopt a pre burrow made by the hobbyist against the glass to encourage the scorpion to burrow alongside the glass so that it is visible at all times.


john


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## GartenSpinnen (Jan 5, 2009)

One of my favorites, and i think you hit everything pretty well, however i would just like to state a couple things i have noticed from keeping this species...

1.) They seem to be more active during cooler periods when it is dark. Usually mine is out strolling around when its around 70 F or so. Also will go into periods where it closes itself off in its burrow not coming out for quite some time. 

2.) From what i have heard from people i know that have bred them is they are not so difficult to breed, but the babies rarely make it past 2I (due to molt issues like you stated above). I would like to test things out a bit and breed 2 pairs, keeping some of the slings in a well ventilated but slightly more humid conditions, and then the others in dry ventilated conditions and see which do better. I have a hunch there is a reason why they go so deep in the ground when they burrow, perhaps the conditions deep underground are what the babies need to properly molt? Just a thought. Too bad we cant find a gravid female in the wild and record the conditions!

Anyways, thanks for the informative read .

-Nate


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## Lucozade3000 (Jan 5, 2009)

Pretty good overview, Bravo!


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## tryme (Jan 5, 2009)

Good thread.


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## deserthairy (Jan 5, 2009)

From a scientific stand point, since there is so much emphasis placed on types of substates, what would happen if they were placed on pure playsand that was never wettened and packed down? (With just a hide) Shorter life span, too much stress? Interesting to hear what the difference would be.

Would be hard to do any kind of test, as far as life span, since all I ever see are wild caught, and no telling how old they are when captured.


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## deserthairy (Jan 5, 2009)

I personally know quite a few people that just pour in sand, toss in a hide, and put the hairy in, and they seem to live fine, with never having to worry about collapsed borrows, not seeing them for long periods of time, etc. Maybe I can tell them of any drawbacks, and help them out.


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## deserthairy (Jan 5, 2009)

"but is typically found in deep burrows which can be in excess of over a foot"

Have heard of being in burrows from 12-25 feet deep. (of'course I "hear" alot of things)


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## Widowman10 (Jan 5, 2009)

deserthairy said:


> Have heard of being in burrows from 12-25 feet deep.


i doubt a 4" scorp needs a burrow that is 75 times as long as it is. that's a long driveway!  or is that like a person using a bed that is 450 feet long?!


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## deserthairy (Jan 5, 2009)

Good one widowman!  Not sure, but did see that online somewhere once, but like we know, your subject to see anything online!


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## tryme (Jan 5, 2009)

As this is a specific thread for hairies. I just want to know when you put play sand in should I wet the bottom say 3-4 layers of play sand and then just rest some more inches on top? I know your meant to do it but not sure how, I think i'm on the right lines?


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## drummindan2007 (Jan 5, 2009)

I usually mix sand with excavator or a similar substance with water. I then form it and pack it down the way I want it and let it dry over a day or two. To speed up the process I usually place a heat lamp or two over it to dry it out faster. It really doesn't matter how much water you put in, as long as it is all dry before you introduce the scorp.


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## Widowman10 (Jan 5, 2009)

dan, that is what i do too. mix it, wet it, pack it, heat it, dry it. we don't want mycosis


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## tryme (Jan 5, 2009)

How does mycosis occur?


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## drummindan2007 (Jan 5, 2009)

To put it simply, mycosis is a fungus that desert scorps can get when they are kept in to moist or humid conditions. It usually forms on the joints and appendages of the scorp looking like small black spots. A lot of the time this will cause the scorps limbs to fall off, and eventually lead to its death.


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## tryme (Jan 5, 2009)

I have seen it just wasn't sure how it happened. Thanks


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## calum (Jan 5, 2009)

very good write-up john


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## pandinus (Jan 5, 2009)

deserthairy said:


> From a scientific stand point, since there is so much emphasis placed on types of substates, what would happen if they were placed on pure playsand that was never wettened and packed down? (With just a hide) Shorter life span, too much stress? Interesting to hear what the difference would be


it would be very similar concept to having a cobalt tarantula on a loose shallow substrate, or keeping an arboreal animal in a short container. these animals dig, they burrow its what they are built to do. they are not quite as bad as the pet hole tarantulas that never come out, but these animals still love to dig deep burrows. will the scorpion die if not set up this way and placed on loose sand? no probably not, but you will notice that desert hairies are very seldom found in sand dune areas, simply put because they dont care for them. the inability to create a subterrainian dwelling will create stress for the animal, but as to wether or not this stress will lead to an early death, whose to say for sure. people can do whatever they want with their scorpions but if you choose to keep one on loose sand that cannot support burrowing, be aware that you are depriving the animal of a major part of its natural behavior, as well as causing it stress. the real question is that if its not difficult to create the environment that is the best for your animal, then why wouldnt you want to?


