Considering Black emperor scorpion(s)

[Selket]

I don't have a hood on my tank, just one of those screen tops. If you used this you could just put the CHE on one side of the screen top so that one side of the tank is warmer than the other, producing a temperature gradient.

I might be missing something, but why are you making a hood? is it for a black light?

 

[mapleleaf]

Just to satisfy the bloke I house share with-I was just going to make something with a wooden frame-then about 90% perspex, with 50% of this drilled with small holes for humdity.

Would a 100w or 150w CHE be too hot to sit above perspex-or would it be better to cut a hole for it to sit in??

I hope this makes sense-if not let me know and I will fire up photoshop and try and show you what I mean

When you say screen-what do you mean?Whats it made of?

Jon

 

[Selket]

This is the kind of screen I have.(or similar) is this. It works fine. What is perspex? Is it kind of like plexi-glass(a kind of plastic "glass"?).

 

[Selket]

The lamp might melt the perspex if you put it right on the perspex. You could make the lid of the tank out of wood and instead of using perspex for the lid, use some screening material, like for windows. Then you could put the lamp on the screen.

I...well actually my girlfriend has a terrarium like that for her ball pythons. Where it has a wooden frame, plexiglass instead of glass, and a hinged lid made from wood and screening. I will take a picture later today, and put it up. One of her friends made it.

 

[mapleleaf]

Yes-perspex is like plastic glass-and would be very interested to see the picture youre on about as it sounds like it may well be exactly the kind of thing Im after creating!

Thanks once again for all the help!


I tip my hat to you

 

[Selket]

OK well it looks like the terrarium that I was talking about is packed away right now. (we are in the middle of moving) So I will get a good picture for you, when we are finished moving in. So around may 1st or 2nd I will have that picture for you. Sorry for the delay.

 

[mapleleaf]

Thats ok-good luck with the move

 

[mapleleaf]

Just a little update, my sister was going to buy me a CHE as a birthday present, but the local pet shop is refusing to sell her one, on the grounds that a CHE would scorch a scorpion-and the only thing they will sell her is a heat mat


Bearing in mind Im in the UK-does this sound correct, or maybe a little suspicious....I think my sister will end up getting me the heatmat anyway-but depending on your advice I may still get a CHE.

As said previously the measurements are :
width 120cm
height 50cm
depth 30cm

If I temporarily go for the heatmat, I know I stick it to the side or the rear of half the tank,correct?And how effective are these?
Will it be enough?

She is also on a mission now to find me the screen mesh that was previously mentioned.

Cheers all.

Jon

 

[Selket]

My opinion about heating pads are that they are not very effective at all. My heating pad barely does anything. I find my emp sometimes laying right next to the glass where the pad is. So I would think that it does not emit enough heat if the scorp will lay right next to it. And when I feel it, it is not "hot" but slightly warm.

But as for the CHE, I would think if you got a low enough wattage the scorp would be fine, also if you provide enough substrate (coco fiber or peat) for the emp to burrow to escape the heat you should be good also.

You can also fine clamp lamps that have an inline dimmer on them to control the amount of heat coming out of the lamp/emitter.

 

[mapleleaf]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Any idea what kind of wattage I would be after for a CHE in a tank this size at all?

 

[Selket]

I am not an expert on the wattage, but my guess would be either a 60 W (I think this would put off enough heat for your emp, and would be less likely to fry your scorp.) or a 100 W which would put off more heat. I would say a 60 W to be safe. Emp's don't like a lot of heat, but I think the 60 W would put off enough, and not fry the scorp.

My girlfriend uses a 100 W CHE for her ball pythons, and the tank might be a little taller than the one you have, and it puts out quite a bit of heat. So for an emp, I would go with 60 to be safe, and that should still raise the temp quite a bit on one side of the tank.

You might want to see if others have any input, or try to see what else you come up with researching on the internet.

sorry for such a long and kind of repetitive response.

 

[mapleleaf]

No problems.

With regards to substrate-I have seen some of the cocomat stuff-or whatever it is called (Add water to hydrate it and let it expand etc), so with a false bottomed tank, I use largish gravel, then a layer of this, and then another layer?Im looking at a substarte that is used for tarantulas-Ive forgotten the name, but would I use just this for the next layer? As Im sure I read somewhere, that mixing this with more of the cocomat-stuff would be a good idea-can anyone clarify this?

the local pet shop also reccomended some bark chips-would you agree with this?

Thanks once again.
Jon

 

[Selket]

For a false bottom, use about an inch of gravel (I use a little bigger than pea size gravel). Then just put about 4-6 inches of coco fiber (the stuff that comes in brick form and you add water and it expands, like you were talking about.) I don't think you need any bark chips at all.

You could also put some screening or mesh in between the gravel and coco fiber, so if the emp burrows, it won't dig into the gravel. I don't do this, but my emp doesn't even burrow.

And then just make sure you have a tube going through the substrate and gravel so you can add water.

 

[mapleleaf]

Here is the first-he is awesome-he is sooo lilvely-well at night which is when Im awake-so beautiful and full of character

Sorry for being a happy n00b, but i sleep badly so im up lots at night and he is out and about and Im loving him!


Am calling him shadow-couldnt think of a better name!!!

Thnx for all the help

 

[Selket]

nice scorp. I am glad you are excited about it. I love my emp. By the color of the telson it looks like yours is a sub adult.

Congrats:clap:

Oh and by the way, did you ever make your tank, or did you just buy one?

 

[mapleleaf]

Im currently using a 2.5ft tank, as I had a issue with my 3ft, however I have just been offered a 4ft tank also-so Im really spoilt for choice-and Im having a new lid made by friend swho work at a glassworks company

 

[mapleleaf]

Ahhh-and may I just ask what you mean by sub adult?? Sorry for another question

 

[Selket]

It probably is not fully mature. It will molt one or two more times. I am pretty sure that it is a sub adult. By the look of the picture the telson (stinger) looks like an orangish cream color, which means almost mature, but not quite. If it is a dark reddish maroon, then the scorp is fully mature and will not molt. If it is a white, than it is a juvenile and has a few molts left.

Just in case, a molt is like shedding.

 

[Selket]

here are the pictures of the tank that was built for my girlfriends ball pythons:

 

[mapleleaf]

A quick question-if you will.

I have a infra red 50w bulb-will that be ok in a metal lamp?
Both have the ES fitting-and the lamp is rated for 60w-that should be ok shouldnt it???