Dead Emperor and Terrarium Question w/pics

[jerec350]

I recently found my Emperor female dead a few days ago. I've had her for a little over 2 years and she has always fed well and seemed fine until about 2 weeks ago she started ignoring her food and became sluggish. Well yesterday I purchased a new one (female) and I cleaned out her tank and reset it the way it was but now I'm not sure I've got it set up right and I'd like your opinions. I have gravel in the bottom and a watering tube on the side for moisture instead of spray misting. I use the Eco-Earth coconut substrate. I have 2 small heat pads on the bottom and the backside of the tank near where I put her hide. The inside temp strip usually reads between 86-90. It stays damp and moist as you can see the condensation on the walls of the tank. I have a plastic lid covering the top. Is this a good way to keep my set up or do I need to change things up? I'm new to the boards and I have read on other sites that this is a good set up but on others it says it says I shouldn't have condensation on the walls or a plastic lid. You guys seem to know what you're talking about so I ask you to please take a look at my set up and give me you thoughts. Thanks.

 

[WelshTan]

I was unable to see if there are any ventilation holes in the lid.... If not you will need to add some as the air will become stale and stagnant without adequate ventilation. The way I added ventilation to similar tank lids is to light a candle and heat up the end of a + screwdriver and melt many many holes in the lid.
Also the heat pad on the bottom should NOT cover more than a third of the tank base... there needs to be a temperature gradient so your scorpion is able to regulate her temperature easily... I would place 2 hides in there (one at the warm end and the other at the cooler end. Maybe the number of heat mats you have is a little excessive? As glass enclosures tend to heat up a LOT more than plastic/acrylic enclosures.

 

[Selket]

Also don't put heat pads on the bottom, the scorp will burrow to escape heat, and if there is a heat source on the bottom it will try to continue to burrow. I think I have heard of people finding cooked scorps because of this.

Also I would suggest a little less gravel and more coco fiber.

 

[jerec350]

I was unable to see if there are any ventilation holes in the lid.... If not you will need to add some as the air will become stale and stagnant without adequate ventilation. The way I added ventilation to similar tank lids is to light a candle and heat up the end of a + screwdriver and melt many many holes in the lid.
Also the heat pad on the bottom should NOT cover more than a third of the tank base... there needs to be a temperature gradient so your scorpion is able to regulate her temperature easily... I would place 2 hides in there (one at the warm end and the other at the cooler end. Maybe the number of heat mats you have is a little excessive? As glass enclosures tend to heat up a LOT more than plastic/acrylic enclosures.

When using 1 heat pad on the bottom the temp didn't get above 75 but when I added the 2nd to the back the temp went to 86-90. What is the best temp range? I read before it should be 85-90 ideally. Is that correct? I don't have any holes for ventilation so I will definitely add that along with another hide.

 

[jerec350]

Also don't put heat pads on the bottom, the scorp will burrow to escape heat, and if there is a heat source on the bottom it will try to continue to burrow. I think I have heard of people finding cooked scorps because of this.

Also I would suggest a little less gravel and more coco fiber.

Yeah I thought I put too much gravel and not enough coco this time. I'll have to change that up for sure.

 

[WelshTan]

ideal temps should be around 75F at the cool end and 80F at the warm end ... humidity 80-85% and increased to around 90% when molting but no higher as the exoskeleton will end up being too elastic ...
Keep the substrate damp and mist daily

 

[WelshTan]

Also I would suggest using a shallower water dish or burying it into the substrate so the surface of the water is level with the surface of the substrate to make it easier for your scorpion to drink ...(I noticed mine were having some difficulty drinking from an elevated dish until I buried my dish down a little)

 

[kupo969]

Another thought:

When I had emps w/ false bottom setups they almost always dug up the small pebbles every time and it was a pain, so I switched to larger stones.

 

[dairy]

Also I would suggest a little less gravel and more coco fiber.

You could probably leave the gravel as is and just add more substrate. The space between the top of the substrate up to the lid is really just "wasted" space as your scorp isn't going to use it, or miss it.