John

Reactions: Like 1


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## pandinus (Jan 5, 2009)

deserthairy said:


> "but is typically found in deep burrows which can be in excess of over a foot"
> 
> Have heard of being in burrows from 12-25 feet deep. (of'course I "hear" alot of things)


i vaguely recall a record of a burrow that was 5 feet deep and possibly ones of this depth, but could not recall for certain so i picked a safe number


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## T.ass-mephisto (Jan 6, 2009)

wow great thread! i think this is sticky worthy myself.

Reactions: Like 1


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## deserthairy (Jan 6, 2009)

just looked through some places I saw diff. depths. Most said 8', one said 20'
at bugguide. Just didn't want anyone to think I went off the deep end. Not that it's true, just an example of the info out there.
http://bugguide.net/node/view/16665

While searching, did see some H.A. info from 2004 from fusion121 from arachnoboard. Was interseting in the moisture section,in that I had never heard of a layer of vermiculite, used under a layer of sand.
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showpost.php?p=275373&postcount=7


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## deserthairy (Jan 6, 2009)

pandinus said:


> it would be very similar concept to having a cobalt tarantula on a loose shallow substrate, or keeping an arboreal animal in a short container. these animals dig, they burrow its what they are built to do. they are not quite as bad as the pet hole tarantulas that never come out, but these animals still love to dig deep burrows. will the scorpion die if not set up this way and placed on loose sand? no probably not, but you will notice that desert hairies are very seldom found in sand dune areas, simply put because they dont care for them. the inability to create a subterrainian dwelling will create stress for the animal, but as to wether or not this stress will lead to an early death, whose to say for sure. people can do whatever they want with their scorpions but if you choose to keep one on loose sand that cannot support burrowing, be aware that you are depriving the animal of a major part of its natural behavior, as well as causing it stress. the real question is that if its not difficult to create the environment that is the best for your animal, then why wouldnt you want to?
> 
> 
> John


Thank you John! Wanted to arm myself with a few facts, incase I should try to convice any of the people I know, that just use pure, unwettened sand. Going to print this out just incase, it can help the scorps have a better life.


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## ~Abyss~ (Jan 6, 2009)

John would you mind if I put this up on SF? With credit towards you of course. Or if you have an account you can put it up.
-Eddy

Reactions: Like 1


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## pandinus (Jan 6, 2009)

~Abyss~ said:


> John would you mind if I put this up on SF? With credit towards you of course. Or if you have an account you can put it up.
> -Eddy


go for it. i havent gotten around to signing up yet, but i will when i get more time. in the meantime, feel free


John


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## tryme (Jan 6, 2009)

I've moisted and patted down about 3-4 inches of play sand and was going to let that dry properly then put some loose sand on top. Does this sound ok?


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## deserthairy (Jan 6, 2009)

Don't think so tryme.  Will prob. not hold up for burrowing. Might have to add something to it. You can do a search here, and there are tons of "formulas" people use.


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## tryme (Jan 6, 2009)

Will can somebody post their ideas?


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## CID143ti (Jan 6, 2009)

tryme,

what I typically do with this species is pace several large rocks/ cork bark pieces on the bottom of the container and pour in about 6 inches of said/soil (good ole central Texas dirt...I guess is mostly clay) and soak it.  To the point water is standing.  Then, I shake the container until the soil packs and put some heat lamps on it to dry.  This really packs in the dirt.  To the point it is almost hard to the touch.  I will place a couple of hides on the top once dry then let the scorpions go.  With in a couple or three night I have several burrows to the bottom of the tank.  Heavily packed sand will hold up for a while but burrows start to fall apart overtime since these guys are so active.  You might want to find something to add to the soil.  I've tried peat but I really don't like it.  It separates to easily for my taste.

W. Smith


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## tryme (Jan 6, 2009)

Ok well i'm a bit stuck then for the time being


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## drummindan2007 (Jan 6, 2009)

What I have found works best is to buy excavator that they sell in pet shops. It is like a dollar a pound. I usually mix half sand / excavator with water and form/pack it the way I want it. Usually about 6-8 inches worth for H. arizonesis. Put a heat lamp over it and let it sit for a day or two.


