How many Asian Forest Scorpions in a 55 gallon tank.

[LastStarfighter]

I am new to the hobby. I have an extra 55 gallon long fish tank that started leaking and was replaced for my fish. How many of the Asian scorpions would you recommend for such a size? I am aware of the possibility for cannibalism, am and willing to risk it. I have read enough to know it works as often as it doesn't, and I'd love for a couple to breed. I'll have plenty of shelters and hides.
Also should I go with a screen lid, or plexiglass to keep the humidity up? Figuring on a coconut fiber substrate, and some white springtails.
Thanks in advance for all your help.

 

[Brewser]

Have you considered Reptilian / Amphibian Creatures instead ?

 

[CRX]

ZERO. Too big for them to find food. What is your goal in the big tank full of scorpions? Because with more than a couple, maybe 3, they won't be happy. Is your goal here a display tank? If so, you need to look into a different hobby. Scorpions aren't usually seen and they are not display animals.

 

[Crom]

They'll mate then you'll need to seperate and isolated the females

 

[LastStarfighter]

Awesome. So everyone's advice is don't do scorpions.

I don't want to do lizards or frogs. I have had them before, and wanted to try something new. Plus the habitats can have a odor, and I don't want my office smelling dank.

My goal with the 55 gallon tank is to have a low maintenance, low odor pet in my office that looks cool. I have a corn snake in a 35 gallon, and a 20 gallon fish tank. I am not looking for a display, I understand that they are nocturnal, and they burrow. My snake isn't active either, but i enjoy seeing him when he comes out.
The difficulty in food finding is not something I had considered. I figured on putting a few crickets or roaches in every week and letting the scorpions have at it. I was thinking 3 or 4 scorpions in the tank, with hides for each, if they choose.

 

[BadApple]

Hi LastStarfighter, not everyone is against communal scorpions,
I have been keeping scorpions in colonies since the early 2000,s mostly Heterometrus, and currently have 6 colonies, of 5 each
H. Spinifer
H. Laoticus
H. Silenus
H. Cimrmani
H. Longimanus
J. Cyaneus
In the past i have had colonies of 6 P. Imperators, and 6 H. Swammerdami.
All of these have been kept together from the same litter, and I have not had a single case of cannibalism. In fact no matter how many hides i provide, they generaly all share 1 of them.
If observed overnight with a blacklight, you will clearly see their interactions, whenever i change out their tanks, the digging of new tunnels is often a group affair, fascinating to watch.
Tank sizes, for most of mine, once adults i keep 5 in a 30 x18 x18 inch tank, not exactly sure how many gallons that works out to tbh.
Coco coir mixed with some general purpose compost is a good substrate to retain moisture and allow burrowing, almost all Heterometrus love to dig, so i have my tanks about 8-9 inches deep at the back of the tank, and about 4 at the front.
I believe the keys to keeping colonies is (idealy) start with scorpions from the same litter, keep them well fed, provide multiple hides, even if they do all use just one, and make sure temps / humidity are correct for your chosen species.
Should you manage this, your scorpions will be perfectly happy, and when on the wander, are quite a sight to see
All this is only relevant to Forest species tho, Desert Species are a completely diff ball game, and not easy (Unless you are allowed to keep DWA anyway)
Good luck with your tank, would be interested to see a pic if you get it established

 

[Alveus]

ZERO. Too big for them to find food.

That is not entirely true. It really depens on aktiv the prey is and how activ the predator.

If you put a Heterometrus silenus and a Dubiaroach in this tank, they'll probably never met. (But H. silenus digs alot and stays in his tunnles, so you always know where it is...)

But if you put a Acanthoscurria geniculata and a criket in the same tank, the criket wouldn't survive more than an hour.

I have an extra 55 gallon long fish tank

Just be mindefull, that it's a fishtank and not a terrarium. Sou you could run in to some problems without a proper ventilation.

 

[Smotzer]

I am aware of the possibility for cannibalism, am and willing to risk it.

