How often will my babies molt?

[Tarangela]

SO, as most of you know, my Asian Forest Scorp had babies at the first of this month.

Right now, I have at least 4 in deli cups. I have a few questions

How often will they molt? They are already a dark chocolate color now, and really active. I find them in piles together under the jungle mix I have them in. They stay in groups.

Will they always be that way? Friendly towards each other? How often will they molt and are they vunerable to each other while molting??? Could I get one large container, like a 2.5 gallon tank, and put them ALL in there???? Or is that too much space? I have 18 babies...

Hope to get some leads! Thanks a bunch!

 

[Brian S]

Feed them 2 or 3 times a week and they will molt to 3rd instar in about 1.5-2 months. After that each molt will take a longer duration. It will take about 2 years for them to mature

 

[Tarangela]

Feed them 2 or 3 times a week and they will molt to 3rd instar in about 1.5-2 months. After that each molt will take a longer duration. It will take about 2 years for them to mature

Brian,

Thanks for the info.

Are they safe in there together? They won't eat each other will they? I see them laying in piles together. Would I ever be able to put all of them in one tank, since they are babies??

Thanks

 

[Andre2]

hello Angela,

Why don't you raise them seperately? IMO much less work than communal keeping, plus you have the advantage of better control and insight of each individuals feeding-habits. In a group, large size-difference between individuals can occur within months and the small ones will have a much more difficult time, I suspect. Even risk being cannibalized although this normally would not happen often with Heterometrus spp.

 

[Tarangela]

hello Angela,

Why don't you raise them seperately? IMO much less work than communal keeping, plus you have the advantage of better control and insight of each individuals feeding-habits. In a group, large size-difference between individuals can occur within months and the small ones will have a much more difficult time, I suspect. Even risk being cannibalized although this normally would not happen often with Heterometrus spp.

Well, I could do that. Lots of extra work. They are always in little piles in those cups. Like they want to be together. I wonder if they will be ok separated?

 

[P. Novak]

Well, I could do that. Lots of extra work. They are always in little piles in those cups. Like they want to be together. I wonder if they will be ok separated?

Yeah the scorplings will be ok seperate. If you seperate them there is no risk or stress over one cannablizing the other. IMO, you should seperate them until they get older, if you want them communal that is. You can keep them seperate their whole lives if you wanted to.

Congrats on the babies!

 

[Andre2]

I think it's a good idea to seperate them at the 3rd instar. Right now I would leave them together. At the end of the 3rd instar is a good time to seperate them.

 

[Tarangela]

So next molt I should go ahead and separate them then?

They just seem like they want to be w/ each other in those deli cups. They are always hiding in a tangled mess under the jungle mix.

What are pre-molt signs for babies? Do they get dull looking?

The mother has still been SUPER agressive with me. She snaps and claws at anything that comes near the mouth of her hidey hole.

 

[Andre2]

When they are nice and fat at the end of the 3rd instar and not eat anymore before the next instar, then it is a good time to seperate. Yes, they will be a little dull-looking. First the body (mesosoma) will get fat and then it gets "longer"...(sorry, don't find the right way to describe:razz: but you will see..) Then you know they will molt soon. But for you this will be at least 2 months from now..

I see many times with Buthid scorplings in groups that they really start to cannibalize at the 4th instar. Before that it can also happen, but rarely IMO.
I think it is even a less problem with Heterometrus spp.

You have them seperate from the mother? You could have left them there.. I don't know if they were already eating before you seperated them?...

 

[Tarangela]

When they are nice and fat at the end of the 3rd instar and not eat anymore before the next instar, then it is a good time to seperate. Yes, they will be a little dull-looking. First the body (mesosoma) will get fat and then it gets "longer"...(sorry, don't find the right way to describe:razz: but you will see..) Then you know they will molt soon. But for you this will be at least 2 months from now..

I see many times with Buthid scorplings in groups that they really start to cannibalize at the 4th instar. Before that it can also happen, but rarely IMO.
I think it is even a less problem with Heterometrus spp.

You have them seperate from the mother? You could have left them there.. I don't know if they were already eating before you seperated them?...

Thanks for the info!! I heard it was good to separate them from the mother
after 2nd instar. That is what I did, and they seem to be ok. They were eating crickets the night I separated them.

The mother was pretty aggressive to me last night. Attacking my brush and she came OUT of her hidey to see what was going on when I filled her water bowl. She settled for a big cricket.

Thanks

 

[Brian S]

Ang,
You dont have to separate Heterometrus spp. I have raised many of them together w/o cannibalism. Just feed them about twice a week or more

 

[Tarangela]

Ang,
You dont have to separate Heterometrus spp. I have raised many of them together w/o cannibalism. Just feed them about twice a week or more

Thanks Brian I will leave them together. They are always in a little pile together anyway, so I think they like it like that. Wouldn't want to mess up a good thing!