any tips on h. spadix...

talljosh003

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i know there recommended for beginners, which i am, but any tips for care, habitats or anything would be helpful...
 

Ryan C.

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Hey Josh,

You can keep H. spadix just like H. arizonensis, which are very easy to keep.

Keep them on sand or sand/peat mix. It would be wise to wet it and pack it down and let it dry so it can hold a stable burrow, you should have it about 4-6" deep. You can keep one in a 2.5G tank or if you like, a 5G. Temps of around 80-85 are good, and keep them dry as this sp. dislikes humidity. Thats about it, have fun with your new scorpion and welcome to the boards!


Cheers,
Ryan
 

talljosh003

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i have an empty 10 gallon that im not using, is that too big? and also i was at the pet store the other day and zoo med has this new excavator burrowing substrate, have you heard anything about this at all? is it any good?
 

Ryan C.

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Hey Josh,

A 10G will be fine, its quite big but not detrimental to the scorpions health or anything like that. About the substrate, I've never heard of it and its probably way overpriced. Just go to Wal-mart or Home Depot and pick up a big bag of playsand for a couple bucks.


Cheers,
Ryan
 

talljosh003

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do they require and undertank heater? a few sites ive stumbled upon said that you can leave them at room temp. with no additional heat source?
 

Ryan C.

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Hi,

How warm is your house normally? if its about 75+ you should be fine but a heat lamp or heat pad wouldnt hurt. It will most likely eat more and be more active at a higher temp.

Cheers.
 

talljosh003

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Ryan,

Thanks for the help. Really appreciate it. I can't wait to get started.

If anyone else has other helpful tips they would be appreciated
 

MEXICOYA415

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If you decide to use a heat pad as an extra heat source make sure to affix it to the side of the tank rather than the bottom.
 

Mark Newton

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why the side?

The theory is that as one digs down into the earth it becomes cooler not hotter which would be the case with the heat pad underneath. I would also argue that the reverse can happen on cold nights where the surface can be substantially cooler than the subterranean soil which is holding the days heat. With the heat pad on the side there will also be a gradient across the tank, so the scorpion has more choice of temperature.
 

parabuthus

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hi there, i keep my spadix in a small exo-terra faunarium, well ventilated with a water dish.

my substrate is mostly calci-sand mixed with some desert sand (again, from exo terra), which i mix with water, compact tightly and allow to dry for a few days before introducing the scorp. this results in an extremely durable burrowing environment which can last, literally, for years.

i always use a flat stone with a decent surface-area in my enclosures. almost all my scorps will escavate burrows beneath the stone.

goodluck and enjoy, awesome species.
 

Rigelus

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Originally Posted by parabuthus
this results in an extremely durable burrowing environment which can last, literally, for years.

Have you successfully been able to breed them and get them through ecdysis with this setup?

Hmmm, i can see where you are going with this Mark.
It does seem as if most people concentrate on creating a consolidated soil so that the scorpion can dig good stable burrows. That theres a healthy temp and moisture gradient from the surface and down takes lesser presedence but if i'm reading you right you are suggesting that the ability to burrow is secondary to enviromental considerations.
Your sealed container technique to get your U.yaschenkoi through moult seems to supports this.

/Bryan
 

Mark Newton

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Hmmm, i can see where you are going with this Mark.
It does seem as if most people concentrate on creating a consolidated soil so that the scorpion can dig good stable burrows. That theres a healthy temp and moisture gradient from the surface and down takes lesser presedence but if i'm reading you right you are suggesting that the ability to burrow is secondary to enviromental considerations.
Your sealed container technique to get your U.yaschenkoi through moult seems to supports this.

/Bryan
Hi Bryan. It just seems odd to me that the substrate is created dry and tight for burrowing but without consideration for moisture soil. Mositure soil is very important for creating the correct microenvironment and I'm wondering how people get around this, or even if they do with some species. Scorpions burrow for a number of reasons, and one is to reach suitable moisture levels. Sealing off is a natural behaviour in xeric species and some do it for months at a time and in which time many will molt or parturate. I would have thought expecting this to happen in a completely dry subterranean environment would be expecting a bit much. Some species may be able to seal off in a small cell and create the necessary conditions through their own evaporative water loss and I feel this may be the case with at least one Australian species I know of. Similar to how some desert burrowing frogs will create a sealed subterranean cell through shedding of the skin. They absorb a lot of water prior to sealing off as some scorpions do. Similar adaptations to a dry environment from two very different taxa.
 

talljosh003

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hey, you know how h. spadix is hard to breed in captivity because of there special conditions needed to molt, well what about when there older, like how come the same problems dont occur when they are matured?
 

Ryan C.

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Josh,

Because scorpions don't molt after they mature.


Cheers.
 

talljosh003

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Oh, the guy at the pet store said they molt until they die, just not as often when adults. Sorry for the mix up :)
 
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