Opisthacanthus capensis care

[Faisal1]

Hey guys, I am planning on getting a Opisthacanthus capensis. Can someone givr me soms care tips. Temp, humidity, cage size, feeding, and how much they usually go for price wise? Thanks!

 

[Dry Desert]

Hey guys, I am planning on getting a Opisthacanthus capensis. Can someone givr me soms care tips. Temp, humidity, cage size, feeding, and how much they usually go for price wise? Thanks!

You were told in your previous post that Opisthacanthus are very deep burrowing species and you will hardly ever see them.

I used to see mine twice a year.

 

[Faisal1]

How many inches of substrate? And, what substrate do you use?

 

[Joey Spijkers]

You were told in your previous post that Opisthacanthus are very deep burrowing species and you will hardly ever see them.

I used to see mine twice a year.

I think you're referring to Opistophthalmus. Those are highly fossorial.
Opisthacanthus don't burrow that much in my experience. My O. rugiceps never even burried at all and preferred to squeeze themselves in gaps between the wood. They liked to climb too.
I have only kept O. rugiceps though. Some other Opisthacanthus species dig a bit more, but O. capensis not so much as far as I'm aware.

Keep them mostly dry with around a quarter to a third of your enclosure damp so that they can choose a humid area if they want to. Stack some pieces of cork bark to hide in between. Have a decent layer of substrate if it chooses to dig, but very thick is not necessary.
Keep them between 24-30⁰C (75-85⁰F).

 

[Faisal1]

Oh, sorry, I meant Opistophtalmus!

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Oh, sorry, I meant Opistophtalmus!

Are you sure? I've never seen Opisthophthalmus capensis in the hobby. Opisthacanthus capensis is definitely around.

But yeah, like Dry Desert said, Opistophthalmus spp. are obligate burrowers and in an appropriate setup, you will rarely see it.

 

[Faisal1]

Yep, I am. I will DM you a link to where I found it. Will ReptiSand work, or is that too soft?

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Thanks for sharing, those are indeed Opistophthalmus.
What I would recommend for substrate;
A thin layer of moist coco fiber at the bottom. This will allow you to monitor the moisture level in the lower layers, since its color is darker or lighter depending on moisture.
For the main substrate, you mix sand (reptisand is fine, but any clean sand will work) with clay, for example excavator clay. Mix 3 parts sand with 1 part clay and have a really thick layer that it can make tunnels in. Pure sand will not hold any burrows.
The top layers should stay dry, and the bottom should stay slightly moist, this allows them to moiture regulate.
As these are only i2, I would personally keep them in a more simplistic setup at first, with a dry side and a humid side. Temperatures around 25-30⁰C (75-85⁰F) As they've molted a few times, move them in a setup as described above. They grow really slowly.

 

[Faisal1]

Ok, thanks! When you say a really thick layer is that the sand to clay ratio you are talking about? Also, when they are 2i, do they burrow at all?

 

[Sir Aculeus]

Ok, thanks! When you say a really thick layer is that the sand to clay ratio you are talking about? Also, when they are 2i, do they burrow at all?

My Emps and H. Spinifers would burrow comparatively deep as early as 3rd instar and at 2nd instar they would make shallow holes/hides in the shallow small containers I had them in. Not sure about O. Capensis though.

What Joey Spijkers said though. They are still babies keep them in something small and simple.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Ok, thanks! When you say a really thick layer is that the sand to clay ratio you are talking about? Also, when they are 2i, do they burrow at all?

Yes, the sand/clay mixture needs to be deep. Coco fiber at the bottom is optional, and just a thin layer.
I have never bred them, so I don't know if they would burrow at i2. Just keep them in something simple so that you can easily observe them for the first few instars.

 

[j112088]

how much humidity is required for this specie?

 

[Joey Spijkers]

how much humidity is required for this specie?

Dry side and humid side for them to choose