# Emperor Scorpion (Pandinus imperator)



## iMazar (Jan 26, 2013)

I am going to have a Emperor scorpion shipped on monday and will arrive tuesday with my new T . I was going to use this tank for a different T but i decided i wanted a Scorpion because iv wanted one for a while just never followed through on buying one untill now lol. But here is the tank im going to put him in its a 18x18x24 exo terra there are 3 different little hides, the substrate is cocofiber and that is a fake plant in the cornor.

Reactions: Like 1


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## vespers (Jan 26, 2013)

The internal set-up of the enclosure looks great. But the exo terra itself: Its a bit on the large side, mostly the height being that its designed to be an arboreal enclosure. If you decide to heat the enclosure using a lamp placed on top, you'll need to use a higher watt bulb for it to be effective near the bottom where the scorpion resides. But the main issue will be trying to maintain the humidity given the way those exo terra terrariums are designed. The open screen top, the front vents below the doors, and the way the doors themselves are attached allow for plenty of ventilation. You may need to cover the top with acrylic or plastic and possibly tape up the front vents just to keep the enclosure from drying out too quickly.


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## iMazar (Jan 26, 2013)

vespers said:


> The internal set-up of the enclosure looks great. But the exo terra itself: Its a bit on the large side, mostly the height being that its designed to be an arboreal enclosure. If you decide to heat the enclosure using a lamp placed on top, you'll need to use a higher watt bulb for it to be effective near the bottom where the scorpion resides. But the main issue will be trying to maintain the humidity given the way those exo terra terrariums are designed. The open screen top, the front vents below the doors, and the way the doors themselves are attached allow for plenty of ventilation. You may need to cover the top with acrylic or plastic and possibly tape up the front vents just to keep the enclosure from drying out too quickly.













Iv got the heat and humidity down the infra red bulb is like a 100 watt and close to the bottom, and the foil on the top is able to keep humidity i have a didgital humidity gauge and didgital thermomator . Im not to worried about taping the front vents ill just spray the soil every other day.


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## Formerphobe (Jan 26, 2013)

A single emperor will do much better in a standard 5 gallon tank with about 6 - 8 inches of firmly packed substrate.  Exoterras are meant for arboreal critters, not fossorial.


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## iMazar (Jan 26, 2013)

Formerphobe said:


> A single emperor will do much better in a standard 5 gallon tank with about 6 - 8 inches of firmly packed substrate.  Exoterras are meant for arboreal critters, not fossorial.


Ok.. And yeah i know that lol im putting it in there anyways because im not using the tank for anything else...


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## iMazar (Jan 27, 2013)

vespers said:


> The internal set-up of the enclosure looks great. But the exo terra itself: Its a bit on the large side, mostly the height being that its designed to be an arboreal enclosure. If you decide to heat the enclosure using a lamp placed on top, you'll need to use a higher watt bulb for it to be effective near the bottom where the scorpion resides. But the main issue will be trying to maintain the humidity given the way those exo terra terrariums are designed. The open screen top, the front vents below the doors, and the way the doors themselves are attached allow for plenty of ventilation. You may need to cover the top with acrylic or plastic and possibly tape up the front vents just to keep the enclosure from drying out too quickly.


Hey just wondering They like the humidity 80%-90% humidity and 70-80 temp?


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 27, 2013)

Try to keep both around 80 - 85 .


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## iMazar (Jan 27, 2013)

ShredderEmp said:


> Try to keep both around 80 - 85 .


alright  thanks


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 27, 2013)

iMazar said:


> alright  thanks


No problem. If you need more info, do some searches on here, or just keep asking.


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## iMazar (Jan 29, 2013)

ShredderEmp said:


> No problem. If you need more info, do some searches on here, or just keep asking.


is it ok if their in higher humidity because ever since i put the tin foil in the top of the exo terra the humidity has been like 85-99


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 29, 2013)

Should be fine from 85-90, but 99 is pretty high, and mold will start forming very quickly.


