Scorpion Owner Newbie Here

Creepy Crawling Guy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
48
So my friend give me a small scorpion around 4cm(1.5") he said it is a Parabuthus Transvaalicus
took the little guys home then i read around 25-30 articles,pages,forum thread, & etc about scorpion 20 of which is about P.Trans & watch dozen of videos. Then i put him in a 5 gallon tank put at least 8cm(3") bedding composing of coconut husk(bottom),sandy soil(middle) and Vibro Sand(top) i layered them just for the looks idk if it has good effect , then put a bottle cap around 3cm(1") in diameter 1cm(.5") in depth for his water supply put some rocks and i used Clay Pot(broken in quarter) for his hide ,clay is cool so i used it because the room where i kept him is around 25-30 degree celsius(77-86 F)

i see him running around trying to climb in the corners(is it normal?) like he is trying to escape then spend hours hiding

is there anything i should change in my tank or add ??

and can i keep more than 1 P.Trans in the same tank??

i included a picture of the tank
basically i didnt spend any money, i just used anything that is lying around the house
 

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WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
Do you have an actual "hide" that it can hide from any and all light? No offense, but you shouldn't have taken that scorp if you don't know much. They are extremely venemous, so if you get stung it could be fatal (not sure, but you would probably have to go to the hospital). That is normal, they like to explore. They climb the sides when they explore. Just be very careful, feed every few weeks, make sure it has a water and a good hide, and it should be fine :) The temp is good and the cage is appropriate for that scorp. Seems like you have it down, just make sure to never get stung :D Sorry, just can't stress that enough.
 
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RTTB

Arachnoprince
Joined
Dec 4, 2016
Messages
1,771
If that's your first scorpion you are indeed jumping right into the expert realm as it is highly venomous. Be safe and be careful.
 

pannaking22

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Nov 25, 2011
Messages
4,226
5 gallon might be a bit large for a scorp that size, but as long as you know it's catching food it'll be fine. You'll want some long forceps for maintenance because of the venom level with this species.

That's normal behavior for a new scorp so don't worry about it.

They can be kept communally, but you'll want to make sure there are extra hides, otherwise there's a chance you'll end up with one very fat scorpion.
 

Creepy Crawling Guy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
48
Abyss-yep i got him a nice cover and when he is inside the hide he cover it with sand and yeah im being so careful when interacting with him im using long pliers and wearing leather gloves thanks for the concern

RTTB-yeah i didnt know at first that this scorp is that venomous when my friend gave it to me he show me that its safe by making it crawl in his arm. so i thought it is a good scorpion for a newbie now i cant give it back coz i love the little guy now

Pannaking-he looks sad when i put him in a small tupperware so i put him in the tank . i ordered 10" forceps online should be arriving in 3 days . about communal tank is this species of scorpion have cannibalism tendencies???

thanks guys for the feedback
 

MetallicArachnid

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
Messages
51
Your friend let it crawl on his arm...he's either an idiot, very irresponsible or trying to get you to kill yourself. Under no circumstances should you let a Parabuthus anywhere near your skin, in fact you should wear glasses around it as well because these guys are capable of "spitting" their venom. No offense but getting an scorpion this dangerous without any experience is not a very smart move, in fact getting any animal without doing proper research first and having adequate experience is irresponsible and doing such with hots can prove fatal.
 
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MetallicArachnid

Arachnosquire
Joined
Jan 22, 2016
Messages
51
Short of returning the scorpion to him for the time being(best option) you can familiarize yourself with sting protocol and talk to your doctor to prepare yourself in the instance that you should be stung and take all precautions necessary to avoid envenomation i.e; long forceps, safety glasses, tall glass enclosure, not sticking your hands into the enclosure.
 
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Creepy Crawling Guy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
48
Metallic - thanks for your honest opinion,i'm not that unfamiliar to animals that can either bite or kill its owner i used to take care a snake and yeah i take all precaution i could all that is missing from me when i come near my scorpion is a bulletproof vest. and to familiarize myself about their behavior i bought a book about scorpion entitled "Scorpion of South Africa" by Jonathan Leeming returning the scorpion is not option right now my friend lives far away from me 12 hour drive to be exact, again thanks for your genuine concern and tips appreciate it so much this forum is awesome everyone is friendly and informative
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
Arachnosupporter +
Joined
Aug 31, 2012
Messages
5,610
Hearing a story about a Parabuthus spp. Crawling on an arm gives me nightmares. The ramifications could affect the entire Hobby.

Glad to hear you will not be holding it.
 

TheScorpionMan

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 6, 2014
Messages
190
So my friend give me a small scorpion around 4cm(1.5") he said it is a Parabuthus Transvaalicus
took the little guys home then i read around 25-30 articles,pages,forum thread, & etc about scorpion 20 of which is about P.Trans & watch dozen of videos. Then i put him in a 5 gallon tank put at least 8cm(3") bedding composing of coconut husk(bottom),sandy soil(middle) and Vibro Sand(top) i layered them just for the looks idk if it has good effect , then put a bottle cap around 3cm(1") in diameter 1cm(.5") in depth for his water supply put some rocks and i used Clay Pot(broken in quarter) for his hide ,clay is cool so i used it because the room where i kept him is around 25-30 degree celsius(77-86 F)

i see him running around trying to climb in the corners(is it normal?) like he is trying to escape then spend hours hiding

is there anything i should change in my tank or add ??

and can i keep more than 1 P.Trans in the same tank??

i included a picture of the tank
basically i didnt spend any money, i just used anything that is lying around the house
As others have said do NOT get stung and be extra careful. Keeping hot creatures can be unforgiving especially with no experience. You should be fine as long as the scorpion is taking prey and has a place to retreat to which it sounds like you have provided. Scorps will explore so it's normal for it to climb the side of the tank. I used to handle scorpions a couple years back when i was still pretty newbie and let me tell you it's a terrible idea but at least i know better now and take all precautions possible to avoid harming myself or my specimens. Best of luck to you with the P. Trans.
 

Creepy Crawling Guy

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 6, 2017
Messages
48
thanks guys , i learnt so much from a short time from you guys

i decided to name him Cris

another question i bought a heat mat and theres a debate whether where you should put it so , where should i really put it inn the bottom or in the side??
 

WeightedAbyss75

Arachnoangel
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Messages
921
You should put it on the side. If it is on the bottom, it can cook your scorp. Usually, many put it high on one side, so that the heat is still there but the scorpion can't cook on it :D I'd put it on either short end of your aquarium. Then the scorp has a hot and cool side, so it can decide where it wants to go.
 
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