# Questions about hairy desert scorpion enclosure



## Barrett1213 (Aug 29, 2018)

Hey everyone! I am new here and just recently got my hands on a sweet desert scorpion.

IF YOU DONT WANT TO READ EVERYTHING MY QUESTIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM! 

I am a hobbyist about pretty much everything and I spent a lot of time designing my scorpions enclosure. That being said from the research I’ve done across the internet I have a couple of questions, I’m also gonna rattle off some other stuff to see if people correct it. I am using a 25 gallon tank to house my scorpion. The substrate I’m using is a mix between red, white and black sand with a bit of coco fiber for my desert plants roots to take hold, the red sand is moderately course while the white is extremely fine and the black sits right in the middle. I would say the ratio sits at about 40% red 20% white 10% black and 30% coco. This is where some of the questions pop up lol. I have a lot of things going on in the tank, 2 medium size (6 inch) cork bark hides 3 small to medium size cacti, an elevated drift wood branch and a water bowl off in the corner away from where the scorpion spends most of its time. Is there to much going on with this? A lot of people’s tanks are rather barren. She seems able to navigate the tank just fine but will the clutter create stress? I’m using a 25w red ramp to help minimize the ambient humidity while I fill the water bowl once a week, it ends up staying bone dry for a solid three to four days. The temperature near the scorpions primary residence is a constant 80 degrees. The tank has some small rocks scattered around for decoration. I poured the sand so that the enclosure is not flat, a particularly large “dune” seperates the tank with water on one side and primary hide on the other. The  two sides are separated by a clear piece of tubing under the dune that the scorpion sadly never uses lol. 

My questions are:
1) will tank clutter create stress?
2) will the red lamp being on trick the scorpion in to thinking it is constantly day time?
3) is 80 degrees and 32-48% humidity ok?
4) can I leave a couple crickets in the tank refilled weekly for the scorpion to eat as it likes?
5) will the lack of burrowing substrate cause stress?
6) can I add a couple of blue death feigning beetles?

I will include some pictures of the enclosure


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## BoyFromLA (Aug 29, 2018)

Mine looks like this:

Reactions: Like 1


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## Barrett1213 (Aug 29, 2018)

BoyFromLA said:


> Mine looks like this:
> 
> View attachment 285039
> 
> ...


That’s a sweet tank! Did you make that yourself?


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## BoyFromLA (Aug 29, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> That’s a sweet tank! Did you make that yourself?


No, not at all. That is just toy car display case from the hobby lobby.


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## Barrett1213 (Aug 29, 2018)

BoyFromLA said:


> No, not at all. That is just toy car display case from the hobby lobby.


Bhahah bro! I need to go to hobby lobby apparently! Way better than a fish tank


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## darkness975 (Aug 30, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> 1) will tank clutter create stress?
> 2) will the red lamp being on trick the scorpion in to thinking it is constantly day time?
> 3) is 80 degrees and 32-48% humidity ok?
> 4) can I leave a couple crickets in the tank refilled weekly for the scorpion to eat as it likes?
> ...


1. As long as there is some open area it's fine.  They are obligate burrowers and prefer to spend most of their time burrowing under ground with the routine jaunts along the surface. 

2.  No 100% confirmed studies exist to my knowledge that red light is 100% undetectable to them.  But they don't seem to be bothered by it. You should turn it off at night anyway, or better yet don't use it at all if (see number 3)

3. Yes.  Mine live in perpetual mid to high 60s in winter and they are fine.  I don't use any additional heat sources.  In summer it's much warmer, which is much more routine for their natural habitat.  Heat lamps and such tend to make it scorching dry, even for this species.  In nature they burrow so deep that there is varying humidity and temperature ranges throughout. 

4. No.  Feed it once a week, or every other week.  If it does not eat by morning, remove the prey item. I have no set schedule for mine.  I feed them whenever.  Often two, three, four weeks, or more may go by.  They are plenty fat and can go a very long time without food so there is no danger to their health. It's much more annoying to keep them from filling their water dishes full of substrate as they burrow into oblivion. 

5. It won't kill them.  But they may incessantly try to burrow forever.  They will survive, but not thrive. 

6. Yes.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Barrett1213 (Aug 31, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> 1. As long as there is some open area it's fine.  They are obligate burrowers and prefer to spend most of their time burrowing under ground with the routine jaunts along the surface.
> 
> 2.  No 100% confirmed studies exist to my knowledge that red light is 100% undetectable to them.  But they don't seem to be bothered by it. You should turn it off at night anyway, or better yet don't use it at all if (see number 3)
> 
> ...


Thank you for the information! I moved a couple things around so she had some more space but the tank is definitely segmented, I’m not worried about it anymore! A couple things about #4 answer. Why is it important to remove the crickets that don’t get eaten immediately but it’s ok to have beetles around the clock? I think my scorpion is preparing to molt so should I also remove the beetles? A tip that I use to prevent the water dish from filling with substrate is bordering it with rocks! Depending on the  fervor of your scorpions digging make the outline larger or smaller! It’s been 100% successful for over a week now!


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## darkness975 (Aug 31, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> Thank you for the information! I moved a couple things around so she had some more space but the tank is definitely segmented, I’m not worried about it anymore! A couple things about #4 answer. Why is it important to remove the crickets that don’t get eaten immediately but it’s ok to have beetles around the clock? I think my scorpion is preparing to molt so should I also remove the beetles? A tip that I use to prevent the water dish from filling with substrate is bordering it with rocks! Depending on the  fervor of your scorpions digging make the outline larger or smaller! It’s been 100% successful for over a week now!


