# Scorpion Tank Heating



## junosama

I just got an emp scorpion but I seem to be having a little trouble heating the tank.

I have a 10 gallon tank and during the day i keep a 50 watt infared bulb on. He seems to like it and stays under the light a lot but overall i think the tank is still too cold.

Should i use a heating pad on one side as well? I hear a lot of people say they suck? Maybe I should use a higher watt bulb like 75 or 100 for the day?

Also should i be using some sort of heating light during the night? I turn it off right now and spray the tank with mist and put a glass lid on to keep some heat in the tank and humidity during the night.


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## spasticpez

I've only been doing this a few months but I've never had a problem with the heating pad. My emperor always burrows on the side without the pad. Keeps it at about 85F.


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## Ecstasy

The reason people say heating pads suck is because they won't heat up enough of the tank in most cases. The thing about using a bulb is bulbs suck out humidity, which emperor's like humid, they thrive in humd environments.

If I were you, what I would do is look into getting heating tape or flexwatt, you can heat the whole tank with that, or now they have a new thing called heat rope which you can create a gradient of temperatures. You can wrap closer on one side to make that side get warmer then the other side which you wrap less.

It's hard for me to really explain but if you're interested then feel free to message me.


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## junosama

I think im gonna stick with the lights. What i might do is buy a humidifier and keep it next to the tanks to help keep extra humidity in the area without having to spray the tanks 50 times a day. I think with the humidifier and spraying the tanks in the morning and at night they will be fine.

Also gonna move them out of the basement into a warmer room and that should raise the temp a bit for them.


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## Galapoheros

The best way I've come across is to use a heating pad on the side where it also heats some of the substrate next to the glass(don't put one underneath), drop it below the substrate level.  The trick is to cover the top with glass, plastic wrap, or by putting something flat on top of the screen lid, like pieces of Plexiglas(yes, that's how you spell it, it's a brand name, not really the name of the material the product is made of).  Anywhooooo lol, covering the top keeps the temp and humidity up.  It stays warmer next to the pad, but I think it's good to have a gradient so they can move where they want.  Sometimes I don't have to spray or add water for months.  I've also kept them this way for a few years with no water bowl.  When I see that water condensates on the side of the glass I don't worry about watering.  If you use the search function on this site, you'll find a LOT more info about it.

Reactions: Like 1


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## junosama

Do heat lamps and infrared lamps work through a glass top? I have this wire shelf and i was thinking of hanging the lamps over the glass tops that i want to put over my screen tops.

From what ive read its fine as long as the heat lamps are not RESTING on top of the glass, but instead hang a few inches above.

Let me know what you guys think, thanks!


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## Ecstasy

junosama said:


> I think im gonna stick with the lights. What i might do is buy a humidifier and keep it next to the tanks to help keep extra humidity in the area without having to spray the tanks 50 times a day. I think with the humidifier and spraying the tanks in the morning and at night they will be fine.
> 
> Also gonna move them out of the basement into a warmer room and that should raise the temp a bit for them.


I don't understand why people ask for help then ignore the advice that is given? Not only what I suggested is cheaper, but it's the better way to go.

Getting rid of the heat lamp, + getting flexwatt or a uth and putting it on the side will raise the humidity and eliminate you having to mist 50 times a day, though it's still nice to mist once a day to manipulate the morning where it's very humid.


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## junosama

I did not like your suggestion. Flexx watt heat tape is a pain in the ass to put on you almost need to be an electrician and it can be dangerous.


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## Roblicious

You can use a Ir light, just pour a bottle of water in once or twice a week and you will be fine, or make a false bottom setup.


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## Ecstasy

junosama said:


> I did not like your suggestion. Flexx watt heat tape is a pain in the ass to put on you almost need to be an electrician and it can be dangerous.


Flexwatt is simple, and the heating rope is even easier. Another thing you can do is get an oversized uth, but ditch the bulb.


