Some advice on Asian forest scorpion

[Ceman2020]

So I got this little guy at PetSmart probably about a month and a week ago. Since I've gotten him I've fed him twice I've only seen him eat once but I haven't seen the carcass of the other cricket I put in. Recently he became very inactive and I got very scared and so just to make sure he wasn't under fed I temporarily transferred him to a clear tupperware container and I put a cricket in there with him where he couldn't miss it and turned out the lights because he definitely likes it dark and walked away for a couple hours and came back to check not only did he not kill the cricket but he was actively ignoring it. So I looked up online and a lot of the symptoms seem to be that he was premolt. I transferred him back into his normal habitat which is a 10 gallon terrarium he's got a small hide and a big hide and there's a heat pad on one side of the tank. And I started missing to keep the humidity at about 80 to 90% because I read that was optimal for them in order to reduce problems during the molt. Well today I checked in on him and he was actually moving around while I had a light on in the room which is rare. also his color seem to be a little blacker and shinier than it was a couple days ago. And he's walking with his claws out like he might be hungry so I checked the tank to see if there was any exo skeleton that had been shed and I don't see one. My question is is it possible that he was just a little bit dehydrated and I kept the humidity a little too low? I usually left it around 50 to 60% and misted it just once a day. Should I try to do a test feeding tomorrow? Or should I just continue to leave him be for a while he does seem to be more active than he was a few days.

I also tried to upload some still images but I guess my camera took them in a size that was too high I will resize and upload them tomorrow if it will help but the video did thankfully upload any help will be appreciated thanks guys! I haven't been able to really find any information on symptoms of dehydration for scorpions so any info would be appreciated.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

I can’t open the video. Upload some pictures of the enclosure and we’ll be able to tell if something’s off.

 

[Dry Desert]

I also tried to upload some still images but I guess my camera took them in a size that was too high I will resize and upload them tomorrow if it will help but the video did thankfully upload any help will be appreciated thanks guys! I haven't been able to really find any information on symptoms of dehydration for scorpions so any info would be appreciated.

Double click the link Joey has provided at the bottom of his reply, you will find all the accurate info. you require.
Get rid of that cork bark substrate I saw in your video.

 

[Ceman2020]

Double click the link Joey has provided at the bottom of his reply, you will find all the accurate info. you require.
Get rid of that cork bark substrate I saw in your video.

What kind of substrate is best? I just got the three the pet store recommended and mixed them together. This is my first invertebrate. I really love him tho and want to give him the best i can.

Double click the link Joey has provided at the bottom of his reply, you will find all the accurate info. you require.
Get rid of that cork bark substrate I saw in your video.

Also i don't see a link on his post >.<

As soon as I get out of work today I shall do so my friend !! I get off in about sixish hours

 

[KenEnd]

What a cutie. Yeah the recommendation to steer clear from bark substrate is a good one. Bar is not great for inverts and can hurt them durring molts. You'll want coco peat and fertilize free potting soil to make a good substrate. You can also pick up terra aranea from Biodude if you don't want to make your own substrate, it's built for inverts that burrow. I used reptisoil, coco peat, and a bag of terra aranea for my 10 gallon enclosure.
As far as his inactivity and lack of eating, he may be in premolt but he also may be slowing down due to colder temperatures in the states. I'm assuming you live in Northern America. My scorpion has been active very little since it's gotten cold. His tank is at the right temperatures but because it's cold outside and I can only keep my room so warm he has slowed his activity. He gets very active every once in a while and then goes back to sleeping most days. The Snark made a good forum thread for Heterometrus behaviors in the wild. These behaviors can translate to our captive species as well. Winter months, especially Jan, are hibernating months for Asian Forest Scorpions.
Over all I wouldn't be too worried about his lack of activity at this time. As long as he's not limp and dead or in a death curl you shouldn't need to worry. Change that substrate and you'll quite alright. Your new substrate will hold humidity better as well without you needing to mist the tank. Oh, and if you have one of those mesh lids you can put plastic wrap or foil over half of it to keep moisture in as well. Most heat and moisture are lost thru those mesh lids. Covering part of it will help keep the things you want in.