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## iMazar (Jan 29, 2013)

ShredderEmp said:


> Should be fine from 85-90, but 99 is pretty high, and mold will start forming very quickly.


ok well ill leave the tank open tonight and let it air out before i get him tomorow


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 30, 2013)

iMazar said:


> ok well ill leave the tank open tonight and let it air out before i get him tomorow


Just poke some small holes in the foil.


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## iMazar (Jan 30, 2013)

I got my scorpion today he is huge i cant get any pictures but its really cool id just thought id share


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## ~Abyss~ (Jan 30, 2013)

iMazar said:


> I got my scorpion today he is huge i cant get any pictures but its really cool id just thought id share


They're all super cool, get some pics up asap

Reactions: Like 1


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## iMazar (Jan 30, 2013)

~Abyss~ said:


> They're all super cool, get some pics up asap


i cant get any pics sorry

EDIT: i got some pictures and she is she/he is super mean 





size comparision to my lighter 




















Also that deli cup is 7in wide to give a size compairson

---------- Post added 01-30-2013 at 06:09 PM ----------

^^^^^^^^^


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## iMazar (Jan 30, 2013)

ShredderEmp said:


> Try to keep both around 80 - 85 .


hey i was just going to say i just got the scorpion today and the basking temp is almost 98-100 degrees and he is lying right under the basking spot so it likes it hotter i guess aha

---------- Post added 01-30-2013 at 07:21 PM ----------

just took some pictures to show how fat he or she is


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 30, 2013)

Post a picture of the pectines so we can sex it for you if you would like.


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## iMazar (Jan 31, 2013)

ShredderEmp said:


> Post a picture of the pectines so we can sex it for you if you would like.


Here i tryed my best to get some pictures, its upside down but here they are. oh and Also how much should i feed him i gave it 2 crickets already since iv broght him home


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## Formerphobe (Jan 31, 2013)

Female.
She could be gravid, or she could have the Great American Disease.
Could be the photo, but the substrate looks awful dry.
"Mean" is not a word that is applicable to inverts.  She's defensive.


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## iMazar (Jan 31, 2013)

Formerphobe said:


> Female.
> She could be gravid, or she could have the Great American Disease.
> Could be the photo, but the substrate looks awful dry.
> "Mean" is not a word that is applicable to inverts.  She's defensive.


Nice, Lol hopfully she is gravid that would be awesome, and the american dissease are u talking about it being over weight? ahaha. it is pretty dry but i have a didgital hydrometer in there and the humidity gets stays from 75%-100% the humidity increases at night to like 100%.


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## Formerphobe (Jan 31, 2013)

Yes, The Great American Disease = Obesity.  It's endemic...  
IMO, hygrometers are generally useless, digital or otherwise.  In my P. imperator tanks I keep the soil damp, but not moist.  I pour approximately a litre or more of water along at least two sides once a week or so, this allows a moisture gradient in the substrate. I also keep shallow, widemouthed water bowls filled.  There is regularly condensation on the sides and lids of the tanks.  (When I had a hygrometer, these same conditions never registered more than ~70% humidity.  Who knows what it really is...)  Damp, well packed substrate allows for more stable burrows.  One tank has been going for over 4 years now with three generations of scorpions.  The only reason I have two tanks is that I pulled a gravid female for a buyer back in the fall who then backed out.  So, that mama and her brood are now living separately.


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## iMazar (Jan 31, 2013)

Formerphobe said:


> Yes, The Great American Disease = Obesity.  It's endemic...
> IMO, hygrometers are generally useless, digital or otherwise.  In my P. imperator tanks I keep the soil damp, but not moist.  I pour approximately a litre or more of water along at least two sides once a week or so, this allows a moisture gradient in the substrate. I also keep shallow, widemouthed water bowls filled.  There is regularly condensation on the sides and lids of the tanks.  (When I had a hygrometer, these same conditions never registered more than ~70% humidity.  Who knows what it really is...)  Damp, well packed substrate allows for more stable burrows.  One tank has been going for over 4 years now with three generations of scorpions.  The only reason I have two tanks is that I pulled a gravid female for a buyer back in the fall who then backed out.  So, that mama and her brood are now living separately.


