hadogenes sub

chaoshybrid6

Arachnosquire
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I just got a Hadogenes Troglodytes I believe, and have read conflicting reports about some people using sand, some people usuing peat and some using various mixtures. I have my guy set up on 100% peat right now and was just wondering if this was acceptable or should I go looking for some sand? thanks
 

EAD063

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Dry sand and moist peat is what I use (H paucidens). But, as Brian said, it needs to be dry, so let a heat lamp do the job after the mix (if you wish to mix, I would, at least a little, it'd be more likely they'd naturally be on a mix than straight peat). These came a day early so the sub. is still a little moist as it was a rush job. I left the lid off for a while until I was happy with it. Heres how it looks chaos. ;)



 

Mark Newton

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I'm interested. So the substrate is dry and I assume there is a water container of sorts. How ventilated is the lid?
 

jamesc

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looks pretty nice... are those tiles in the middle?

Yeah they look like tiles, you can use anything flat like slate, tile, just whatever works. They like to squeeze in between 2 rocks to hide. (hence the name "flatrock scorpion" {D )

I tried to get a shot of my setup but she wasn't cooperating today, on top of the rocks tonight. You can buy these fake rocks at pet stores, they are lighter than regular rocks.
 
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EAD063

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Yes they are. :) I think they're 4x4. One for each setup was snapped in two to provide height while conserving resources. This could be done to make a cave for burrowers, but I'd suggest hot glueing them together (esp. for a larger species). The tiles don't hold together themselves due to the difference between the top, smoothe side, and the bottom, rough and uneven surface. Took a while to get them to stick using a a mixture of peat and sand (the substrate of course), heavily wet and carefully spread on the smooth top of the bottom layer and the coarse part of the middle/upper piece. Basically just as a tile is meant to be laid. But with sand and soil instead of glue or grout. It has held together surprisingly well, I had expected to eventually have to glue it, but probaly not, at least not with scorpions from this genus.
 

EAD063

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I'm interested. So the substrate is dry and I assume there is a water container of sorts. How ventilated is the lid?
The water source is a bottle cap filled about every 2 days, although I've never really seen any use it. The lid has about 10 holes drilled in it, but I did all the drilling offsite all at once and wasn't considering what lids would go where. But every other day usually I just take the top off and leave it off.

I will snap a pic and edit this post.
 

Mark Newton

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The water source is a bottle cap filled about every 2 days, although I've never really seen any use it. The lid has about 10 holes drilled in it, but I did all the drilling offsite all at once and wasn't considering what lids would go where. But every other day usually I just take the top off and leave it off.

I will snap a pic and edit this post.

That's pretty amazing isnt it. Any idea what the humidity is inside their house? I guess having evolved to live between rocks has given them a very good water retention ability. I'd love to do an evaporative water loss comparison on them.
 

Bayushi

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I'm currently keeping my H trog on straight sand, but am going to eventually do a sand/peat mix. for the hide the wife brought home a couple of "african castles" that the pet store sells for aquariums. we just broke those down since they were made up from broken hunks of (fake)marble flooring. the water dish i am using is off a 4 liter milk jug and i fill it whenever... usually it goes 4 days between fill ups. I've never seen the scorp drink from it and it looks as if he avoids it completely, since there are never any tracks near it.
 

EAD063

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Eaiser to just new post than edit

Bayushi, thanks for the water note, I'm glad I'm not the only one not seeing any water consumption. Mark, I have noted the humidity in the 20's when the lamp is off, but when it's on the hydrometer basically goes straight 0, piece of junk. (Probaly the only humidity is a bit of overspilled water and my hous ehumidity.) Heres the shots.




 

Mark Newton

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Mark, I have noted the humidity in the 20's when the lamp is off, but when it's on the hydrometer basically goes straight 0, piece of junk.
Thanks for that Ed. That is one pretty amazing scorpion, able to survive such dry conditions...darn amazing! No wonder it doesnt drink water, doesnt need to. It might drink from droplets...ie rain running down the rocks.
 

Bayushi

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I notice after feeding my H trog, i don't see it for several days. i think it meets most of it's moisture requirements from it's food and conserves it by staying inside it's den.
 

Galapoheros

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Econolodge. I put a peat plug (those things people get seeds going with) in a corner right behind the rock to provide moisture in it's hide, . I drilled a small hole in the top above the peat plug so I could easily add water to it when it dries out. I used sand and a little bit of peat for the sub. I found the flat rocks by a river. I haven't seen any drinking either, but it's available.


 

Galapoheros

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Thanks. I've had it like this for a few weeks I guess. I think she likes it, I never see her trying to get out. Funny when I put a bug in the hole in the top, she reaches up and grabs it. I plan to set up the P. trans the same basic way. It's still a little cool here so I have about, oh, 1/10 of the flat on a terr heater. Sometimes I will see her out flattened like a pancake on the sand right over the small area that heats up. I don't cool that part of the house, it will get hot here soon enough and the heater will go.
 

Bayushi

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i know when i drop food into my trog, he'll move the the side of the tank well before i even drop the food in thru the feeder hole.
 

Galapoheros

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It is weird. So sensitive to vibrations. When I see the scorps out and I open a bag of chips, that really freaks them out. They back up, move around, go forward and sit there like their trying to figure out what "that" was.

I've also wondered, because of the closed type of containers I keep some in with the holes, it might have something to do with acoustics, the holes and air pressure caused by air moving in and out of the holes as I walk by and the way the chip bag makes all that noise. Maybe things are kinda loud in there.
 
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