In regards to this, have you ever kept any Heterometrus at all?

If not I strongly recommend that you do not try and keep multiples together in such a large tank, or just keep multiples together regardless. In general it can be much easier and more beneficial for the the animals to keep them seperate which will allow for greater control over the enviornement, whether or not their eating, and overall husbandry. This will be the sentiment of a lot of members that its almost always better for the animals when kept separately, especially if you do not have specific experience with the species in question.

Also 55 gallon is quite large, to say the least, to keep any arachnids in. Not trying to disuade you from keeping such amazing creatures as arachnids are, but I think you may need some plan revision. I say this as someone who cares for a few very large planted tanks with soil I will say that such a large tank with that much substrate can actually be a bit difficult to manage moisture levels without overdoing it, or equally underdoing it; often it is very difficult to achieve that happy medium as far as proper moisture is concerned.

If youre wanting any sort of advice on current tank setup/issues/advice, you'd be better off listing the dimensions and posting photos of it.Your current tank may be unsuitable to keep any arachnids in, or it may not, currently memebers cant really give any advice on it without knowing the specifics

 

[LastStarfighter]

Hi LastStarfighter, not everyone is against communal scorpions,
I have been keeping scorpions in colonies since the early 2000,s mostly Heterometrus, and currently have 6 colonies, of 5 each

How do you go about feeding them? Do they have trouble fining the food?

 

[BadApple]

Hi, Sure there will be plenty who wont agree with this,, but has worked for me almost 25 years now, so heres how i do it.
I allways attempt to re-create my beasties native environment, as far as possible, and In the wild scorpions spend a lot of time hunting, and, if there is food in the tank, they will hunt and catch it, they are born hunters, and the males in particular can cover vast areas nightly looking for food (and females). Keeping scorpions in small tanks IMHO promotes inactive, unhealthy and unhappy beasties, preventing their natural hunting instincts, often leading to obesity. If they can find food in the great wide world, are we seriously sposed to believe they cant catch a cricket confined in a tank ????
With a colony of 5, which i find a manageable number, i aim to allways have 1 or 2 crickets running around in the tank at any given time, when i cant see any more in there, a few more go in. I do not have a strict time schedule, their appetites vary with time, moulting, age, activity etc. Just ensure that there is something for them to hunt, and they will eat when they like. If they start to look a bit chubby, leave a few days between adding more food, and before long you will find the right balance for your setup and species. The younger the scorpions, the greater number per scorpion is needed, reducing with age. Once you reach that balance, you will have healthy and active beasties, at least as far as feeding goes. And who doesnt want to see more of them
Again, this is all relevant to forest species, mainly Hetrometrus, and the method i use with all of mine.
Best of luck

 

[mantisfan101]

Hi, Sure there will be plenty who wont agree with this,, but has worked for me almost 25 years now, so heres how i do it.
I allways attempt to re-create my beasties native environment, as far as possible, and In the wild scorpions spend a lot of time hunting, and, if there is food in the tank, they will hunt and catch it, they are born hunters, and the males in particular can cover vast areas nightly looking for food (and females). Keeping scorpions in small tanks IMHO promotes inactive, unhealthy and unhappy beasties, preventing their natural hunting instincts, often leading to obesity. If they can find food in the great wide world, are we seriously sposed to believe they cant catch a cricket confined in a tank ????
With a colony of 5, which i find a manageable number, i aim to allways have 1 or 2 crickets running around in the tank at any given time, when i cant see any more in there, a few more go in. I do not have a strict time schedule, their appetites vary with time, moulting, age, activity etc. Just ensure that there is something for them to hunt, and they will eat when they like. If they start to look a bit chubby, leave a few days between adding more food, and before long you will find the right balance for your setup and species. The younger the scorpions, the greater number per scorpion is needed, reducing with age. Once you reach that balance, you will have healthy and active beasties, at least as far as feeding goes. And who doesnt want to see more of them
Again, this is all relevant to forest species, mainly Hetrometrus, and the method i use with all of mine.
Best of luck

I'm gonna agree with you, I've also been getting more into larger bioactive type enclosures with more space. I was considering doing something similar with a 40 gallon enclosure, but what I would do is try to add some deeper substrate while making sure there's a plethora of hiding spaces as well. Feeding would be the biggest challenge but I don't see why tossing in a bunch of large crickets or roaches wouldn't solve the issue- they will likely establish themselves inside the enclosure and the scorpions can hunt them this way. As for count, I have no idea how many you could fit. I had 3 asian forests in a container with the footprint of a 10 gallon enclosure but I do think it is possible.

