# Scorpion from petco, need tips



## goldylocksm4 (Jan 15, 2013)

I came across this site, and it seems to be useful I hope.  

I bought an emperor scorpion on Monday evening and havent had time to set up its home properly.  Right now its in a 1ft by 10inch plastic container.  I dont know if i should dig up some soil from my backyard and fill my container up and then add grass on top with some twigs or something.  I read somewhere that it needed heat, so I used a small lamp hanging from above halfway into the container to keep it warm.  I placed a 1inch deep bowl with half inch of water filled.  



I have no experience with scorpions and I would like some advice please.

I tried feeding it last night a superworm but it wouldnt touch it.  (And oddly enough the superworm died 5minutes later of being in the container, idk why....).  I tried again in the afternoon today but it wouldnt eat.  Today I wore a think glove and picked it up by its tail and placed it in the water bowl to let it know that water is present there.  

Also, when i woke up this morning i noticed a half inch of white material in the container idk what that is...

Its winter over here and I dont think this lamp i have is keeping things warm in there.
I also have a white t shirt that i placed in there and formed a little cave for it with it to hide in as its temporary home.


Idk if feeding it super worms is a good diet for it.  Im trying to breed some but they die quickly when i place them individually in a platic seperate container.  Is it too cold? its like 70 degree Fahrenheit in my room.


Right now my scorpion is hiding under my shirt with the lamp still on (for heat).


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 15, 2013)

Did you look up care before you bought it? This is what should always be done when acquiring a new organism of any sort in the house. If you did, good job, because many new people don't. Simple searches on google work wonders.

Now, down to your scorpion. Post a picture first, because sometimes Emperors are actually Asian Forest Scorpions. However, the care is the same. Keep it about 80-85 degrees. Humidity should be around 80 percent. At least 4 inches of substrate should be used, but the more the merrier. Purify soil from the outside by cooking it, and do not use bark chips or sand. Provide a hide that is clean. Mealworms are a common food, but are very fatty, and often burrow before they are caught. Crickets are a better solution, but they can attack your scorpion mid molt. Also they have short life spans, and often die in the enclosure. Roaches are the best choice because they do not attack and have longer lifespans. If you choose roaches, buy them from a reputable dealer. Remove any dead or uneaten food items immediately.

Welcome to Arachnoboards, and feel free to ask questions and explore!!!


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## Eclipse (Jan 15, 2013)

I really don't want to be the first one to sound like an a**hole, but you should do a little research before getting a pet like that.

A quick google search and you'll get a simple straight forward care guide: http://www.petbugs.com/caresheets/P-imperator.html

Though on substrate it says to use peat moss or potting soil. I highly recommend getting coco-fiber from your local pet store. That stuff holds humidity pretty well and can maintain it's shape when they are digging tunnels, for the most part anyways. Do NOT use soil from your back yard. Who knows what kinds of chemicals, parasites, mites, and contaminants it may contain that can seriously kill your scorpion in a short amount of time.

I hope I helped. Good luck with your first scorpion.


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 15, 2013)

Here he is:


http://i.imgur.com/45psy.jpg

google searches contradict each other.


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 15, 2013)

No offense, but that looks like a temporary tank. Take a look at the care sheet posted by Eclipse above. Or you could use the search function on here.


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 15, 2013)

yeah ik its temporary lol.

i cant go to petco til next week.
so this is the makeshift home.  but like u said.

ill cook that dirt and spread it out in there.

then ill just grab some twigs and form some kind of cave for now.


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 15, 2013)

Microwaving is ok too, just make sure EVERYTHING is nuked at reasonable temperatures.


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## Bayushi (Jan 15, 2013)

First off, I would avoid any "dirt" from outside due to possible chemical contamination or the presence of nematodes or other parasites.

As many people have said, you should have done research before getting the scorpion. It is a bit unfair to the animal to bring it home from a pet prison where it's basic needs are met (barely) and drop it off in a plastic tub with a rag and a water dish until you can buy a proper set up. Impulse buying an animal of any kind is just a a stupid idea.

here is another care sheet that is slightly more detailed http://www.reptileexpert.org/emperor-scorpion-care/


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## shebeen (Jan 15, 2013)

+1 to everything from Eclipse and Bayushi.  I thought this might be a prank until I saw the picture.  It still might be a prank, but if not, another very comprehensive forest scorpion caresheet can be found here.  Your current set up is completely wrong and should be corrected ASAP.


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 15, 2013)

it not a prank! i want to help it grow

and ty for the caresheets, they pretty much explain everything i need.


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## Roblicious (Jan 16, 2013)

impulse buy?

just buy some potting soil from wal mart or something, anything that doesnt contain fertilizer or pesticides.

give it like 5 inches of substrate and start a small hole for it, you wont need a hide cause it will just burrow.

moisten the shirt cause it needs humidity since thats all it has for now...


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 16, 2013)

Is this better?

http://i.imgur.com/f6WHX.jpg

Not sure about the humidity there. But I'll worry about that later tonight


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 16, 2013)

Much better.