Here's that link btw:

Asian forest scorpion (Heterometrus spp.) common beginner questions/tips/things to avoid

I’ve seen a lot of beginner Heterometrus keepers asking similar questions. I thought it might be a good idea to make a thread answering the most common questions and adressing some of the most common issues I see with beginner Heterometrus keepers. Hopefully this will make it easier for them to...

arachnoboards.com

noticed you seem to be on mobile and it's harder to find.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

They need deep moist substrate that they can burrow into - anything with big chunks is useless for this. Forget the air humidity, too. Just keep the substrate moist from top to bottom, and restrict the ventilation to slow evaporation.

There's really never any reason to remove your scorpion from its enclosure, except perhaps in rare instances where you can definitely see an injury or if you need to change something in the enclosure. Putting it in a clear plastic tub without hides or substrate is never going to be a solution to any problem you think your animal might be experiencing.

Refusing food is normal. It can mean an impending moult, or it can mean that conditions are too dry, or it can mean that they're just not hungry. A well-fed scorpion can go many many months without food.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Also i don't see a link on his post >.<

It’s in my signature. I believe you can only see it on the desktop version. Anyway, here it is.
Asian forest scorpion beginner thread:
https://arachnoboards.com/threads/a...ginner-questions-tips-things-to-avoid.350273/

 

[Ceman2020]

They need deep moist substrate that they can burrow into - anything with big chunks is useless for this. Forget the air humidity, too. Just keep the substrate moist from top to bottom, and restrict the ventilation to slow evaporation.

There's really never any reason to remove your scorpion from its enclosure, except perhaps in rare instances where you can definitely see an injury or if you need to change something in the enclosure. Putting it in a clear plastic tub without hides or substrate is never going to be a solution to any problem you think your animal might be experiencing.

Refusing food is normal. It can mean an impending moult, or it can mean that conditions are too dry, or it can mean that they're just not hungry. A well-fed scorpion can go many many months without food.

thanks. i am new to this so i guess i was overly concerned >.<. i am gonna give it another day or two and then try to feed him. when i have a day off work i will redo the substrate without the bark chips. theres not much in there. its just what the pet store recommended and thats before i found this site. I'm exceptionally glad a place like this exists.

It’s in my signature. I believe you can only see it on the desktop version. Anyway, here it is.
Asian forest scorpion beginner thread:
https://arachnoboards.com/threads/a...ginner-questions-tips-things-to-avoid.350273/

aha. i had only logged in on my mobile as i only found this site while in bed googling around. thanks again man!! i will post some pictures of his enclosure tonight after i made some dinner.

What a cutie. Yeah the recommendation to steer clear from bark substrate is a good one. Bar is not great for inverts and can hurt them durring molts. You'll want coco peat and fertilize free potting soil to make a good substrate. You can also pick up terra aranea from Biodude if you don't want to make your own substrate, it's built for inverts that burrow. I used reptisoil, coco peat, and a bag of terra aranea for my 10 gallon enclosure.
As far as his inactivity and lack of eating, he may be in premolt but he also may be slowing down due to colder temperatures in the states. I'm assuming you live in Northern America. My scorpion has been active very little since it's gotten cold. His tank is at the right temperatures but because it's cold outside and I can only keep my room so warm he has slowed his activity. He gets very active every once in a while and then goes back to sleeping most days. The Snark made a good forum thread for Heterometrus behaviors in the wild. These behaviors can translate to our captive species as well. Winter months, especially Jan, are hibernating months for Asian Forest Scorpions.
Over all I wouldn't be too worried about his lack of activity at this time. As long as he's not limp and dead or in a death curl you shouldn't need to worry. Change that substrate and you'll quite alright. Your new substrate will hold humidity better as well without you needing to mist the tank. Oh, and if you have one of those mesh lids you can put plastic wrap or foil over half of it to keep moisture in as well. Most heat and moisture are lost thru those mesh lids. Covering part of it will help keep the things you want in.