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## pandinus (Jan 6, 2009)

tryme said:


> Ok well i'm a bit stuck then for the time being


it can take a bit of work to set up, but in the long run its better, and i promise you youll be happier with it. i would just use a 70/30 mix of sand and additive free soil, burry some wood and hides, pack down about 6-8 inches as hard as you can, dont really worry about sprinkling any loose sand on top, it should feel pretty hard, and like he said a heat lamp will definitely quicken your drying time


John


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## ~Abyss~ (Jan 6, 2009)

pandinus said:


> go for it. i havent gotten around to signing up yet, but i will when i get more time. in the meantime, feel free
> 
> 
> John


Thanks it'll be up by tonight.


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## tryme (Jan 6, 2009)

Additive free soil such as topsoil?


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## pandinus (Jan 6, 2009)

tryme said:


> Additive free soil such as topsoil?


that's one option as long as it contains no fertilizers or chemicals. another option is a clay based soil or good ol fashioned peatmoss


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## tryme (Jan 7, 2009)

I'll see if I can find peat moss but I know 100% I can get topsoil. So 70% sand 30% soil of some sort?


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## drummindan2007 (Jan 7, 2009)

honestly it really doesn't matter what you put on top of the sand. Basically, just make sure you have at least 6 inches of packed down hard sand so that they can dig some sort of burrow. what ever loose substrate you put on top will surely be pushed around until they can dig a solid burrow.


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## pandinus (Jan 7, 2009)

tryme said:


> I'll see if I can find peat moss but I know 100% I can get topsoil. So 70% sand 30% soil of some sort?


that sounds fine. just make sure its 150% dry all the way through before you drop the scorp in.



John


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## tryme (Jan 7, 2009)

Ok will do thanks for the help guys.


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## deserthairy (Jan 13, 2009)

Always try to learn something everyday. Trying to learn more about the Sonoran desert, since hairies are there. I assume that they would be found in different subdivisions throughout the 100,000 sq. miles, than just the most driest of areas. Was really wanting to check the weather where most would be, out of curiosity, but it's so vast, and diverse. Interesting website regardless.
http://www.desertmuseum.org/desert/sonora.php#nadeserts


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## tryme (Jan 15, 2009)

Would it be possible for somebody to post up male and female pics of desert hairies? (I know you sex them by the "wing" looking things on the under side).


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## pandinus (Jan 15, 2009)

tryme said:


> Would it be possible for somebody to post up male and female pics of desert hairies? (I know you sex them by the "wing" looking things on the under side).


you are reffering to pectines. on many scorpions it is not nearly as easy as it is in emperors, and often times you have to count each tooth on the pectine in order to detrmine sex. i cant remember what the count is for HA's at the momment, but i'll have a look around and see what i can turn up. in the meantime i would suggest you try doing a search for "sexing hadrurus"


john


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## deserthairy (Jan 28, 2009)

Just how bad do Hadrurus hate moisture? I read that they follow the moisture line when burrowing, read along time ago that drops of moisture could be found in their burrows, "often deep underground---where the moisture is higher", and most in the wild have mycosis. So is mycosis just part of being a wild Arizonensis, and they really would prefer higher humidity? 

Still learning all I can, to get this sub-adult through it's next molt (spadix), and to me it seems they would need a moisture variation, of sorts. Hear that they can handle higher humidity than an arizonensis, wonder if there is any truth to that, too.

Edit: keep seeing they prefer moisture when seaching just this morning.

"As with all of my Haddies, the male left his burrow on the dry side of the enclosure and quickly excavated a burrow in the saturated soil and within the hour was resting contentedly in his terminal chamber with 1-2 mm of warm water covering the floor. This was around 9:30 AM EST and he's still in their relaxing. After this side (actually, the substrate along the front forward-facing enclosure wall) completely dries, I'll saturate another area and he (like the rest) will abandon his dry burrow and excavate a new one in the saturated substrate. They've been doing this for a bit over a year - no cases of mycoidal infections, no adverse reactions to wet substrate (%RH 55-65 with unrestricted airflow - no lids) and they're all doing great! "

I have to figure that if it wants more moisture, it will go to it, and if not, it has enough range to be in dry/low humidity. So as far as I'm concerned, it's all up to it, regardless.


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## tryme (Mar 16, 2009)

just to get this thread going again...could you guys give a rough estimate of how deep YOUR hairys burrow


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## dairy (Mar 17, 2009)

While we're bumping this thread...

I've seen a lot of individual wild caught specimens pass through my LPS. More often than not I can see small black dots on the scorp which to my inexperienced eyes looks like mycosis. I've seen it on all areas of the scorps, including, but not limited to, around joints. I can't quote my source but I'm sure I've read that it's quite common in WC specimens. 

