Considering Black emperor scorpion(s)

[mapleleaf]

Ive been looking around at a few sites and this one has been quite informative.
Im not going to be buying for a while yet-as Im still researching etc-I want to be prepared and not buy on a whim.

So far I have a aquarium that I am planning on using-the measurements are:

width 120cm
height 50cm
depth 30cm
Will this be suitable?And would I be able to keep 2?

I am going to go for the false bottom setup as this looks like quite a good way to go.

Now my main question at the moment is heat mat or lights?

What are your opinions on either or both?Any pros or cons that I should know of?


Any ideas and suggestions are all greatfully appreciated!

1st post

Jon

 

[Selket]

That size should be fine for two emperors. Also the false bottom setup will be a good and easy way to keep humidity up.

But for heating, I would say get a lamp. I have a heating pad, and it does not do much, if anything. But if you do get a heating pad, put it on the side of the tank and not the bottom. Emps like to burrow to get away from the heat, and putting a heat source under them would confuse them, and possibly kill them.

 

[mapleleaf]

Thankyou for the prompt reply

I was told that a light may be a better way to go, and was leaning towards that idea-so thankyou for your input


Jon

 

[Lucozade3000]

If you use a heat source,l i would recommend to get a ceramic heat bulb on one side of the tank.
A heatmat will only keep your set-up a few degrees above room temp.
Why do you go for Emps?, they are a bit boring and you might not see them often...
Are you in the States? if so you have a lot more choice and no restrictions on the species you can keep:wall:
Good luck
-J

 

[mapleleaf]

I went for emps as Im in the UK-and as my first venture into this kind of pet I wanted something that wouldnt be too hard to care for

Im unsure what else is around in the UK that may be suitable

 

[Selket]

An emp is a good scorpion for someone to get that is just getting into the hobby. That was/is still my first scorpion. Then about a month after I got my emp, I got 4 B. Jacksoni 2i scorplings. The b. Jacksoni are another good beginner scorpion.

But over all, I would suggest an emperor since they are a strong scorpion, and easy to care for. By strong I mean their living conditions are wide so it doesn't take much to care for.

I also second getting the ceramic heat emitter for heating. I am looking into investing into one. The big downside of the CHE, is their price.

 

[mapleleaf]

So what would be the easiest but not neccesarily most expensive option?

Funds arent tight so to speak, but Im not super rich either!


And thanks again thanks for the replies

 

[Naga]

I'm in the same boat you are. I've had emperors before, but it's been awhile and I'm looking to buy some scorps soon. The people on here have given me pretty good answers to mostly everything...

There are red bulbs sold in the pet market. They're pretty good for scorp care. I don't know how long they last, but they're good as they don't shed much UV light, and scorpions don't mind them much. They do the job though

Ceramic Heat Emitters may be expensive (~$35USD), but they'll last you like 5 years. Plus, they don't give off light, just heat... Which is good, because being nocturnal, scorpions really don't care for it to be very bright

 

[mapleleaf]

I shall have a look at a few of the local shops this week and see whats on offer locally before looking online.

Once again thanks

 

[mapleleaf]

Another question-does anyone know what kind of wattage I would be after?

And with regards to using a bulb, will one suffice?And again any idea on the wattage for those?

Sorry for all the questions, but I want to cover all bases-and I like to do my research

 

[Selket]

Questions are good, better to ask than not ask and end up with a dead scorp . I would say that a 100 W or 150 W should be fine with the dimensions you listed. Also you could ask people at a pet store what size lamp would be good for the size of your tank.

I would recommend the Ceramic Heat Emitter for its durability. But the red heat lamps I hear are good to watch your scorp at night time, since they cannot see red light. (I just use a red LED flashlight). But it all depends on how much you want to spend now. CHE are more expensive, but as previously stated last a lot longer. And heat lamps are somewhat cheaper, but only last for a few months.

And if you have more questions, don't be afraid to ask.

 

[Selket]

Also, one bulb should be fine on one side of the tank so that there is a temperature gradient for the scorp.

