Why cant i keep a deathstalker alive

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
I own many arachnids with different husbandry. Ive owned plenty over the years as well but for the life of me i cant seem to keep a Leiurus sp lving long. Longest ive had one last is almost 2 years, ive tried different substrate, types of hides, temps, even moving them to the bacm to my iguanas lights are seen. What am i doing wrong with what should be the easiest to care for. All but 1 I've just woken up and they were dead but alive the day before. Only 1 i caught on his back thriving around. I first thought it may be molting weird but no sign of any molting. I prekill food cause the recent ones wont eat it live no matter how small. They've all been pretty small scorps only 1 I'd say made it to the juvie stage. Why is everything else in my room living and thriving but deathstalkers keep dying. Only thing thats the same over the years is my room in the house
 

BoyFromLA

Spoon feeder
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Oct 26, 2017
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I am keeping one since 2019.

Not so much of husbandry it requires as you know. Mine is in an acrylic enclosure with just thin layer of desert sand with small pebbles substrates, a rock hide, a water dish, and that’s all. No heat source.

Below are the molt dates:

Jul 26, 2019
Jul 20, 2020
Oct 9, 2020
Jul 7, 2021

293EE94D-F464-407E-B3E5-D5F48103715E.jpeg
 

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
What are the specific conditions you are keeping them ?
All different but mostly kept as BoyFromLa above said to keep them. Most that changed was substrate. Sometimes it was just sand, ive tried sand a little coco. Hides were always cork bark i broke into smaller pieces. Cross ventilation on all of them although the size of their container
 

darkness975

Latrodectus
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All different but mostly kept as BoyFromLa above said to keep them. Most that changed was substrate. Sometimes it was just sand, ive tried sand a little coco. Hides were always cork bark i broke into smaller pieces. Cross ventilation on all of them although the size of their container
I know you wrote you tried different temps but what specific temps and did you offer a temperature gradient?
 

MerryAdvocado

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Messages
9
I own many arachnids with different husbandry. Ive owned plenty over the years as well but for the life of me i cant seem to keep a Leiurus sp lving long. Longest ive had one last is almost 2 years, ive tried different substrate, types of hides, temps, even moving them to the bacm to my iguanas lights are seen. What am i doing wrong with what should be the easiest to care for. All but 1 I've just woken up and they were dead but alive the day before. Only 1 i caught on his back thriving around. I first thought it may be molting weird but no sign of any molting. I prekill food cause the recent ones wont eat it live no matter how small. They've all been pretty small scorps only 1 I'd say made it to the juvie stage. Why is everything else in my room living and thriving but deathstalkers keep dying. Only thing thats the same over the years is my room in the house
I am no expert, but the reason could come down to something as fundamental as where you live, your average humidity levels and temperatures.
 

Arthroverts

Arachnoking
Joined
Jul 11, 2016
Messages
2,462
A lot of desert buthids will grow weak and die if temperatures fall below a certain level; what is the lowest temperature they have experienced in your care?

Thanks,

Arthroverts
 

eresiano

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 24, 2022
Messages
7
I own many arachnids with different husbandry. Ive owned plenty over the years as well but for the life of me i cant seem to keep a Leiurus sp lving long. Longest ive had one last is almost 2 years, ive tried different substrate, types of hides, temps, even moving them to the bacm to my iguanas lights are seen. What am i doing wrong with what should be the easiest to care for. All but 1 I've just woken up and they were dead but alive the day before. Only 1 i caught on his back thriving around. I first thought it may be molting weird but no sign of any molting. I prekill food cause the recent ones wont eat it live no matter how small. They've all been pretty small scorps only 1 I'd say made it to the juvie stage. Why is everything else in my room living and thriving but deathstalkers keep dying. Only thing thats the same over the years is my room in the house
Probably your room has higher humidity and/or varying temps compared to what the LQs are used to. I have 3 of those all in the 3rd instar and aside from a tendency to overfeed them, I have never really had a problem with keeping them although I've only had them for half a year. I find that leaving lateralis nymphs for them to hunt when they refuse to eat helps. You can always check if they ate after 24 hrs.
 

Matt Man

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Jul 4, 2017
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1,685
seen them mostly kept in sand with a hide, maybe a rock or 2 for decor, plus the water dish
 

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
A lot of desert buthids will grow weak and die if temperatures fall below a certain level; what is the lowest temperature they have experienced in your care?

Thanks,

Arthroverts
Lowest we experienced was last year in the winter storm. Power was out a whole weak and it reached the high 30s in my room but none of my critters died from that. Usually at night the system lets it get to 70 degrees cause the sensor thinks its hotter but thatsbually the lowest itll hit every now and then
 

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
Probably your room has higher humidity and/or varying temps compared to what the LQs are used to. I have 3 of those all in the 3rd instar and aside from a tendency to overfeed them, I have never really had a problem with keeping them although I've only had them for half a year. I find that leaving lateralis nymphs for them to hunt when they refuse to eat helps. You can always check if they ate after 24 hrs.
I try to keep the temps in the room in the mid 70s just because i have so many different arachnids and reptiles in the room. Usually with food i have to prekill. Only had 2 of them hunting food
 

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
I find that Leiurus thrive in 85F-95F conditions and molt just fine and regularly.
Maybe thats the issue i try not to let it hits the high 80s just cause i have some critters that cant take that heat but maybe a little thing of heat tape could solve that
 

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
Sorry everyone for the late reply i work 2 jobs and go to college so this post somewhat slipped my mind
 

MerryAdvocado

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 23, 2022
Messages
9
Sorry everyone for the late reply i work 2 jobs and go to college so this post somewhat slipped my mind
You could consider getting some additional heating and a thermostat, it's quite likely it died because of the drops in temperature. Get the enclosure to range from 75-85°
 

Tarikm

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 30, 2019
Messages
42
You could consider getting some additional heating and a thermostat, it's quite likely it died because of the drops in temperature. Get the enclosure to range from 75-85°
What would you recommend for heating. I have a ecobee smart themostat for the room along with the sensor it usually is around 75 Fahrenheit
 
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