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## AmicusLuporum

I just thought I ought to point out that the best heating solution could also depend upon the region in which you live. I live in North Bay, which is in Northern Ontario, Canada. I have a heating pad on the side of my tank and it still doesn't get my emp's tank up into acceptable levels of heat. I am going to try a bulb to see if that can get the temp to where it needs to be. For some reason, living in a basement in my location causes heating pads to be anything but useful. In deference to Ecstasy, applying heat tape and such products is not easy for everyone. If it is not put in the right place, or is unevenly spaced, it can greatly affect the heat. For someone like me, with a fine-motor skill control disability (very poor dexterity with my hands) applying such things usually requires having someone apply them for me which is not always an option. I am also quite sure that I am not the only person who is not overly good at applying such materials for various reasons.


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## KDiiX

Oh my god so much crap in one thread... Why should bulbs? Suck out the water? It's the heat the bulb gives if the heat pad don't do it same way you can be sure it's not enough Temperature... If I have to argue against all the crap it would take days... 
Use a tank with cross ventilation. You don't have to spray water better way to get moist is to plant some tropical plants and give them every few days enough water that they don't dry out but even not float away. For heating the most natural is a normal light bulb or halogen spot, but with humid species I would prefer the normal light bulb. 
Btw a gallon is a measurement of volume isn't it? Do you only have standardized enclosures in America or why you always give the size in volume? 10 gallons could be a tank with millions different footprints. Most mportant is the footprint then the volume of a tank. If you have a high enclosure with small footprint you may also have 10 gallons but an unacceptable enclosure for an emperor scorpion.


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## vespers

10 gallon tanks most commonly have floor space of about 10 inches by 20 inches.


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## Crispy Alex

Why shouldnt the heating be underneath the tank?


Galapoheros said:


> The best way I've come across is to use a heating pad on the side where it also heats some of the substrate next to the glass(don't put one underneath), drop it below the substrate level.  The trick is to cover the top with glass, plastic wrap, or by putting something flat on top of the screen lid, like pieces of Plexiglas(yes, that's how you spell it, it's a brand name, not really the name of the material the product is made of).  Anywhooooo lol, covering the top keeps the temp and humidity up.  It stays warmer next to the pad, but I think it's good to have a gradient so they can move where they want.  Sometimes I don't have to spray or add water for months.  I've also kept them this way for a few years with no water bowl.  When I see that water condensates on the side of the glass I don't worry about watering.  If you use the search function on this site, you'll find a LOT more info about it.


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## TheScorpionMan

Crispy Alex said:


> Why shouldnt the heating be underneath the tank?


The scorpion will try to burrow to escape heat so If it is on the bottom of the tank the scorp could get too hot. As for this thread as a whole, I personally use infra red bulbs and have a heat lamp suspended over my scorp enclosures. I like to keep the lamp on one side of the enclosure giving my scorps a hot side and a cooler side.


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## dragonfire1577

So I have a heat pad for my P. Dictator on one side of the tank around half below ground and half above. The tank has a hide right up against the wall so he can burrow pretty close to the pad and maintains a temp of around 83 in the hide. He also has a hide on the cooler side so he can escape the heat and the pad doesn't reach the bottom of the tank so if he dug deeper he would escape getting too hot also.


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## TheScorpionMan

dragonfire1577 said:


> So I have a heat pad for my P. Dictator on one side of the tank around half below ground and half above. The tank has a hide right up against the wall so he can burrow pretty close to the pad and maintains a temp of around 83 in the hide. He also has a hide on the cooler side so he can escape the heat and the pad doesn't reach the bottom of the tank so if he dug deeper he would escape getting too hot also.


Sounds good. I've used heat pads before too on the side of the enclosures.


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## dragonfire1577

Yeah it's been working well for me just figured I'd chip in and post a little of my experiences.


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## Red Eunice

In just 1 year keeping scorpions, I built this heated cabinet, to house the ever increasing numbers. Lol!!

Reactions: Like 2


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## TheScorpionMan

Red Eunice said:


> In just 1 year keeping scorpions, I built this heated cabinet, to house the ever increasing numbers. Lol!!


wow that's a nice setup


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## gromgrom

The best use of heatpads are to increase the RH of the tank. I use it for my Tityus stigmurus colony to keep the water cycling and it humid as they like it. 

I use 50-150w infrared bulbs to heat my specimen. Depends on the room. Back when I had them in a split level basement, the 100-150w were ideal due to the overall cooler temps. Now that I have them in an upstairs bedroom, they get the ambient heat they need already and 50-75 is ideal.


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