 

[Magner021925]

I am new to the hobby. I have an extra 55 gallon long fish tank that started leaking and was replaced for my fish. How many of the Asian scorpions would you recommend for such a size? I am aware of the possibility for cannibalism, am and willing to risk it. I have read enough to know it works as often as it doesn't, and I'd love for a couple to breed. I'll have plenty of shelters and hides.
Also should I go with a screen lid, or plexiglass to keep the humidity up? Figuring on a coconut fiber substrate, and some white springtails.
Thanks in advance for all your help.

I have had my Asain Forest Scorpion ina 55 long tank, by herself

Awesome. So everyone's advice is don't do scorpions.

I don't want to do lizards or frogs. I have had them before, and wanted to try something new. Plus the habitats can have a odor, and I don't want my office smelling dank.

My goal with the 55 gallon tank is to have a low maintenance, low odor pet in my office that looks cool. I have a corn snake in a 35 gallon, and a 20 gallon fish tank. I am not looking for a display, I understand that they are nocturnal, and they burrow. My snake isn't active either, but i enjoy seeing him when he comes out.
The difficulty in food finding is not something I had considered. I figured on putting a few crickets or roaches in every week and letting the scorpions have at it. I was thinking 3 or 4 scorpions in the tank, with hides for each, if they choose.

My husband and I have had our Asian Forest Scorpion in a 55 gallon tank, for roughly a year. She is doing absolutely amazing. Every night she comes out of her hide, and goes on the hunt for the 24+ crickets with her every week. She usually eats all the crickets within the 2nd or 3rd day. We also keep a feeding dish of Calcium Gut Load Cricket jelly, in the tank to offer another food source, besides a potato every so often. We are not gonna lie, our girl lives to eat the cricket gut load once and a while. Thats perfectly safe as well. She is in absolute heaven. She also has a large shallow water dish, that she actually sits inside it to drink, and do whatever, drown crickets, play with her food. We offer her a deeper side with coco back, and a cooler side with moss, that we must every other day or so.
I think people like using the smaller terrariums for their Scorpion, for maybe a few different reasons, they want to see their Scorpion, they may want to be able to find it easier for handling procedures. I can still take out scorpion out of the tank no problem. She has seemed to know when it's time to come out of her tank. But I have found in my many years of owning Scorpions, I have always tried to give them their maximum "natural setting" as you will. I mean no one likes to be living in a box..my take Happy Feet with Mumble.... same idea. No animal wants to live in a little enclosure.
Anyways, we offer our girl, two hides. One on the cooler side of the tank, which is about 65ish. We live in New England, so kinda chilly up north. And the warmer side with a side heating pad, holding a temp at 78ish, with a small red heat lamp. Which we keep on consistently. We also covered the back of the 55 gallon tank with vines.
We have also looked into putting a male into her terrarium, but probably do like you would do for Betta Fish. Put a clear divider in the center of the terrarium, with holes, big enough for light interactions, but small enough, that they can't get caught. You would, probably also want to make sure both male and female were close to the same size, only because if you throw enough crickets into the enclosure, they both should be eating fat and deathly, they would have no reason to fight, we know our girl is never stressed out, she actually will tap on the glass late at night. While my husband plays Mortal Kombat, and request food. No joke. We have a few videos and pictures of her tapping on the glass then pointing down to the cricket gut load, then back up on her stinger, tap the glass, then tap the food dish, and keep doing that till my husband taps back. We get her food the next day, and she is the happiest Scorpion ever