Is it reasonable to say that mild mycosis, while unsightly, is not a threat to the scorps overall well being?


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## tryme (Mar 18, 2009)

lucky for me my hairy is WC but no black dots which is a good sign i guess.


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## tryme (Mar 21, 2009)

any set up pics ?


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## tryme (Mar 26, 2009)

any set up pics guys?


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## Gracilis (Mar 26, 2009)

this is my set up at the moment... during the night she likes to chill out in the skull... this morning she crawled out the eye socket... looked pretty awesome...
the temp was just under 80.. and that was in the evening when i took these...
i got the skull at a pet store.. (no its not real)


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## pnshmntMMA (Mar 26, 2009)

thanks for the post pandinus, im thinking of getting another species of scorpion, one that i can just have in my room and not worry about misting and daily maintanence. i have a tarantula that i just toss some crickets adn water and its perfectly happy. is desert hairy a good choice?


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## davidbarber1 (Mar 27, 2009)

pnshmntMMA said:


> thanks for the post pandinus, im thinking of getting another species of scorpion, one that i can just have in my room and not worry about misting and daily maintanence. i have a tarantula that i just toss some crickets adn water and its perfectly happy. is desert hairy a good choice?


Hadrurus arizonensis is a GREAT choice.

David


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## Gracilis (Mar 27, 2009)

I think im gonna try to pack that sand down....... i noticed she has been burrowing but since the sand is loose it wont hold...


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## tryme (Mar 30, 2009)

great pics your scorp is one big mumma! lol

desert hairy was my first scorp and never looked back. I think if people choose emps then they always want something a lil "cooler" so in a way your just jumping that emp stage  not that they aren't great scorps!


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## Gracilis (Mar 30, 2009)

ah yeah! i love Arizona hairys, its not just wanting a "cool" scorpion.. i really enjoy the way they look.. to most collectors its simple and plenty but its the basics that always satisfy me


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## codykrr (Mar 30, 2009)

i have a question for you guys. ok im getting some baby dessert hairies, and i have heard they often have molting problems. any one have any tips on how to raise some from babies? or should i just mist one corner of the tank to be safe....and yes i know they like it dry! but only for molting/survival purposes


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## pandinus (Mar 30, 2009)

codykrr said:


> i have a question for you guys. ok im getting some baby dessert hairies, and i have heard they often have molting problems. any one have any tips on how to raise some from babies? or should i just mist one corner of the tank to be safe....and yes i know they like it dry! but only for molting/survival purposes


itsoften been recomended to offer several hides, and mist lightly under one to provide isolated humidity. make sure you have very good ventilation BTW so that the air is not stagnant and moist, just the single patch of substrate. i have yet to see a specimen of this species CB or WC  as an adult that did not have mycosis



John


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## Unfamiliar (Mar 30, 2009)

I thought my baby HA was preparing to moult so I put in a single sprig of damp moss under a piece of wood, seemed to like it but never moulted, needs changing all the time though.


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## Gracilis (Apr 5, 2009)

can we make this a sticky?


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## tryme (Apr 6, 2009)

I Agree


bump


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## Gracilis (Apr 9, 2009)

so is that a no or what?:wall:


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## pandinus (Apr 9, 2009)

if you want a thread to be a sticky, PM a moderator and suggest it. they are too busy to skim through each thread to see if someone wants to make it a sticky. you can post in a thread that you think it should be a sticky a hundred times and it wont do anything.



John


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## Gracilis (Apr 9, 2009)

beautiful.


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## codykrr (Apr 21, 2009)

hello again. hey guys i was just wondering your opinions on what sand color should i use to make my HA "pop" also im planing on using that excavator sand. anyone know what other colors may be avalible other than red?


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## Gracilis (Apr 22, 2009)

I use black desert sand....mixed in with some other stuff....


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## codykrr (Apr 22, 2009)

dang!!!....i went to the lps and wow....that excavator sand is out rageous.....15 bucks for 10 pounds...which wouldnt be near enough to fill a larg kk to the desired depth i wanted....also still only had red...any other advice on some good burrowing substrate mixtures....i have a 100lb bag of play sand....but what should i use to give it more stability for burrowing....


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## deserthairy (Apr 23, 2009)

I mix my play sand with peat moss at 30 %/70 % sand. Wet it, pack it, and let it dry out 100%, and their good to go.


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## tryme (May 15, 2009)

^ same as me.

I want to see more set up pics


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## pandinus (May 16, 2009)

the excavator clay only comes in red. its 15 bucks here too, but a bag of reptisand here is like 17 bucks so i dont mind so much. its all a matter of how much is it worth to you. personally i think one bag mixed with playsand would be more than enough to fill any KK.