 

[mapleleaf]

Again thanks for the replies-Im sure I will have loads more questions to ask as I go along.

Im not sure if there are many of your members in the uk etc-I just signed up after reading the forums and seeing how helpful everyone was.

I was wondering with regards to the CHE whether there are specific brands favoured by keepers, or any to avoid, a quick google has come up with lots of them under the Exo Terra brand-and they all appear to be a reasonable price.


The lighting issue is again another good point, I would like to see them when they are active, but dont require a light on all night either, so I guess I should look for a red light as it wont affect them as much-again, are there any brands etc that are preferrable or have a good reputation over others?

Another thing I have thought of, is that my scorpions will be kept in a bit of a recess, so they wont get loads of natural light, is there anything you can suggest for this , or should I try and locate them somewhere where they can get more?

Thanks again.

Jon

 

[Selket]

Emps do not like light at all. It is good for them to stay out of natural light (sun light) UV light is bad for them after long exposure. That is why people say that you can look at them under a black light (UV light) for a short time every now and then. If you didn't know that scorps glow under black lights.

The one brand I am familiar with for CHEs is Zoo Med. I usually buy Zoo Med stuff when ever I can. The one thing I didn't like about their products was the heat mat I bought, but that was more my fault than theirs.

 

[mapleleaf]

Yes, I had seen some amazing pictures, and had heard that this could be hazardous to them if they were under it for too long.


So a good setup would be a CHE , and maybe a standar light or lamp for daytime viewing(Not on all day) ,, and then a red light for night time viewing(Again not all night)....does this sound about right?



I have heard the Zoo brand mentioned before-I shall look into them a bit more-and the CHE-just fits into a light bulb holder-rather than a bulb-for all intents and purposes?


Cheers for the help peeps

 

[Selket]

I am not sure if you would need a bulb for day time viewing, as the room lighting should suffice, but I never see my emp during the day, he is always under his hide.

As for the thing to hold the CHE or bulb, all that you need is something along the lines of this. Not like a regular lamp that you would put on a table, just to clear things up.

 

[mapleleaf]

Okey dokey-I think thats nice and simple-and that stays on 24/7.

So with regards to a redlight for evening viewing-is there anything specific I should be after for that at all?

And any advice for positioning of lamps and the CHE?

As Im building a hood for the tank myself-any advice from anyone who has done this themselves etc?

I just want to cover every angle and get things right first time around


Cheers for clarification on the CHE holder

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

Personally, I feel supplemental heating is not really necessary for emperor scorpions. They like it cool. This is why in the wild, they spend most of their times in termite mounds. Those mounds really are amazing at keeping the colony(and occupants such as an emp) cool. Anyway, I also kept my emps at room temperature fine with no problems whatsoever.. You can have a bulb for night time viewing I guess, but I don't know if leaving it on all night is a good idea.

If you really want to provide additional heating, place the heat source over one end. This allows for a gradient and areas where the scorp can choose to warm up or cool off.

 

[mapleleaf]

Im not planning on leaving a light on all night-will just have a red bulb for occasional evening viewing

Now I guess its time to draw up some plans for making the hood.

Does anyone have any ideas etc? Any materials I should avoid etc?


Thanks for all the help thus far!

 

[alexi]

I use a moonglow bulb, it's not strictly a blacklight but still makes them fluoresce. I was worried about it since I had heard blacklights were bad for them, but folks on here told me the moonglow was fine. So if you see one of those and you like the glowy look you might consider it.

And also I think if a scorpion is legitemately too hot, it will burrow. So as long as you give it the opportunity to do so and you don't put a heat pad on the bottom it seems to me overheating isn't a major concern.

There is an argument for not heating though, scorpions do live longer when they're kept cooler since it effectively slows down their life processes. I think of it as a trade off. Shorter active life or longer boring life. But I don't know to what extent their life spans will change just by altering heating. Has a study been done on this? If not, it would be very easy to do one.... you could also study the effect of constant temperature versus naturally cyclic temperatures....