Orthochirus sp. are generally tolerant of others within the same species. I've kept Orthochirus negebensis and I'm currently conversing with a friend who has a 1.3 breeding group of the negebensis just in case you were wondering about my credibility. The problem with the concept of "communal" behavior is that cannibalism is instinctive in scorpions, so there is always a risk when putting groups together. I hope you know the pectinal tooth counts for both sexes as this will help you maintain a friendly ratio that will reduce the risk of fighting and cannibalism amongst the males. Just in case you don't know the count: Males 17-19 and females are 15-16 If I remember correctly. Orthochirus will do well with both "straight" sand or any kind of mix. They are opportunistic burrowers, so they will either make scrapes underneath an object or burrow depending on what you provide for them. As far as heat goes, I'd say they need about the same amount of heat as pretty much any desert scorpions would. The Hottentotta genus, in my experience doesn't need any more heat than any other desert scorpion I've ever dealt with. I usually provide water for all my desert species a few times sporadically through the month, unless they are gravid. Gravid desert species receive more water due to the fact that its necessary for proper embryo development. Remember that dirty conditions, restricted ventilation and soil saturation are much more a cause for mycosis than providing water in a bowl for your gravid scorpion. I will add that these are not a scorpion for the inexperienced and most of your questions tend lead me to believe that you are, to some extent, inexperienced. I'm not trying to be mean or to put you down in any way, but Orthochirus tend to be a harder to breed species and they have a very long time span for a buthid to get to maturity. Good luck!