John


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## codykrr (May 16, 2009)

ok well, i ended up using playsand and potting soil. turned out good. ill post apic in a bit.


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## codykrr (May 16, 2009)

ok, well this took almost a week to dry but here is the finished project. also this mixture worked well. its nowvery compact. 

View attachment 78075


View attachment 78076


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## codykrr (May 16, 2009)

andby the way. the scorp took striaght to the log/burrow entrance and has now dug it all out. aso do you think 8 inches of sub is good enough? and yes those are real cacti.


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## Goomba (May 16, 2009)

8 will be good since he's in captivity and all. Much better than most people's purple childrens sand. I really like how your cage turned out. If it really holds burrows that well, that's what I shall use for my H. a. pallidus. Thanks for the pics!


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## Gracilis (May 17, 2009)

good stuff man!! nice to see people using the "Official H.arizonensis thread" lol. if that soil doesnt work out let me know and i can get you excavator clay stuff cheaper than pet stores get it...


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## tryme (May 17, 2009)

codykrr I did the  same thing. What ratio of sand:soil did you do? I did 70% sand and 30% soil I think. Mine turnt out looking alot darker than yours.


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## codykrr (May 18, 2009)

well i probly used about 40% soil and 50% sand with maybe 10% peat moss(i started with peat and a huge dust cloud came out so i said screw that and got the soil) i baked all the soil before adding it also. so far s/he is loving it. but has yet to really "tunnel" so i will give it a few more days and see how it holds up.  i may add i bought the cheapest nastiest soil i could find(on purpose) becausemost of the times it has chunks of clay, wood chips, sticks. and its always 1 dollar at the dollar store. and i figured that may help with burrows. but if this doesnt work im going to get some excavtor clay and break down and spend the money.


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## Ritzman (May 18, 2009)

Has anybody ever tried the clay that you find in river beds? Mix it with sand and some soil. Or just strictly the clay. Surely it won't be to hard to burrow in. I wonder if that would be a good burrowing substrate.
I don't wanna pay the $ for that excavator clay stuff.


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## codykrr (May 18, 2009)

you can mix bentonite with play sand   at a ratio of either

1 part fine gravel, 1 part bentonite, 12 to 15 parts play sand

5parts soil,  10 parts sand,  1 part bentonite

or just 2 parts bentonite,  10 to 12 parts sand.

bentonite is an aluminum silicate clay that pot makers use as a binding agent. it can be found at most arts and crafts stores like micheals and hobby lobby...ect..ect.  do notuse to much as it can wear down he exo of scorps...a little goes a long way!  also i may add that this is only rough estimants at best, find what works best for you.


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## Ritzman (May 18, 2009)

Cody I take it this stuff comes in a powder form?
What would it be labeled as, at Michaels? 
Bentonite or aluminum silicate clay?

Thanks alot for the info man, much appreciated.


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## DireWolf0384 (May 18, 2009)

I seriously want one of these! I have seen so many pics here and they look so impressive and are actually found here in the US!


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## codykrr (May 18, 2009)

ritz...im not sure....i know its a powder....but i dont even know for 100% that micheal has it. i havent looked yet. i figure they should since there an "all round" craft store just look for bentonite or aluminum silicate clay. there is more info in the "scorpions" book by barrons.(which is where  my source of info on the stuff comes from

and if you want one....see if loudog can get you one. he is a great guy and thats where i got mine from.


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## codykrr (May 18, 2009)

any one else have any more setup pics? id like to see more of them honestly.


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## codykrr (May 18, 2009)

ok so last night, i did an experiment with my H. A.  now i know they dont need humidity, but thats not what i was trying for. but i did put a water dish in its enclosure to see if it would drink. nowi know alot of people claim they get all the moisture from crickets and roaches they eat but...right after it ate a roach, it went directly to the water dish and drank for an hour or so. i removed the water dish after it was done, and i plan on leaving it out, but i think it may be a good idea to offer one once in a while anyway. what do you guys think? oh and also sometimes ive observed it what i thought was drinking water droplets off of the cacti after i watered them( i use a syringe to water them by directly squirting water into the dirt/sand next to the cacti, so there isnt alot of moisture)


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## Giantsfan24 (May 18, 2009)

We need PICS for this thread. Come on guys. DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## pandinus (May 18, 2009)

its not a good idea to leave the water dish out if you offer it, as even just the ambient moisture with that of the waterdish on top is enough in some cases to cause mycosis. if you offer it, then take it out after the scorpion is done using it.