 

[The Snark]

AFS. In Situ. Wide ranging solitary suvivalists extreme. Nocturnal hunters. Solitary a misnomer since they aren't territorial. At the correct time of year with a very bioactive detritus numerous member could collect in a smaller area unlikely to be aware of each other. Only during mating season are they social. Could possibly predate each other as they are non selective feeders but their prey is smaller as a rule. Whatever insects are available which depends on the season. Presently the Asian Forests are a desert with very little prey available. Come the rains, many areas turn into swamps.
They can go for weeks or even months without feeding - metabolsm shut down to a torpor.

 

[CRX]

I have had my Asain Forest Scorpion ina 55 long tank, by herself

My husband and I have had our Asian Forest Scorpion in a 55 gallon tank, for roughly a year. She is doing absolutely amazing. Every night she comes out of her hide, and goes on the hunt for the 24+ crickets with her every week. She usually eats all the crickets within the 2nd or 3rd day. We also keep a feeding dish of Calcium Gut Load Cricket jelly, in the tank to offer another food source, besides a potato every so often. We are not gonna lie, our girl lives to eat the cricket gut load once and a while. Thats perfectly safe as well. She is in absolute heaven. She also has a large shallow water dish, that she actually sits inside it to drink, and do whatever, drown crickets, play with her food. We offer her a deeper side with coco back, and a cooler side with moss, that we must every other day or so.
I think people like using the smaller terrariums for their Scorpion, for maybe a few different reasons, they want to see their Scorpion, they may want to be able to find it easier for handling procedures. I can still take out scorpion out of the tank no problem. She has seemed to know when it's time to come out of her tank. But I have found in my many years of owning Scorpions, I have always tried to give them their maximum "natural setting" as you will. I mean no one likes to be living in a box..my take Happy Feet with Mumble.... same idea. No animal wants to live in a little enclosure.
Anyways, we offer our girl, two hides. One on the cooler side of the tank, which is about 65ish. We live in New England, so kinda chilly up north. And the warmer side with a side heating pad, holding a temp at 78ish, with a small red heat lamp. Which we keep on consistently. We also covered the back of the 55 gallon tank with vines.
We have also looked into putting a male into her terrarium, but probably do like you would do for Betta Fish. Put a clear divider in the center of the terrarium, with holes, big enough for light interactions, but small enough, that they can't get caught. You would, probably also want to make sure both male and female were close to the same size, only because if you throw enough crickets into the enclosure, they both should be eating fat and deathly, they would have no reason to fight, we know our girl is never stressed out, she actually will tap on the glass late at night. While my husband plays Mortal Kombat, and request food. No joke. We have a few videos and pictures of her tapping on the glass then pointing down to the cricket gut load, then back up on her stinger, tap the glass, then tap the food dish, and keep doing that till my husband taps back. We get her food the next day, and she is the happiest Scorpion ever

24 crickets... huh?! You give her 24 crickets a week? Thar is way way too many.

 

[Kada]

Awesome. So everyone's advice is don't do scorpions.

I don't want to do lizards or frogs. I have had them before, and wanted to try something new. Plus the habitats can have a odor, and I don't want my office smelling dank.

My goal with the 55 gallon tank is to have a low maintenance, low odor pet in my office that looks cool. I have a corn snake in a 35 gallon, and a 20 gallon fish tank. I am not looking for a display, I understand that they are nocturnal, and they burrow. My snake isn't active either, but i enjoy seeing him when he comes out.
The difficulty in food finding is not something I had considered. I figured on putting a few crickets or roaches in every week and letting the scorpions have at it. I was thinking 3 or 4 scorpions in the tank, with hides for each, if they choose.

Just a thought. Save the bigger tank for the corn snake, when it gets bigger it might like bigger stretching space. Use the 35 for the scorpions.

