how often to clean an emperor tank

[MikeOLogical]

just got my first scorpion, an emperor, he's living in a 19 qt rubbermaid container, with 2" of small river rock in the bottom, 6" of moist peat moss with some lime added in on top of that, a nice hide made from a plastic bowl, and a clay flowerpot saucer for a water dish...

the scorpion seems to like the environment, is active and eating...

i've read some care sheets that say to change the peat once a week... is this necessary for one scorpion?

 

[TheNothing]

wow
i've never seen it necessary to replace peat unless you start having mold issues...

 

[parabuthus]

Lime??? :?
My instinct tells me this is not such a good idea .

As far as cleaning the tank, just make sure you remove any uneaten feeder carcasses promptly. And about once a month check the enclosure thoroughly for any feeder remains, mold & excrement e.t.c and remove it. Also keep an eye out for mites which could come about by not keeping the tank as clean as it should be (or simply from feeders that have mites already!).

You may want to change the majority of the substrate every 6 months or so (mainly the substrate on the surface), but changing it every week is excessive, silly and not practical for you or the scorp.

Personally I just make sure the substrate is clean and every onces in a while I add new substrate, since water retention can decrease and effect humidity levels.

 

[MikeOLogical]

i added the lime for two reasons- first, it was recommended in one of those often contradictory caresheets... second, that is what mushrooms like... i'm pretty good with growing mushrooms, and i chose this scorpion because the environmental requirements are almost identical to what you need for growing mushrooms... so i figure, whats good for the shroomies may also be good for the scorps...

 

[Prymal]

Mike-

As Parabuthus suggested - just perform routine maintenance and occasionally (every 6-18 months) remove the upper half of the substrate and replace it with fresh substrate. Personally, I thoroughly clean my enclosures and replace substrate every 12-18 months or when needed. Good Luck!

Luc

 

[ThatGuy]

I would basicly clean it when you saw mold or mits one of the two or 12 months down the road and only clear out half of the peat and your all set, so far so good with my emp and i have had him for years and hes still happy as when i first got em, good luck man.

 

[Cirith Ungol]

You could always add a handfull of tropical pillbugs. They'd clean out everything you and the scorp don't like.

 

[Predator]

You could always add a handfull of tropical pillbugs. They'd clean out everything you and the scorp don't like.

Thats what I do, I collected about a dozen of them and they are cleaning house AND breeding. I still remove the dead crickets but sometimes I let them sit in there another day or so because they are munching on them. They are doing a great job. I havent seen mold a single time and at this rate I might not have to change the substrate for years. They also eat the dead and dying pinheads that I dont collect for my scorplings.

 

[MikeOLogical]

wow... are those pillbugs available commercially, or do i have to harvest em wild?

 

[Cirith Ungol]

Depends on what type you want and what type eat dead insects. I had once collected a species that turned out to only eat rotting wood. So I didn't use them.

You could check here in the sellers thread if there's anyone having some for offer.

I'd recommend a very small species instead of a large one. Then the pillbugs will not risk becomming prey. It wouldn't be good anyway for arachnids to have a steady diet on pillbugs since those are reputed to collect heavy metals over time.

 

[Predator]

wow... are those pillbugs available commercially, or do i have to harvest em wild?

I collect mine in the front yard. Can usually find dozens out at night. I assume they are eating the dead crickets because I find many crickets hollowed out with a few stuck on them.

 

[dangerprone69]

I wouldn't use lime, I'd be afraid that may harm the scorps. Ignore whichever care sheet said to change the subtrate every week. Was it from Petco? I suspect they put that in there to try to sell more product. Keep an eye out for mold and mites and change it when it seems dirty.

Do whatever works for you, but I've found that my emps adore a mix of coco fiber (i.e. Bed-A-Beast), peat and vermiculite. Roughly an equal mix of each. The stuff holds moisture very well and the emps can burrow all they want.

 

[MikeOLogical]

i have a good supply of the coco coir, and vermiculite, i use these for the mushies... i'll be at the exotic pet expo sunday to try to find some more emps, so i'll try that mix in the enclosure i set up for them...