Lol i thought so, I didnt  know you can over feed she just ate a super worm and 2 crickets last night so should i not feed her for a while.  Oh well i think their usefull because i use them with all my reptiles too and the Analog hydrometers suck i know that they are never accurate. Yeah i dont think ill pour that much but spray him every other day like i do for my salamander, YEah there is condensation on both sides of the tank and on the top of the enclsoure. Its probally because you had an open top enclsoure those do not hold humidity at all like zero with out a plexy glass lid or foil over the top the digital hydrometers that you pay 20-30 dollars for work great those cheep O ones are no good you get what you pay for you know. It is damp and i did pack it down the coco fiber is right out of the bag so it is already pretty humid. Oh ok so its ok to house these scorpions togather or if they have babys do you have to seperate the babys from the mom or seperate the male from them?and will the mom try and eat the babys


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## Formerphobe (Jan 31, 2013)

iMazar said:


> Lol i thought so, I didnt  know you can over feed she just ate a super worm and 2 crickets last night so should i not feed her for a while.  Oh well i think their usefull because i use them with all my reptiles too and the Analog hydrometers suck i know that they are never accurate. Yeah i dont think ill pour that much but spray him every other day like i do for my salamander, YEah there is condensation on both sides of the tank and on the top of the enclsoure. Its probally because you had an open top enclsoure those do not hold humidity at all like zero with out a plexy glass lid or foil over the top the digital hydrometers that you pay 20-30 dollars for work great those cheep O ones are no good you get what you pay for you know. It is damp and i did pack it down the coco fiber is right out of the bag so it is already pretty humid. Oh ok so its ok to house these scorpions togather or if they have babys do you have to seperate the babys from the mom or seperate the male from them?and will the mom try and eat the babys


My tanks are all but sealed.  Very minimal ventilation.  Live plants, isopods.  Substrate is a mixture of sphagnum peat, coco fibre, vermiculite, potting soil and whatever else happened to be available.  I've never used coco fibre in the bags, always used the bricks.  The bags I've seen, it looked pretty dessicated.

I just fed and watered the big tank.  When I removed the lid, I had to tilt and pour condensation off of it.  When I leaned over it, the hot humid air was stifling.  But, the tank always smells fresh, no moldy or stale smell ever.  I attribute that to the live plants and my excellent clean up crew (isopods).

Emperors are a communal species.  If messed with, if too crowded, or other suboptimal conditions the mamas (or other colony members) may cannibalize the babies.  I started with one mature female, one immature female and one geriatric male.  The MF birthed 6 babies (5 females, 1 male), all of whom lived to adulthood in the communal 45 gallon tank.  The females did drive the male away from the 'nursery' until the babies were ~2".  Now the babies are having babies.  Some people separate the babies once they come off mama's back.

Having multiple scorpions in the same tank, I can't monitor who eats what or how much.  I throw food in once every week to 10 days, alternating between crickets, superworms and mealworms, allowing ~2 - 3 prey items per animal.  I've seen both adults and babies with a prey item in their mouth and one in each claw.  The babies are a real hoot to watch.


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## Roblicious (Jan 31, 2013)

setup is fine, the entire surface can be dry as sand, as long as the burrow he/she hides in is humid/wet. you dont need to poke hole or wahtever in the mesh, it has plenty of ventilation from the door, the vent below the door and obviously the lid.

i used a exo terra for my emp when i had only a single one.

if it bothers you that much just pour a glass of water in a day


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## Petross (Feb 3, 2013)

Emperors are my favorite scorpions, terrarium look good.


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