John


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## codykrr (May 18, 2009)

yeah thats what i did!...... i know about mycosis being from humidity, but i also know some say they dont even need to drink..and let me tell you s/he drank for an hour. but after that i took the dish out its not even near the cage. im more worried the 20cc of water i give each cacti (theres 2) would cause mycosis more than anything though. i try to avoid the spead of watery soil/sand by insertingthe syringe into the roots of the cacti and squirting a very little amount of water directly under each cacti.


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## codykrr (May 19, 2009)

ok well here is my contributions. s/he is still small. about 4 inches.

View attachment 78110


View attachment 78111


View attachment 78112


View attachment 78113


View attachment 78114


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## Loudog760 (May 19, 2009)

Nice glad to see that little guys is doing well!


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## Jorpion (May 19, 2009)

codykrr said:


> any one else have any more setup pics? id like to see more of them honestly.


My H. arizon setup is the bottom right tank (there are 2 males living in a 20-gallon long.). Mix of Excavator sand, regular sand and some walnut shells. Topped off with approx 8 pounds of lightweight red volcanic rock for hide support. Substrate is approx 5-7 inches in depth. However, both scorps are constantly re-terraforming the tank. The tank varies from week to week. I haven't touched it in a year.







One male with an attitude:


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## Treynok (May 19, 2009)

*Enclosure*






[/IMG]






[/IMG]







It is currently empty, I am planning to purchase one online here once the tank is ready, and am hoping this enclosure is adequate, I packed it tightly with river sand and top soil mixture, couldn't find excavator clay.  It seems like it packed really well, will check it again when dried any comments are accepted, he currently has about 6-7 inches of substrate to dig in, I would give more / use a bigger tank but my space is limited.  Also if i can find excavator clay I will most probably add it in and stretch the prep time out a bit, not in a rush, so that would make it even deeper til finished.


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## codykrr (May 19, 2009)

yeah, thanks again louis! one of the most fascinating scorps i own. and the others i bought are super fast. but im leaning more toward them being a vajovis species....not sure which oneyet butill post some pics of them soon enough as well.


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## Loudog760 (May 19, 2009)

Yeah no problem. I thought they might of been vajovis sp as well. Have you had any molts? I still have 5 adult I'm trying to get sold or traded.


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## codykrr (May 25, 2009)

can someone please explain how to sex an H.A.? do you have to count pectines?


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## Gracilis (Jun 12, 2009)

*Temp for Desert Hairy..*

does anyone leave their heat lamps on over night? i usually have one side of the tank with the lamp around 85-90 and i turn it off once it gets dark out. but i was wondering if any of you leave yours on all night? only one side of the tank is heated by the lamp...


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## H. laoticus (Jun 12, 2009)

I was recently at Michaels looking for Bentonite or aluminum silicate clay and I didn't find any.  They have modeling clay though, which I did buy and am trying out right now.  Will let you guys know if it works.


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## H. laoticus (Jun 12, 2009)

codykrr said:


> can someone please explain how to sex an H.A.? do you have to count pectines?


http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p9/ead063/Misc/2.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p9/ead063/Misc/1.jpg

courtesy of EAD from TheVenomList


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## tryme (Jun 12, 2009)

those pics look so similar to me can somebody point out what the difference is?


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## Selket (Jul 14, 2009)

Would the natural humidity of my location affect this scorp much? I live in Northern Michigan and it gets pretty humid here in the summer, and would this have any severe effects on a desert hairy?


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## pandinus (Jul 14, 2009)

Selket said:


> Would the natural humidity of my location affect this scorp much? I live in Northern Michigan and it gets pretty humid here in the summer, and would this have any severe effects on a desert hairy?


ive known people down in arkansas who had problems keeping this species due to the high humidity down there. but unless you are keeping it outside, i dont see any reason why you couldnt put it in a room with a dehumidifier to help reduce the ambient humidity of the room



John


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## Animalia (Jul 31, 2009)

Hello, i was thinking about getting a hairy i was wondering could i use a mixture of like red clay (like they use for putting houses on) with a mixture of sand ??? do you think that would hold up ? (wanting him to be able to burrow)

and how does the getting the soil wet then baking it work ??


thanks for the help


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## snappleWhiteTea (Jul 31, 2009)

the ones i have make there enclosure look like an ant farm lol


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## Animalia (Jul 31, 2009)

and what humidity do you guys keep your hairys at ?


