# Why doesnt my scorpion eat??



## C0kaCoLa

I just bought an emperor and i have out in a cricket for the whole day and it still didnt eat it. It just stay stationary not doing anything and hiding between the plant i planted. The next day i add in another cricket it also didnt eat. I also notice that the flesh between the exoskeleton of the body appears brownish and dry. Is it because of the colour of the soil or because of lack of water??


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## Thaedion

Standard reply:  
What is your setup like, Humidity, Temperature, Substrate/soil?
Does your emperor have adequate water?
What was the other conditions like, from where you got him?

Clear detailed pictures are also nice for 'us' to look at, as far as being able to notice subtleties you mentioned.  

Some of my newly introduced scorpions, (I bought 2 new emperors last night) just wanted to lose the stress from the move to a new tank. they hide out for several hours then started move about and explore. None have eaten yet, but I'm not worried.  

PS; give them time to acclimate, don't keep prodding them to move, or keep opening the enclosure to 'see' how they are. etc..


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## EAD063

before starting posts on emps you should search first...we have tried multiple times to make great beginner threads so that way people don't ask why they're scorp doesn't eat/what kind of setup they need, etc... so they're in here... search


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## C0kaCoLa

i have my scorpion in a normal aquarium where it isnt really big but not really small either...i have a plant in it and i didnt put any water inside the aquarium.


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## Thaedion

You will need some sort of water dish in there for it! 1-2 cm deep with some sort of way to get in and out (some pebbles or something on the bottom)   Do you have depth of soil? 6-12 cm deep peat moss or potting soil would be nice.   how about a hide? flat piece of bark or a broken clay pot. (be careful about putting stones in there may get unstable) :clap: You need to keep the temperature up to 25 - 30 c, and relative humidity around 80%  Keep him happy.  

 *BUT AS NOTED ABOVE: PLEASE USE THE SEARCH FIRST! IT WORKS!* ​


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## C0kaCoLa

im having only around 4 cm deep of soil. and i added the water dish in yesterday. i have 2 large pebbles in my aquarium and place a carboard that looks like a shelter. Until now, the scorpion keep hiding in the shelter and didnt come out. As for temperature and humidity, i think it is good because i live in a tropical country and i have plant in the aquarium which i water everyday. Im worrying if, will the scorpion be as stubborn as to starve to death even if there's food???


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## Bayushi

Another thing to keep in mind is that emperor scorpions will fast at times. my male has not eaten anything for almost 4 weeks, and his last fast went for over 2 months.  it's a normal part of their life cycle. most scorpions are in the feast or famine mind set, either not eating for extended periods of time or eating everything they can.  when it's hungry, it will eat.


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## C0kaCoLa

good to hear that they fast for certain times. But how do i know if they are fasting or on eating spreee?? I think my crickets will die in a few days time. And also is there any sign that i can look out for if my emperor is sick or have any abnormalities? I do notice that the flesh between the body is light brown. I dont know if thats normal or abnormal.


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## Thaedion

Scorpions go off of instinct. That said they'll eat when they are hungry, and fast at times. Right now I have three tanks set up with P imp & H spin and none of them 'seem' to have eaten in about a week now. (happy crickets are just walking around the tanks) I held a 'skewered' cricket in front of one of my H spin and it just walked away from it. They all are active so I don't worry.

You mentioned it's colour being 'brown' on the sides? Mine are a grey colour. see here --> Link to side view

PS; Not to worry you. But I did have a male go lethargic and die on me last month, it had mite eggs all over it. when I picked it up to look at it it had eggs on the underside in the crevasses near the 'book lungs' and around the leg joints.


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## Bayushi

Just keep offering it food every couple days and make sure there is always water in it's water dish.  when it is hungry it'll eat. if you wish, you can offer it another cricket. If it eats that one keep offering until it stops eating.   

I usually offer food twice a week and remove any non eaten cricket after 24 hours.

 Also are you sure it's an emperor and not a red claw?  i only ask because you point out it's  membrane is brown  and this leads me to think it might be a Pandinus cavimanis and not Pandinus imperator (but only because our P cavi has the brown membrane


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## C0kaCoLa

i think it is a Pandinus imperator because the flesh between other joints are white only those between the body are brownnish. Maybe i set the habitat wrongly thats why its not eating yet. I thought of setting the aquarium again. Do anyone have pics of how their enclosure looks like?


