I’m a newbie,planning to get a Scorpion. Theres little info about lighting online...

Kybalion13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
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Im looking for affordable day/night kits for a large scorpion (beginner friendly so either Emperor and Asian Forest). I’ve been looking all over but it’s so hard finding anything at all online about it.
Should i get separate lamps or an Exo Terra Kit?
 

NYAN

Arachnoking
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Dec 23, 2017
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2,511
Scorpions are generally nocturnal, so as a result they are hidden during the day. There’s no need to use lamps for lighting, and in fact they dry out the substrate. Some people use infrared bulbs to provide heat.
 

Kybalion13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
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Scorpions are generally nocturnal, so as a result they are hidden during the day. There’s no need to use lamps for lighting, and in fact they dry out the substrate. Some people use infrared bulbs to provide heat.
I heard the Exo Terra scorpion lighting (the blue one) is somewhat good for their activity and doesn’t harm them. And it looks really cool because it makes them glow and what-not so maybe i could leave if on for the day to distinguish it from the night? (My room is relatively dark)
 

Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
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Oct 21, 2017
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I heard the Exo Terra scorpion lighting (the blue one) is somewhat good for their activity and doesn’t harm them. And it looks really cool because it makes them glow and what-not so maybe i could leave if on for the day to distinguish it from the night? (My room is relatively dark)
Makes them glow as in the ultraviolet lamp? Don’t use that, scorpions hate it. It makes them more active when they’re kept in an enclosure with nowhere to hide because they’ll constantly be looking for somewhere to hide from the light, if they have access to a burrow or hide they’ll never leave it. Long term UV exposure would probably also do the scorpion harm

No lighting is needed, you might be able to get away with a red light that doesn’t create heat or a regular blue light to watch it at night. But I would only keep the light on for short periods while you’re watching the scorpion
 

Kybalion13

Arachnopeon
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Sep 11, 2019
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Makes them glow as in the ultraviolet lamp? Don’t use that, scorpions hate it. It makes them more active when they’re kept in an enclosure with nowhere to hide because they’ll constantly be looking for somewhere to hide from the light, if they have access to a burrow or hide they’ll never leave it. Long term UV exposure would probably also do the scorpion harm

No lighting is needed, you might be able to get away with a red light that doesn’t create heat or a regular blue light to watch it at night. But I would only keep the light on for short periods while you’re watching the scorpion
 

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NYAN

Arachnoking
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I heard the Exo Terra scorpion lighting (the blue one) is somewhat good for their activity and doesn’t harm them.
Where did you hear this from? It is false. UV light exposure from these black lights is fine for very short periods of time, like minutes, however extensive exposure will stress them out. I believe I’ve read that it can kill them also.
 

Kybalion13

Arachnopeon
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Sep 11, 2019
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Where did you hear this from? It is false. UV light exposure from these black lights is fine for very short periods of time, like minutes, however extensive exposure will stress them out. I believe I’ve read that it can kill them also.
I’ve read that its like moonlight in different scorpion care forums on this site because I did some research. This is what i found on the description of it, it could be totally false.
 

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Dennis Nedry

Arachnodemon
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I’ve read that its like moonlight in different scorpion care forums on this site because I did some research. This is what i found on the description of it, it could be totally false.
Definitely false. The moon reflects very little UV light from the sun, especially when compared to a light just above the tank. There’s a fish store I visit from time to time with Urodacus novaehollandiae under these lights and the scorpions are very stressed
 

FrankiePinchinatti

Arachnoknight
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Apr 20, 2019
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I have a set of these color changing LED lights from IKEA above my scorpion tanks (and my other critters). I basically only keep it on red though. The red light doesn't bother them in the slightest, and when I check on them late at night they are all super active (except my hadogenes that are equally active as during the day, ie. not at all). It's so cool watching them out hunting at night, I highly recommend red LED lights.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50192365/
 

StampFan

Arachnodemon
Joined
Jul 12, 2017
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I’ve read that its like moonlight in different scorpion care forums on this site because I did some research. This is what i found on the description of it, it could be totally false.
There is no reason to put a light on a scorp. If you want to see it, get a red light flashlight and spy on it at night.
 

Kybalion13

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 11, 2019
Messages
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I have a set of these color changing LED lights from IKEA above my scorpion tanks (and my other critters). I basically only keep it on red though. The red light doesn't bother them in the slightest, and when I check on them late at night they are all super active (except my hadogenes that are equally active as during the day, ie. not at all). It's so cool watching them out hunting at night, I highly recommend red LED lights.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50192365/
Thank you! I don’t think ill be getting the expensive type but you gave me an idea of looking up the LED red lights
 

Redjunior

Arachnoknight
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Jul 10, 2016
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156
I've been keeping scorpions for about a little over 10 years now. I just got into spider recently. But what everyone here is saying is pretty accurate. Scorpions dont need extra light or any at all really.. If you want to have a day and night cycle with lights, I would use a small led strip on a timer. For some light in the day, but have it off at dawn/night. I personally dont use any lights, and when looking for them at night I use a small cheap flashlight to see them. But you'll notice even with a flashlight when the light comes on, they freeze in place or they will try and get away to hide from it (in most cases). Led flashlights seem to effect their vision a bit, being super bright and them not having the ability to use eye lids it kinda throws them off, not officially stated by anyone but when observing my jacksoni at night in a glass 10 gallon, oppose to my androc or lq in plastic tubs the jacksoni having direct light through glass seemed to throw them off, almost like a temporary blindness. They dont have great vision as js but there still an effect for sure. I'm no expert but from my personal experiance I'd say listen to these guys as they explained it better than I could have. :)
 
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