Uneaten prey items , especially crickets,  will eat a molting scorpion  and sometimes even pester non molting ones.  Plus they crap everywhere. 

Beetles might as well , I dont keep them personally.


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## Barrett1213 (Aug 31, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> Uneaten prey items , especially crickets,  will eat a molting scorpion  and sometimes even pester non molting ones.  Plus they crap everywhere.
> 
> Beetles might as well , I dont keep them personally.


Dang lol, ok I think I move the beetles to a critter keeper till my girl molts, she hasn’t been eating and still moves around but is rather lethargic, she’s been laying her tail down flat and hanging out directly under the lamp. I think I can see some new plates developing near the back of her abdomen but I’m not sure! I’m nervous since she’s so new I hope she’s just molting. The tank environment is perfect as far as I know so I do t think she is dying. Also the beginning of the joints on her tail look like they are wet, is that indicitave of a molt?


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## darkness975 (Aug 31, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> Dang lol, ok I think I move the beetles to a critter keeper till my girl molts, she hasn’t been eating and still moves around but is rather lethargic, she’s been laying her tail down flat and hanging out directly under the lamp. I think I can see some new plates developing near the back of her abdomen but I’m not sure! I’m nervous since she’s so new I hope she’s just molting. The tank environment is perfect as far as I know so I do t think she is dying. Also the beginning of the joints on her tail look like they are wet, is that indicitave of a molt?


Can you post some images of this?  Scorpions generally do not lay their metasoma completely flat behind them unless there is something wrong.

_Hadrurus arizonensis _, sorry to say, does not have the best reputation for molting in captivity.  They are a bit more finicky than some other species.  It is why most people recommend an adult.

Their substrate should be 70 / 30 mix of sand / excavator clay for stable burrow construction.  Providing enough of it (several inches or more) and offering a false bottom set up offers it a chance to regulate the humidity better. 

While it is a desert species and does not actively seek rain forest conditions, they do benefit from some humidity now and then.  Many people who use lamps run into issues.  I personally just keep them room temperature.  In summer it's between 76 - 82 F in there and in winter it stays between 66 - 69 F.  The lower winter time temp induces their natural diapause and they disappear late November and I don't see them again until April or so the following spring.


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## Barrett1213 (Sep 1, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> Can you post some images of this?  Scorpions generally do not lay their metasoma completely flat behind them unless there is something wrong.
> 
> _Hadrurus arizonensis _, sorry to say, does not have the best reputation for molting in captivity.  They are a bit more finicky than some other species.  It is why most people recommend an adult.
> 
> ...


This is a good picture of the flat tail!


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## Barrett1213 (Sep 1, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> This is a good picture of the flat tail!


Omfg the lost cricket is in the picture lol let me grab this guy real quick!


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## darkness975 (Sep 1, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> This is a good picture of the flat tail!


Is it showing any signs of lethargy or concern ?  One if my sub adults looks just like that , but doesnt hold the tail flat that way.

Give it a slightly moister area to go to if it wants


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## Barrett1213 (Sep 1, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> Is it showing any signs of lethargy or concern ?  One if my sub adults looks just like that , but doesnt hold the tail flat that way.
> 
> Give it a slightly moister area to go to if it wants


Hasn’t eaten a cricket in a little over a week and the tail then freaks me out! Is she fat enough that a molt my be coming soon? And the humidity in the tank is 50 and she’s got the side with the water bowl, should I mist a side? I turned off the lamp and she has been using the hide. Closest to the heat mat but t the temp of the tank is 74


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## darkness975 (Sep 2, 2018)

Barrett1213 said:


> Hasn’t eaten a cricket in a little over a week and the tail then freaks me out! Is she fat enough that a molt my be coming soon? And the humidity in the tank is 50 and she’s got the side with the water bowl, should I mist a side? I turned off the lamp and she has been using the hide. Closest to the heat mat but t the temp of the tank is 74


It has the pre molt look , although I can't tell the size of it from the picture.  Scorpions can also just be fat. 

Sounds like there is enough ambient humidity, the better thing to do is provide a moist hide area on the side with the dish and let the rest of the tank be dry.


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## Barrett1213 (Sep 2, 2018)

darkness975 said:


> It has the pre molt look , although I can't tell the size of it from the picture.  Scorpions can also just be fat.
> 
> Sounds like there is enough ambient humidity, the better thing to do is provide a moist hide area on the side with the dish and let the rest of the tank be dry.


Ok sweet thanks dude! I’ve been reading about that and I actually have a lot of wine corks I was going to use to build him a hide, I will throw so coco in the bottom and keep that one wet


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## Brandy0716 (Apr 14, 2019)

Curious what came of this now that we're over 6 months out. I feel like this may hehe me with my guy.


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## StampFan (Apr 14, 2019)

Barrett1213 said:


> Hey everyone! I am new here and just recently got my hands on a sweet desert scorpion.
> 
> IF YOU DONT WANT TO READ EVERYTHING MY QUESTIONS ARE AT THE BOTTOM!
> 
> ...


Keep in mind that while it is dry and hot (and cold) at the surface where they live, it is much more moderate in their burrows, both temperature and humidity-wise.  I can't imagine you need a red light unless you're at 80% humidity all of the time.


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