emperor molting or dieing

rooster

Arachnopeon
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Mar 7, 2007
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I have two emperor scorps. Ive had them for a few months and everything seemed good until last night. There are two different hides, but usually both of the scorps hang out in the same one. Well since yesterday evening the one scorp has been laying in the middle of the tank, and not under either hide. It seems kinda lethargic and also grumpier then it usually is, its usually the mellow one. Ive never seen a scorp molt before, is this how it starts or is it dieing? The other scorp seems fine. Housing is 20 gallon long, air temp about 72 with under tank heater at one side humidity about 75%
 

Bayushi

Arachnoprince
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it sounds like the poor bugger might be close to passing away. My male emp was the exact same way right before he died.


On another note: the temps seem a bit low for your scorps, as do the humidity. I'd try to get the temps up to the mid 80's same with the humidity. Also under tank heating is a big no no. emperors burrow to escape heat and if the tank is heated from below, it messes with them. they keep burrowing down only to get closer to the heat they are trying to escape.

Of course these are just my opinions and you may do as you wish.
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
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it sounds like the poor bugger might be close to passing away. My male emp was the exact same way right before he died.


On another note: the temps seem a bit low for your scorps, as do the humidity. I'd try to get the temps up to the mid 80's same with the humidity. Also under tank heating is a big no no. emperors burrow to escape heat and if the tank is heated from below, it messes with them. they keep burrowing down only to get closer to the heat they are trying to escape.

Of course these are just my opinions and you may do as you wish.
Temps are fine.
 

Bayushi

Arachnoprince
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Temps are fine.
Gotta disagree with you there... not only my own experience with species but from every care sheet i have ever see on the species. Temps on care sheets all say 80's to 90's and my personal experience has shown that temps in the 70's produces a less active scorpion that tends to not eat. I'm not talking about a fast as they are prone to do, but not eating at all.
 

rooster

Arachnopeon
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The under tank heater is one of the smaller ones and its all the way on the one end of the tank. It seems like the scorps kind move from on top of it, Id guess if they are cool, to the middle of the tank, id guess if they are too hot, and Id guess if they were really hot they could move all the way to the other end of the tank, its a 20 long and that little heating pad doesnt heat up the whole surface of the bottom of that tank, or at least that was my theory. Other then a light, cuz I figured a light would bake the scorps, how would you heat the tank?

I think the scorp that doesnt look good is a male, are they like T's and the males dont live as long as the females?
 

Bayushi

Arachnoprince
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the big problem with getting P imps is, unless you got them from someone who bred them, you don't know how old they are. Most of the ones you'll find in pet stores are wild caught adults. there is always the high chance they are close to the end of their lives..
 

rooster

Arachnopeon
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Mar 7, 2007
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Yea I did get them at a pet store. It's gonna be a shame if it does die, the two got along so good... Well thanks for the replies, Ill let you all know what happens
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
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Gotta disagree with you there... not only my own experience with species but from every care sheet i have ever see on the species. Temps on care sheets all say 80's to 90's and my personal experience has shown that temps in the 70's produces a less active scorpion that tends to not eat. I'm not talking about a fast as they are prone to do, but not eating at all.
Find me information that slowing they're metabolic rate will harm them in any way. Also note that he stated air temperature, which most likely differs a lot from actual ground temperature, especially if he has the heater under the tank. None of my scorpions enjoy temps in the 80's or 90's.. sometimes I let the temp get up there to about 81, but thats only for short periods of time. Anything under 68 degrees F I would say is cause to add more heat. By keeping them that warm all the time food will go right through them, and your also taking away the chance for the scorpion to regulate they're metabolism naturally. Also most likely shortening it's life.
 

Bayushi

Arachnoprince
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I love how my opinions and observations are immediately wrong, if they are not in line with what you feel or think. You'll note I said i disagree with you, not that what you said was BS, then posted what i know from my own observations.

As for your request about documentation showing slowing THEIR metabolism will hurt them, find me some that says it doesn't.

On to the not allowing them to regulate metabolism naturally... how do you know what i do or don't allow. My emps burrow, thus allowing them to control their relative temps. So I choose to have the temps of my tank closely resembling the temps they would encounter in their native ranges instead of allowing the temps to only reach a daytime high of northern Canada. I'm fairly certain that average daytime temps of the mid 80's to 90's are not unheard of in a equatorial region anywhere in the world, let alone Africa.

So in closing I'd like to remind you that this is a forum to share information, not everyone is going to agree with what you have to say. In all reality a large portion of information here is what people know from personal observation, thus making it opinion not fact. Not everyone will agree with what you have to say and, as it is obvious, you won't agree with everything others say. your views and opinions are just as valid as mine or anyone else's here, and in reality said opinions along with $2.50 Can. will get a cup of coffee at 7-11
 

EAD063

Arachnoprince
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I love how my opinions and observations are immediately wrong, if they are not in line with what you feel or think. You'll note I said i disagree with you, not that what you said was BS, then posted what i know from my own observations.

As for your request about documentation showing slowing THEIR metabolism will hurt them, find me some that says it doesn't.

On to the not allowing them to regulate metabolism naturally... how do you know what i do or don't allow. My emps burrow, thus allowing them to control their relative temps. So I choose to have the temps of my tank closely resembling the temps they would encounter in their native ranges instead of allowing the temps to only reach a daytime high of northern Canada. I'm fairly certain that average daytime temps of the mid 80's to 90's are not unheard of in a equatorial region anywhere in the world, let alone Africa.

So in closing I'd like to remind you that this is a forum to share information, not everyone is going to agree with what you have to say. In all reality a large portion of information here is what people know from personal observation, thus making it opinion not fact. Not everyone will agree with what you have to say and, as it is obvious, you won't agree with everything others say. your views and opinions are just as valid as mine or anyone else's here, and in reality said opinions along with $2.50 Can. will get a cup of coffee at 7-11
I wasn't the first to disagree sir... The question he is asking is stated, he isn't asking a tmeperature question... In reference to his scorpion be lethargic temperature is not the cause! If you stick to the topic you can see I was not trying to be rude.

Ps, it has been said before immese heat causes metabolic disfunction in cold blooded animals.
 

rooster

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 7, 2007
Messages
25
:d

Well the one scorp is still acting a little sluggish, but the other one had babies :D Could the one scorp be upset becouse the mama scorp run him out of the hide?
 

Thaedion

Arachnoangel
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Nov 20, 2006
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Well the one scorp is still acting a little sluggish, but the other one had babies :D Could the one scorp be upset becouse the mama scorp run him out of the hide?
Congrats on the new brood... I would recommend taking the male out of there he just might view her as a 'mobile meal wagon'... Also if you haven't yet read up on the FAQ section rearing Pandinus imperator babies http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=69385

Thaedion
 

rooster

Arachnopeon
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Mar 7, 2007
Messages
25
Yea i did take him out already, and thanks for the link, that will save me quite a bit of searching :)

Hopefull now the male will perk up a bit.
 

Mark Newton

Arachnobaron
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Mar 9, 2007
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When discussing the temperature your scorpion prefers it is important to incorporate humidity, as the amount of water in the air will have a big impact. So a keeper who has a more humid environment may find his scorps dont like higher temps, but a keeper with a lower humidity environment may find his scorps prefer higher temps as water pressure is lower. This is the reason scorps stilt, it is based on both temperature and humidity. The difference might only be 10%RH, but that is more than enough to create different behaviour and responses. This may well be the reason why one keepers observations vary to others.
 
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