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## Gracilis (Jul 31, 2009)

animalia said:


> and what humidity do you guys keep your hairys at ?


well i have a heat lamp on and that kills almost all the humidity.... the more dry... the better


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## Exo (Jul 31, 2009)

coffimjoe66 said:


> well i have a heat lamp on and that kills almost all the humidity.... the more dry... the better


I keep mine with a false bottom to provide some moisture. I also use a lamp, so it ends up being bone dry on the surface and slightly moist on the bottom. Works great.


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## Animalia (Jul 31, 2009)

Exo said:


> I keep mine with a false bottom to provide some moisture. I also use a lamp, so it ends up being bone dry on the surface and slightly moist on the bottom. Works great.


didnt think about doing that :wall: <---- me, thanks for the idea tho :worship:


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## pandinus (Aug 1, 2009)

the clay would be a great idea. just be careful not to pack it too tightly or it will be hard for the scorpion to dig in. i would use 70%sand and 30% clay and would keep them bone dry but have a spot that you mist very lightly



John


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## Animalia (Aug 1, 2009)

pandinus said:


> the clay would be a great idea. just be careful not to pack it too tightly or it will be hard for the scorpion to dig in. i would use 70%sand and 30% clay and would keep them bone dry but have a spot that you mist very lightly
> 
> 
> 
> John


Ok, thank you oh when you mist normally howmuch do you mist for desert species?


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## H. laoticus (Aug 1, 2009)

pandinus said:


> the clay would be a great idea. just be careful not to pack it too tightly or it will be hard for the scorpion to dig in. i would use 70%sand and 30% clay and would keep them bone dry but have a spot that you mist very lightly
> 
> 
> 
> John


This is extremely true lol
They say pack it down, but you really don't want to do that w/ a clay mixture.  It gets very very hard, had to redo mine by breaking up the mixture w/ a screw driver haha
So you don't want to screw it up because just adding water won't help you get an easy fix either...It gets a little mushy on top but it's so compact that the water can't even seep through.  You literally have to smash the substrate bit by bit and add water little by little to loosen it up.  
What a pain!


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## snappleWhiteTea (Aug 28, 2009)

Widowman10 said:


> i doubt a 4" scorp needs a burrow that is 75 times as long as it is. that's a long driveway!  or is that like a person using a bed that is 450 feet long?!


i heard they use nonactive rodent burrows, so its possible


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## Gracilis (Aug 28, 2009)

dont they dig them deep and narrow so they can regulate humidity?


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## Selket (Sep 8, 2009)

One of my desert hairys made a nice burrow all along the side of its tank so you could see it. Now when I checked on it, the entrance is completely closed, and the whole tunnel to where its "main chamber" was is filled with sand, it doesn't even look like there was a tunnel there. you can see in the "main chamber" but it is empty, and I think it dug another way, but that tunnel is also completely filled with sand. And I have no idea where it is now.
Is this normal where they block all old tunnels and just keep burrowing? 

My other one, hasn't even bothered with burrowing. He just hangs out under his hide.


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## DireWolf0384 (Sep 9, 2009)

Would it be BAD to use Peat Moss for substrate? Its what I use for the rest of my scorps. Seems to work for them.Please don't jump all over me. I'm a newb with Desert Hairy's. :8o :?


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## Gracilis (Sep 9, 2009)

I dunno about it being "bad" but it wouldn't be recommended... just get a brick of coco fiber and some play sand and it'll be peachy....wont spend more than 8 bucks...


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## Sunset (Sep 9, 2009)

I keep about 15 of theses guys together, and they don't fight or eat each other. and the reason why they dig a hole so dip is to get out of the heat. the deserts get up to 126F. They all have there little holes to hide in. And I think I have a preg female i caught. But I'm not sure.


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## Sunset (Sep 9, 2009)

i have one that the body is all black and everything else is the same color as the normal ones.


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## DireWolf0384 (Sep 9, 2009)

Gracilis said:


> I dunno about it being "bad" but it wouldn't be recommended... just get a brick of coco fiber and some play sand and it'll be peachy....wont spend more than 8 bucks...


Do I have to mix the two? Could the sand be good enough without the Coco Fiber? All I can find on Petsmart.com is "Coco Husk" I really don't have time to shop all over town for the two things. I need to buy em both at the same place.:?


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## bigdog999 (Sep 9, 2009)

I use straight sand for my H. Spadix and he's fine with it.

offroads537, are you sure that one isn't a H. Spadix.


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## Gracilis (Sep 9, 2009)

DireWolf0384 said:


> Do I have to mix the two? Could the sand be good enough without the Coco Fiber? All I can find on Petsmart.com is "Coco Husk" I really don't have time to shop all over town for the two things. I need to buy em both at the same place.:?


yea you could just use sand... From what ive read... you never really find a Desert Hairy in sand.. mostly around rocky soil in cactus skeletons.. if you browse the first few pages of this thread you'll see different input...