 

[Cecropia1999]

Hi LastStarfighter, not everyone is against communal scorpions,
I have been keeping scorpions in colonies since the early 2000,s mostly Heterometrus, and currently have 6 colonies, of 5 each
H. Spinifer
H. Laoticus
H. Silenus
H. Cimrmani
H. Longimanus
J. Cyaneus
In the past i have had colonies of 6 P. Imperators, and 6 H. Swammerdami.
All of these have been kept together from the same litter, and I have not had a single case of cannibalism. In fact no matter how many hides i provide, they generaly all share 1 of them.
If observed overnight with a blacklight, you will clearly see their interactions, whenever i change out their tanks, the digging of new tunnels is often a group affair, fascinating to watch.
Tank sizes, for most of mine, once adults i keep 5 in a 30 x18 x18 inch tank, not exactly sure how many gallons that works out to tbh.
Coco coir mixed with some general purpose compost is a good substrate to retain moisture and allow burrowing, almost all Heterometrus love to dig, so i have my tanks about 8-9 inches deep at the back of the tank, and about 4 at the front.
I believe the keys to keeping colonies is (idealy) start with scorpions from the same litter, keep them well fed, provide multiple hides, even if they do all use just one, and make sure temps / humidity are correct for your chosen species.
Should you manage this, your scorpions will be perfectly happy, and when on the wander, are quite a sight to see
All this is only relevant to Forest species tho, Desert Species are a completely diff ball game, and not easy (Unless you are allowed to keep DWA anyway)
Good luck with your tank, would be interested to see a pic if you get it established

Do they ever inbreed? If so, have you noticed any issues with the offspring?

 

[BadApple]

Do they ever inbreed? If so, have you noticed any issues with the offspring?

Hi, yes they will almost certainly breed, but i have never seen any problems as a result. From my research it appears that scorpions are too primitive a creature to suffer from inbreeding issues. longest I have kept a colony is 3 generations, (Heterometrus Swammerdammi, now Gigantometrus Swammerdammi )which did not breed from the third Gen.

 

[Cecropia1999]

Hi, yes they will almost certainly breed, but i have never seen any problems as a result. From my research it appears that scorpions are too primitive a creature to suffer from inbreeding issues. longest I have kept a colony is 3 generations, (Heterometrus Swammerdammi, now Gigantometrus Swammerdammi )which did not breed from the third Gen.

Got it. Thanks

 

[Matt Man]

Hi LastStarfighter, not everyone is against communal scorpions,
I have been keeping scorpions in colonies since the early 2000,s mostly Heterometrus, and currently have 6 colonies, of 5 each
H. Spinifer
H. Laoticus
H. Silenus
H. Cimrmani
H. Longimanus
J. Cyaneus
In the past i have had colonies of 6 P. Imperators, and 6 H. Swammerdami.
All of these have been kept together from the same litter, and I have not had a single case of cannibalism. In fact no matter how many hides i provide, they generaly all share 1 of them.
If observed overnight with a blacklight, you will clearly see their interactions, whenever i change out their tanks, the digging of new tunnels is often a group affair, fascinating to watch.
Tank sizes, for most of mine, once adults i keep 5 in a 30 x18 x18 inch tank, not exactly sure how many gallons that works out to tbh.
Coco coir mixed with some general purpose compost is a good substrate to retain moisture and allow burrowing, almost all Heterometrus love to dig, so i have my tanks about 8-9 inches deep at the back of the tank, and about 4 at the front.
I believe the keys to keeping colonies is (idealy) start with scorpions from the same litter, keep them well fed, provide multiple hides, even if they do all use just one, and make sure temps / humidity are correct for your chosen species.
Should you manage this, your scorpions will be perfectly happy, and when on the wander, are quite a sight to see
All this is only relevant to Forest species tho, Desert Species are a completely diff ball game, and not easy (Unless you are allowed to keep DWA anyway)
Good luck with your tank, would be interested to see a pic if you get it established

Just last weekend I saw my friends communal of sub adult P. imperators and he too has little to no issue and he had probably over a dozen