The only thing I can think of to watch for is if the substrate level allows the scorp to reach the top of the tank in which case I would look into weighting down the lid, or a latch to ensure it can't stand up and push the lid open. I've seen my Emps up against the glass with nothing but the last 2 or 3 segments of their tail touching the ground. With a big Emp, and accounting for the reach of the claws you could be looking at a 6-7 inch reach!

It's also kinda cool to see the burrowing. My juvies dig like mad. I swear they've dug tunnels and burrows through at least half the substrate. It's like catacombs under there, including a few places where you can get a good look at them in the burrow through the side of the tank.

 

[snappleWhiteTea]

Is the aquarium gravel at the bottom beneficial? It looks pritty cool, but wouldn't they get slimy from stuff growing on it?

 

[jerec350]

Is the aquarium gravel at the bottom beneficial? It looks pritty cool, but wouldn't they get slimy from stuff growing on it?

I read where its supposed to be an alternative to daily misting. The theory is that the water in the gravel evaporates from the heat of the pad on the bottom and rises through the soil and collects on the lid and then drips back down, producing a rainforest effect. Not sure how true that is but it seems to work. Just curious if that's more beneficial to my scorpion over daily misting?

I appreciate all the advice guys. Thanks!

So how about the condensation on the glass? I read one site that said you shouldn't have it because that means it is TOO humid. Is that true or is the condensation acceptable?

 

[Finntroll86]

I believe that is called a false bottom setup, which I use myself to great success. The nice thing about it is keeping lower substrate moist and the top layers dry, basically allowing the scorp to choose its own comfortable level by burrowing to various depths.

I never used a heating pad, and specially not on the bottom, it can be confusing to scorps seeing as they burrow to escape from heat. I always use a infrared bulb.

Edit/ I would say concerns for your setup are Ventilation(its too humid, let the top 1"-1 1/2" dry out), Heat Source(Bulb from top, 75-85F), and it looks like you use a lighting system on top? if so does it give off UV? if so that can be harmful for prolonged periods, plus most scorps don't need lighting setups, nearby a window or partial sunlight will do.

 

[SNAFU]

Just my 2cents, but I'd get rid of the heat mats completely. Over the past six years I have yet to use any special heat source or false bottom.
Perhaps i'm just lazy (yeah, I am) but I keep my enclosures pretty basic. My P.imperator's are in a ten gallon aquarium on about 6" eco earth coco fiber with a big water dish, a couple of hides, and a couple of fake plants across the back. I just mist'em pretty heavy about two times per week, keep the water dish full, and toss in a generous portion of crickets once a week. They have all done fine.

 

[BorisTheSpider]

Another thought:

When I had emps w/ false bottom setups they almost always dug up the small pebbles every time and it was a pain, so I switched to larger stones.

Just put some sort of barrier between the gravel and the coco fiber . I have used this stuff called gardening fabric , but I recently found this plastic mess material at a craft store . It looks like window screen but it's a heavier gauge and made from a translucent plastic . A barrier will allow water to pass while keeping the critters out of the gravel .

 

[jerec350]

I believe that is called a false bottom setup, which I use myself to great success. The nice thing about it is keeping lower substrate moist and the top layers dry, basically allowing the scorp to choose its own comfortable level by burrowing to various depths.

I never used a heating pad, and specially not on the bottom, it can be confusing to scorps seeing as they burrow to escape from heat. I always use a infrared bulb.

Edit/ I would say concerns for your setup are Ventilation(its too humid, let the top 1"-1 1/2" dry out), Heat Source(Bulb from top, 75-85F), and it looks like you use a lighting system on top? if so does it give off UV? if so that can be harmful for prolonged periods, plus most scorps don't need lighting setups, nearby a window or partial sunlight will do.

Its a fluorescent light. I leave it on during the day and turn it off at night. Should I just leave it off? I don't provide the light for her but I do like to leave it on for myself to be able to go over and look at her. The set up is not near a window or other light source.