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## Gracilis (Sep 9, 2009)

offroad537 said:


> i have one that the body is all black and everything else is the same color as the normal ones.


That would be H.Spadix


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## DireWolf0384 (Sep 9, 2009)

I just bought some Zoo Med Repti Sand. Says on the bag it works great with Scorpions and Tarantulas. It was $5.99 but I did not want to buy a huge bag of play sand. :?


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## Gundum151 (Oct 30, 2009)

drummindan2007 said:


> To put it simply, mycosis is a fungus that desert scorps can get when they are kept in to moist or humid conditions. It usually forms on the joints and appendages of the scorp looking like small black spots. A lot of the time this will cause the scorps limbs to fall off, and eventually lead to its death.


ye my male definatly has that on one of his pectines, hes had it since i got him attempted a breeding with the girl last night she literaly got pisst off and started slamming her tail down when he walked away and i dont mean like lil taps i mean she would like jump her back end up and swing it downonto the sand they seem to use noise made with their tales to communicate somehow ( my observations) it was a great spectacle to see tho in the end they lost interest after about an hour and male was removed , also someone said they are an aggressive scorpion , they can be but i got a male and a female and they are perfect gentleman/ladies and "tame" very nice hand pets female only stung me last night cause she was all madd no scorp love for her
Josh


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## thumpersalley (Oct 30, 2009)

deserthairy said:


> From a scientific stand point, since there is so much emphasis placed on types of substates, what would happen if they were placed on pure playsand that was never wettened and packed down? (With just a hide) Shorter life span, too much stress? Interesting to hear what the difference would be.
> 
> Would be hard to do any kind of test, as far as life span, since all I ever see are wild caught, and no telling how old they are when captured.



I have taken my enclosure & placed a board inside with numerous wood pieces screwed to it from the underside. They are placed in such a way that there are hollows & burrows under it. I use river loam for my scorpions & my arizonensis. He burrows under them & relandscapes every night. Hes always in a new hide that he made. Kim


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## Sunset (Nov 21, 2009)

the desert hairy and the desert dune are close together right. I couldn't never tell the difference between them I had to look at pictures of the dune and the desert hairy to tell the difference. I thought I has some desert hairys to trade and that's the name i used but at the end i found out that they were desert dune.

One of my dune Sp just gave birth to babies. I would upload a picture but I already post it in different thread and i guess you cant post it twice. does anyone know if there is a care thread on the desert dune.


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## Hentzi (Nov 22, 2009)

The Hadrurus and Smeringurus are very easy to tell apart theirs a huge difference in them for 1 the Smeringurus has a slender tail and is straw yellow color, unlike the Hadrurus which has a meaner tail and is a caramel color apart from the pallidus morph, also body structure is completely different.


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## rasputin (Nov 22, 2009)

Yes, even Hellen Keller can identify the two species.


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## DireWolf0384 (Nov 22, 2009)

rasputin said:


> Yes, even Hellen Keller can identify the two species.


Jerks like you make me wish I was not even in this hobby.


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## Gracilis (Nov 22, 2009)

LOL gotta love elitist mentality


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## DireWolf0384 (Nov 23, 2009)

Gracilis said:


> LOL gotta love elitist mentality



Its not needed here trust me. From time to time we will get newb and newb like questions.


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## Malystryx (Jul 8, 2018)

Hello! I am trying to set up my h arizonensis habitat. I have 100 pounds of playsand and 10 pounds of excavator clay from a pet store. I am trying to figure out how I go about making a 70/30 mixture. I don't even know what that means nor do I know how to do it properly. I really want to get his habitat set up so I can go buy a scorpion. Can someone please tell me how I go about making about 4-5 inches of mixture for him in my tank so he can burrow?? Like, do I just pour sand in the tank, and then the clay, then add water and mix it all up?? How much do I put of each? I am not good at math or ratios and stuff so like I assume I use a cooking measuring cup but like how do I make 70/30? Please help me!!!!


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## Wishorama (Aug 2, 2018)

Hi Malystryx. Did you get it sorted out? I just noticed your question and wanted to respond. For mine, I did a mixture test by mixing three different ratios of sand to clay. Then I wet them and balled them up and allowed them to dry for a few days. Afterwards I dug into them with my finger to judge if it held its shape but wasn’t too hard to dig into. I don’t recall the exact amount but I found I needed far less clay than people usually say to use. My scorpion has made elaborate tunnels and they are working fine.


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