thats exactly what i have in reference to the mesh lid. i am starting to think he was not premolt. i think i will change the substrate out this wednesday or thursday. i have reptisoil and i can acquire some potting soil. what mixture of the two should i do? like 50/50? i live in north alabama and it has been colder this year than much of the past and we did just have some snow which we only get every five or so years. i keep him in my room as well and i also keep my place pretty warm generally as well cuz i also like it quite warm. i was using a shirt to cover part of the tank lid. the platic wrap doesnt seem to do as well but i may tape it down over half or 3/4 of the mesh part of the lid. i guess i'm learning as i go here XD. i do adore the little guy and want to do the best for him.

They need deep moist substrate that they can burrow into - anything with big chunks is useless for this. Forget the air humidity, too. Just keep the substrate moist from top to bottom, and restrict the ventilation to slow evaporation.

There's really never any reason to remove your scorpion from its enclosure, except perhaps in rare instances where you can definitely see an injury or if you need to change something in the enclosure. Putting it in a clear plastic tub without hides or substrate is never going to be a solution to any problem you think your animal might be experiencing.

Refusing food is normal. It can mean an impending moult, or it can mean that conditions are too dry, or it can mean that they're just not hungry. A well-fed scorpion can go many many months without food.

thanks for the reassurance. i was just so worried i guess XD. i am super glad i found this website! everyone here seems very knowledgeable and very cordial. .

what is the file size limit for images btw? i took some pictures of the enclosure and i'd like to upload them but i need to resize them.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

what is the file size limit for images btw? i took some pictures of the enclosure and i'd like to upload them but i need to resize them.

Not sure if these limits apply to regular posts, but in the user image galleries the limits are:
Max Gallery Image dimensions: 1024 x 1024
Max Gallery file size: 1MB

maybe try using that as a guide and see if you can post?

 

[Ceman2020]

there is an 8 watt heat mat on the right side of tank. this is also just after misting. i will not he has been very active today. was even out walking around when i got home. i think he may have just been dydrated.

Not sure if these limits apply to regular posts, but in the user image galleries the limits are:
Max Gallery Image dimensions: 1024 x 1024
Max Gallery file size: 1MB

maybe try using that as a guide and see if you can post?

resized to 1024x1024.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Misting is kind of useless. I mean it won't hurt anything, but if the substrate is adequately moist, misting isn't necessary.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

Substrate looks adequately damp. If it’s usually like this, dehydration is unlikely.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Substrate looks adequately damp. If it’s usually like this, dehydration is unlikely.

the video in the first post shows how it was before - definitely too dry.

 

[Ceman2020]

the video in the first post shows how it was before - definitely too dry.

The humidity would typically go back down to 50 or 60% without misting so I'm going to change out the substrate today. Now somebody said a 50/50 mix of reptioil and non-fertilized potting soil, is there a reason I can't just do all reptisoil with some spragnum moss on the top?

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

The humidity would typically go back down to 50 or 60% without misting so I'm going to change out the substrate today. Now somebody said a 50/50 mix of reptioil and non-fertilized potting soil, is there a reason I can't just do all reptisoil with some spragnum moss on the top?

Nah, you can do that. They’re pretty flexible about the substrate as long as it holds moisture well and they can dig through it and build stable burrows. There are a lot of different mixes people use that work just fine.

 

[Joey Spijkers]

the video in the first post shows how it was before - definitely too dry.

Ah sorry, I missed that. I can’t open any videos for some reason.

 

[Ceman2020]

Nah, you can do that. They’re pretty flexible about the substrate as long as it holds moisture well and they can dig through it and build stable burrows. There are a lot of different mixes people use that work just fine.

okay awesome. i think ill switch him out then tonight. yall got me worried having that bark in there XD. thats just what the pet store employees recommended. as far as keeping it moist, should i just dump a few glasses of water in to soak it a bit before i reintroduce him to it? and does anyone have any personal premolt pictures of what this species's exoskeleton looks like just before?