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## Bayushi

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=28455&highlight=emperor+enclosure

somewhere in this thread is several good pics of emperor set ups.
  keep in mind that if you change the set up it might take a few days to a week for the scorpion to settle in again


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## Thaedion

here is the link to Basic emperor scorpion (P.imperator) setup


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## C0kaCoLa

my aquarium is not 10 gallon but i think it will be sufficient because i dont see my emperor moving about much


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## Amanda Adams

Hey guys.  I  have a male asian forest scorpion and right now he's super thin and won't eat.  He's drinking and moving around some but it worries me.  He's about 4 or 5 years old what could be wrong?


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## Smokehound714

Amanda- it sounds like your male is at the end of his life.  Five years is about as old as most scorpions get.  Exceptional specimens may reach eight years of age (females).  Once males reach the end, they become senile, and eventually waste away.  Also, keep in mind that Heterometrus need damp substrate, and a big deep water dish they can immerse themselves in!


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## Amanda Adams

Smokehound714 said:


> Amanda- it sounds like your male is at the end of his life.  Five years is about as old as most scorpions get.  Exceptional specimens may reach eight years of age (females).  Once males reach the end, they become senile, and eventually waste away.  Also, keep in mind that Heterometrus need damp substrate, and a big deep water dish they can immerse themselves in!


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## Amanda Adams

I  was afraid he may be dying.  He's my favorite.  But unfortunately they don't live forever.  Thanks for the help I appreciate it


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## emmyyyy

hey uh I have male forest scorpion who's atleast 3 yrs old and he hasn't been eaten for atleast 3 weeks more  his looking skinny and I'm worried if there's smth wrong w him


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## Albireo Wulfbooper

emmyyyy said:


> hey uh I have male forest scorpion who's atleast 3 yrs old and he hasn't been eaten for atleast 3 weeks more  his looking skinny and I'm worried if there's smth wrong w him


Please make a new thread and post photos of the animal and the entire enclosure. 3 weeks is not a long time for them to go without prey, but if there is a problem with the enclosure, it's best to fix it immediately.


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## emmyyyy

Albireo Wulfbooper said:


> Please make a new thread and post photos of the animal and the entire enclosure. 3 weeks is not a long time for them to go without prey, but if there is a problem with the enclosure, it's best to fix it immediately.


I have no idea how to make a new thread but like it's been a month since my scorpion hasn't eaten. 
	

		
			
		

		
	







if there's anything I have to add in my enclosure please let me know.


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## Albireo Wulfbooper

emmyyyy said:


> I have no idea how to make a new thread but like it's been a month since my scorpion hasn't eaten.
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> if there's anything I have to add in my enclosure please let me know.


The only thing you need to add is more substrate and plenty of water - these animals require deep, thoroughly moist substrate. This enclosure appears to be bone-dry in most of these photos, which will slowly murder your scorpion. A proper hide would help too, though if you give it deep moist soil, it will burrow as they do in nature.

Reactions: Agree 1


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## emmyyyy

Albireo Wulfbooper said:


> The only thing you need to add is more substrate and plenty of water - these animals require deep, thoroughly moist substrate. This enclosure appears to be bone-dry in most of these photos, which will slowly murder your scorpion. A proper hide would help too, though if you give it deep moist soil, it will burrow as they do in nature.


ohh alright I will. I thank youu!


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## Dry Desert

emmyyyy said:


> ohh alright I will. I thank youu!


Take out that cardboard house and replace with a nice piece of half round cork bark, partially buried, so that the Scorpion can squeeze into the hide.
Low solid cover will make it feel safe, it will never be happy and eat normally as it is.
A nice deep moist substrate with a smaller water dish would also be more beneficial.

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2


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## darkness975

emmyyyy said:


> I have no idea how to make a new thread but like it's been a month since my scorpion hasn't eaten.
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> if there's anything I have to add in my enclosure please let me know.
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Your setup is abysmal.  It needs much more (moist) substrate and a proper hide as opposed to the piece of garbage (literally) that is in there.  They do not thrive in trash they thrive in moist leaf litter and moist substrate where they can burrow and have access to an abundance of prey.  

Please give your (most likely _Heterometrus spp_) scorpion the proper setup so it can be happy and healthy.


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