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 16, 2013)

*water*

also, how often will the scorpion drink?  i havent seen it do so.  i picked it up and placed it a little in the water but it slowly moved away.



and i tried placing a superworm (man they are fiesty) using my fingers near its mouth bt it wouldnt take it. so i dropped it in front of it and the worm disappeared in the soil 3minute later hehe


i read that 7 days b4 a molt they dont eat or drink, or maybe it still scared of me and its new home.


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## jakykong (Jan 16, 2013)

I don't know how often they drink (I haven't personally seen mine drink, either, in the year or so I've had one), but you should always keep the water bowl full anyway. 

Here's the thing: Most of the time, it'll probably get its water from its food, and it won't lose much if there's enough humidity. But when it needs the water, if it's not there, that's a major problem.

Hope it helps!


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 16, 2013)

It's still adjusting. You will hear and see him at night exploring. It is normal not for him to eat. The species in general is known for going on long and frequent fasting streaks. Mine, since having it in late September, has to my knowledge eaten total that could be counted on one hand. If you want to feed him Superworms, put them in a shallow dish so they don't burrow. Also, don't force your scorpion to eat, and try not to bother them much. This, along with an improper habitat, and light, causes stress on him.


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 16, 2013)

*ty*

Now i feel much more secure with my scorpion.  better asking experienced pet owners than google lol.


thanks for everything


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 16, 2013)

Your welcome. Hey, it's one of the purposes for forums like this, right?


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## ~Abyss~ (Jan 17, 2013)

goldylocksm4 said:


> also, how often will the scorpion drink?  i havent seen it do so.  i picked it up and placed it a little in the water but it slowly moved away.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Ems actually like water, one of the onyl species I ever see take baths. You might want to offer it a small container of water with some rocks to avoid drowning. I would give up on those stupid super worms. They are horrible feeders ( for scorps anyways) get a cricket or roach(not wild caught).


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 17, 2013)

~Abyss~ said:


> Ems actually like water, one of the onyl species I ever see take baths. You might want to offer it a small container of water with some rocks to avoid drowning. I would give up on those stupid super worms. They are horrible feeders ( for scorps anyways) get a cricket or roach(not wild caught).




im going to petsmart next monday then.

i heard they sell a dozen crickets for about 3$.

thats like, a month supply for my scorpion lol.


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## ShredderEmp (Jan 17, 2013)

I would get roaches from a seller ASAP.


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## jakykong (Jan 17, 2013)

goldylocksm4 said:


> im going to petsmart next monday then.
> 
> i heard they sell a dozen crickets for about 3$.
> 
> thats like, a month supply for my scorpion lol.


I don't know if all petco's are the same, but all 3 of them around here sell crickets for $0.07 to $0.10 each. Only the tubs ("crickets-to-go" or some stupid slogan) cost that much, don't buy those. 

If you're able to keep a colony of roaches, it's highly recommended. Dubia are great - you'll like them much better. But I do understand not being able to do that. (lots of situations where other peoples' aversion could cause problems.)

Either way, enjoy the scorpion, they're fun pets.


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## goldylocksm4 (Jan 17, 2013)

jakykong said:


> I don't know if all petco's are the same, but all 3 of them around here sell crickets for $0.07 to $0.10 each. Only the tubs ("crickets-to-go" or some stupid slogan) cost that much, don't buy those.
> 
> If you're able to keep a colony of roaches, it's highly recommended. Dubia are great - you'll like them much better. But I do understand not being able to do that. (lots of situations where other peoples' aversion could cause problems.)
> 
> Either way, enjoy the scorpion, they're fun pets.







sounds like a great idea


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## Bayushi (Jan 17, 2013)

If you only have 1 scorp and no other animals that will eat insects,  just pick up a couple a crickets a week.  It isn't worth the effort to build a breeding colony of roaches when you wont be feeding them off in any great amounts. they end up being pets and just another thing you have to take care of.


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## jakykong (Jan 17, 2013)

Bayushi said:


> If you only have 1 scorp and no other animals that will eat insects,  just pick up a couple a crickets a week.  It isn't worth the effort to build a breeding colony of roaches when you wont be feeding them off in any great amounts. they end up being pets and just another thing you have to take care of.


While true in most cases, I can think of a couple things: 

If he's very far from a pet store, the cost of a bag of dog food for the roaches can be less than the cost of the gas to get to and from the pet store. (That's definitely the case for me - I take the bus, so it costs me about $6 to get to the pet store, even if I don't buy anything.) I have about a dozen tarantulas and a couple of scorpions, so by no means do I need a breeding colony, but even with that, it costs me less to keep the colony than to travel back and forth to the pet store.

The other thing is that, honestly, how many people only get one?


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## Bayushi (Jan 18, 2013)

Usually people who do impulse buys of scorpions without doing the research to make sure they are caring for the animal correctly are the type of people who only have one.

Also if you read the post it said "If you only have 1 scorp and no other animals that will eat insects...", making you statement about only getting one a moot point.


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## jakykong (Jan 18, 2013)

Bayushi said:


> Usually people who do impulse buys of scorpions without doing the research to make sure they are caring for the animal correctly are the type of people who only have one.
> 
> Also if you read the post it said "If you only have 1 scorp and no other animals that will eat insects...", making you statement about only getting one a moot point.


In that case, I concede a moot point; but at least he's got info about both options.


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