Emperor Setup Help Please

[Bjorgly]

Hi all, ive got tarantulas but I want a scorpion as well. Im pretty sure i want an emperor as they are cheap, common, good beginners and get nice and big =). Can anyone tell me how much space they need? What to include in their tank? how important humidity and temp is? The room is at 72-82 F pretty well all the time and i can mist for approx. 50+ humidity ( i have to mist 3-4 times daily to achieve this in my spiders cages). Also what do i use for substrate? Do they need heat lamps? Should i let them burrow or not?

Answers to some or all of these questions would be greatly appreciated. I am unable to find specifics on care sheets. Any other info for the TOTAL scorpion beginner appreciated because i like to edcuate myself before i buy anything as to give it a good home. thanks!

Mark

 

[skinheaddave]

Check out Cupid's Home on the Web. Isaac has put together a really entertaining site geared directly to people like you -- self-prophesed beginners. Then, once you've gone through that, feel free to ask any questions that you still have. I have no problem answering any and all questions, but I figure I should save my fingers a bit of work if I can.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[atavuss]

look around and see if you can find Manny Rubio's "Scorpions, A complete pet owner's manual" it is printed by Barron's......some of the online invert dealers carry it and you can probably order it at your favorite book retailer. all the info you need and more on emperors and other types of scorpions is in this book.
Ed

 

[sabre]

give 10 gallons for one and about 3-5 gallons per emp if you have more. if you let them burrow (and you should) you don't need to worry too much about space, they all like to pile up in my experience.

the temp and humidity you can provide is fine, you don't really need a lamp. as for substrate i use a mix of peatmoss and vermiculite, and used Code Monkey's idea of mixing water crystals into the substrate.

let them burrow, they'll be happier and healthier if you do.

 

[Alonso99]

hey

I thought 10 gallons was sufficient for 2 emperors.

 

[skinheaddave]

It all depends on who you ask. In reality, gallons mean nothing, since floor space is what you need for emps. I generaly feel that for the large forest scorpions (Pandinus, Heterometrus) you need about one square foot of floorspace for each scorpion. That works out to 144 square inches. Since a standard 10 gallon tank is 200 square inches, that doesn't really leave you room for two.

Now, that being said, if you stick two emps in a 100 gallon aqauarium with only one small hide and 1/2" of substrate, you are going to end up with two crowded scorpions. Tank design has a lot to do with how many you can fit in there. If you provide a nice complex environment with lots of hiding spots, you should be able to fit lots in. Don't overdo it, but you can probably stretch the guideline a bit. In the end it is up to you. I've seen dozens of emps kept in a small, bare aquarium. They weren't eating each other, but I don't imagine their lives were very stress-free either. I had three H.spinifer in a tank with three square feet of floor space, but one was canabalized so I only have two left.

Cheers,
Dave

 

[sabre]

i meant that 10 gallons should be the minimum for one large emp but that doesn't mean that you can't have two in a ten gallon, it depends on the tank setup as dave was saying. if you filled a 10 gallon with substrate and had multiple layers and tunnels, then sure, you could have 2 or 3 in there with no problems.

the great thing about emps (besides the size they reach) is that they do get along really well, making it is much easier to care for multiples without worrying about canabalization.

 

[Bjorgly]

Thanks for all the replys!

First of all, what is code monkeys idea with the water crystals? How much substrate and what kind should i put in the 10 gallon tank? and It will probabaly be only a few inches when i get it, can it still stay in the 10 gallon? How many hiding places should i give it or should i let it burrow?

Any other tips appreciated, thanks

Mark

 

[sabre]

the original post is here:
http://www.arachnopets.com/arachnob...&threadid=107&highlight=water+bites+substrate

basically you just mix cricket water crystals or similar ones from a plant store into the substrate to maintain humidity better.

they like to burrow under rocks or logs that are already in the tank. i placed a large flat rock in my tank which they are currently all under, they prefer it to the bark hiding spot. for one smaller scorp in a 10 gallon, 3-4 inches of substrate would work. i use peat and vermiculite.

if it is a small emp it may have trouble catching the food in the larger tank, but you can always just chase the crickets towards it or disable them and place them near it.