Scorpions and Excavator Clay for newbies.

[Butterbean83]

I'm new to Scorpions and new to Excavator Clay so please don't flame this newbie too much

On the instructions it says to wet the 10lbs with 3 cups of water. I'm only using a 3 litre RUB as I'm starting off with a Juvenile Scorpion of a medium sized species. Probably Scorpio Maurus or a Smeringurus species.

My Question is how much water to add to enough excavator clay for a 3 litre RUB as I'm not gonna need 10 lbs of substrate surely? Even for a Adult species. If this helps I'm thinking Maximum 2.5" Substrate, maybe 3, as the height of the RUB without the lid is probably less than 3".

Will the Scorpion be able to burrow in that itself or will I have to create burrows like it says to do on the packaging or do you just start burrows off near hides and other points and let them burrow themselves?

Try not to laugh TOO much haha and Thankyou

 

[NMTs]

Let's do some math! (I hate math, but sometimes you have to). 3 cups to 10 lbs is the same as 1 cup of water for every 3.3 pounds of clay.

Mix up small batches and add them to your enclosure until you feel like you've got enough.
Scorpions dig burrows in hard clay in the wild all the time, so I'm pretty sure they could do it in captivity, too. If you put it in the enclosure before the clay dries completely, it'll be softer and easier for it to dig. If the clay hardens and you feel like your scorpion is having trouble digging, you can always wet it to soften it up and make some burrows yourself.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

You don't want to use pure excavator clay, instead mix 30% clay with 70% sand and simply mix with water until you get a good consistency that can somewhat be molded. Also not too mushy.
For most species, let it dry out completely before putting them in. Scorpio maurus likes a little moisture in the bottom half of the substrate.
Also just get a deeper tub/enclosure, bacause 3" is pretty useless in my opinion. For Scorpio maurus especially, you would have to provide a much deeper substrate to burrow in, but any medium sized species is going to be cramped if it only has 1 inch of free space above the substrate.

 

[Butterbean83]

Thankyou

 

[Butterbean83]

You don't want to use pure excavator clay, instead mix 30% clay with 70% sand and simply mix with water until you get a good consistency that can somewhat be molded. Also not too mushy.
For most species, let it dry out completely before putting them in. Scorpio maurus likes a little moisture in the bottom half of the substrate.
Also just get a deeper tub/enclosure, bacause 3" is pretty useless in my opinion. For Scorpio maurus especially, you would have to provide a much deeper substrate to burrow in, but any medium sized species is going to be cramped if it only has 1 inch of free space above the substrate.

I've decided on a Nebo Whitei 1 cm Scorpling/Juvenile. I'm guessing the 3 litre RUB may be excessive for now or could I keep it on there for a few moults?

Thankyou.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Best to grow it out in something smaller to start with.

 

[Butterbean83]

Ok thanks

 

[Butterbean83]

Would a 1 or

Best to grow it out in something smaller to start with.

Would a 1 or 2 litre be more appropriate. 1 litre for a moult or two then move it to the 3 litre?

 

[Butterbean83]

Would a 1 or

Best to grow it out in something smaller to start with.

Would a 1 or 2 litre be more appropriate. 1 litre for a moult or two then move it to the 3 litre?

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Would a 1 or 2 litre be more appropriate. 1 litre for a moult or two then move it to the 3 litre?

Yes, just makes it easier to make sure it eats and monitor it closely.