Substrate looks adequately damp. If it’s usually like this, dehydration is unlikely.

yeah that was just after a heavy mist. for whatever reason even if im in north alabama it dries out relatively quickly. also keeping a shirt over the mesh on top seems to be better than plastic wrap at keeping moisture in. i usually keep my apartment pretty dang toasty so im thinking thats also contributing to how fast it dries out.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

okay awesome. i think ill switch him out then tonight. yall got me worried having that bark in there XD. thats just what the pet store employees recommended. as far as keeping it moist, should i just dump a few glasses of water in to soak it a bit before i reintroduce him to it? and does anyone have any personal premolt pictures of what this species's exoskeleton looks like just before?


yeah that was just after a heavy mist. for whatever reason even if im in north alabama it dries out relatively quickly. also keeping a shirt over the mesh on top seems to be better than plastic wrap at keeping moisture in. i usually keep my apartment pretty dang toasty so im thinking thats also contributing to how fast it dries out.

The bark is a problem because it's chunky and thus useless for burrowing in, and is potentially damaging for a freshly moulted animal. Almost any mix of soil, fine coco coir, and/or peat will work, just not anything chunky. Pet store employees almost universally know nothing about invertebrates, so anything they say should be ignored as a general rule.

Best practise generally looks something like this:

mix your substrate, whatever that is, with water until it is moist throughout, but not dripping. Put it in the enclosure to a depth of several inches - 4-6 inches is generally pretty good. Press it down gently - you don't want it packed super tight, but it also shouldn't be loose. Add your hides and water dish etc, then introduce the animal. After that, you can periodically overflow the waterdish to maintain the moisture in the substrate - you want to keep it about as moist as it was when you first put it together. The top layer can dry out a tiny bit, but underneath should always be moist, because that's where the animal will burrow and spend most of its time.

heat will definitely increase evaporation and dry out the substrate faster, but that's alright. They like it toasty. Just make sure you're keeping an eye on the moisture in the substrate.

Photos of pre-moult are less illuminating than you might expect - they just get fat, but being fat doesn't necessarily mean they're in pre-moult. there aren't really any clear visual indicators of an impending moult.

 

[Ceman2020]

The bark is a problem because it's chunky and thus useless for burrowing in, and is potentially damaging for a freshly moulted animal. Almost any mix of soil, fine coco coir, and/or peat will work, just not anything chunky. Pet store employees almost universally know nothing about invertebrates, so anything they say should be ignored as a general rule.

Best practise generally looks something like this:

mix your substrate, whatever that is, with water until it is moist throughout, but not dripping. Put it in the enclosure to a depth of several inches - 4-6 inches is generally pretty good. Press it down gently - you don't want it packed super tight, but it also shouldn't be loose. Add your hides and water dish etc, then introduce the animal. After that, you can periodically overflow the waterdish to maintain the moisture in the substrate - you want to keep it about as moist as it was when you first put it together. The top layer can dry out a tiny bit, but underneath should always be moist, because that's where the animal will burrow and spend most of its time.

heat will definitely increase evaporation and dry out the substrate faster, but that's alright. They like it toasty. Just make sure you're keeping an eye on the moisture in the substrate.

Thank you. I have bought some more reptisoil today. And tomorrow will remove him and clean tank and replace substrate. Question tho, soap and water and rinse to clean enclosure? I don't want to leave any chemicals that are harsh to him behind.

 

[Albireo Wulfbooper]

Thank you. I have bought some more reptisoil today. And tomorrow will remove him and clean tank and replace substrate. Question tho, soap and water and rinse to clean enclosure? I don't want to leave any chemicals that are harsh to him behind.

you don't necessarily need to use soap at all - if it's the same enclosure, you can just rinse it. If you need to use soap, dish soap leaves less residue than most other soaps, just make sure you rinse very thoroughly.