New to scorpions

I have been looking at scorpions and am thinking about getting one but I need to know some stuff about them first.

1) Do they escape often?

2) Can I house one in a 3 gallon critter Keeper? or would a 20 gallon tank be better?

3) What spices would be the safest to have in a house with rodents?

4) What would be the best first time scorpion

1) if you have a lid, they won't get out.. i don't know of any scorps that can climb clean glass or plastic.

2) i think if you could go inbetween and look into a large flat exo terra faunarium, at the least for a single scorpion

3) refer to answer 1, this is also going to be followed up on answer 4

4) Pandinus imperator.. the emperor scorpion, there is a care sheet i think. Hadrus arizoneses.. desert hairy scorpion, less of a pet hole than the pansinus genus, but you can't hold them i don't think.

anything else.. feel free to add guys

I think Tom summed it up, regarding the spices and rodents, pepper and salt is always good. Maybe get some onions with that.., some mushrooms and butter... Make sure the cuisson is just right, wild meat tends to be rather chewy, so let it breath for a day or two before cooking it.

After that, dig in!

1) Do they escape often?
If you meet the proper safety requirement for the enclosure, no. Have a lid, don't let the substrate allow the scorpion to reach the lid, have a lock on it. Whatever you feel is necessary.

2) Can I house one in a 3 gallon critter Keeper? or would a 20 gallon tank be better?
You could house any species in a 3 gallon, but if you go for something like the Pandinus, your only gonna have one in their comfortably.

3) What spices would be the safest to have in a house with rodents?
If you meet the requirements for the enclosure (refer to answer #1) it shouldn't really matter. I suppose you should go with a species lower on the venom scale then most if it's much of a concern.

4) What would be the best first time scorpion
Pandinus Imperator
Pandinus Cavimanus
Hadrus Arizoneses
Heterometrus Spinifer
Heterometrus Javanensis


Search up some care sheets for these guys and see what you like the most. I don't believe any of these to be out of the realm for you. Some better than others and easily attainable. Make sure to read up before you make a purchase.

lolz at pluto!

Welcome to the forum herp lover! i thoink the guys covered everything for you just one thing some scorps are very good at climbing up silicon in the corners od some tanks but if your using a critter keeper you wont have that problem, i wuld say for your first go for the pandinus imperator, and it wont be long before you want more!

+1 bex.
thisis too addictive, i've gone from 1 invert to 18 in like a few months lol

and very lol at pluto, why didn't i think of that

Because you have a better sense of humor than me! I go "basement-deep" and beyond.. sorry

.........

you'd be surprised, i try to water down my jokes on the computer lol

Thanks for the fast replies. I probably won't be getting a scorpion for another year because I am focusing on my Leopard Gecko breeding project right now but I want to learn as much as possible and get a cage set-up. My biggest fear would be it getting out and getting in my one of my hamsters cages and killing them so I just wanted to be sure that they don't escape easy. I have been looking at the different species and I really liked the Centruroides Vittatus Are they hard to take care of?

In general Centruroides species are pretty easy to care for, and are quite communal as adults. Good choice!

As long as you keep them in a non porous enclosure and the bark pieces are six or so inches from the top, they shouldn't be able to get out. They may be able to climb the silicon seams in an aquarium, so you should put a strip of packing tape over the corners in the top of the tank.

Herp Lover wrote:

I have been looking at scorpions and am thinks about getting one but I need to know some stuff about them first.

1) Do they escape often?

2) Can I house one in a 3 gallon critter Keeper? or would a 20 gallon tank be better?

3) What spices would be the safest to have in a house with rodents?

4) What would be the best first time scorpion

Here's my opinion

1. They dont but will try to climb their enclosure so be sure it has a tight lid

2. If you only have one then Ill say 3 gallons of the critter keeper or small delicups for very small ones. 20 gallons are for adults and pairs

3-4. I think the Heterometrus spp., Hadogenes spp. or the Pandinus spp.

Herp Lover wrote:

Thanks for the fast replies. I probably won't be getting a scorpion for another year because I am focusing on my Leopard Gecko breeding project right now but I want to learn as much as possible and get a cage set-up. My biggest fear would be it getting out and getting in my one of my hamsters cages and killing them so I just wanted to be sure that they don't escape easy. I have been looking at the different species and I really liked the Centruroides Vittatus Are they hard to take care of?

No you shouldn't have a problem raising these guys, great choice.

Thanks

Hi i'm new to this scorpion thing and was wondering, I have an Asian Forest Scorpion in a 2.5ft fish tank but i'm using an old bit of wood for the lid, i've cut a sqaure out the top and put some meshing on the top as a vent, and i'm just wondering whether that is ok

Hey welcome to the forum

you probably will need a bit more ventalation depending on how large the square you have cut out is i would say you need at least half the lid open for good ventalation specially with species that have need high humidity

The vent that i cut out is only 8.5inches by 6inches, I was just worried that my scorpion would get to cold

got any pics? what do you use to heat it?

I can put pics up if you wanted to see it, and i'm using A 7watt heat pad under the tank, but I do have a light behind the tank which I use just to light the tank up as the light doesn't get hot

Rich Laurella wrote:

I can put pics up if you wanted to see it, and i'm using A 7watt heat pad under the tank, but I do have a light behind the tank which I use just to light the tank up as the light doesn't get hot

oooh heat matt under the tank is a big no no scorps burrow to escape heat and find moisture always put a heat matt on the side/back at just above ground level or your risking getting a steam/cooked stressed scorpion, and probably eventually dead and uv is bad for scorps also if your using a bulb to heat it needs to be an infrared heat bulb prolonged uv exposure also dramatically reduces a scorpions life

and yeah deffo do pics we love pics on this forum

I have heard that having heat matts under the tank can cause problems, I will put pics up as soon as i can, and also just wondering, what would you say is the best substrate to use for an Asian Forest Scorpion, as i'm just using otting soil, but if heard of other people using all sorts

we use coco fiber it comes in blocks and you you add it too a few liters of water and it expands i find that the best deffo for holding humidity well you should be able to get it from any pet store ive got some from ebay recently

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/MONKFIELD-COCO-FIBRE-BRICK-REPTILE-SUBSTRATE-650G-/150618164381?pt=UK_Pet_Supplies_Reptiles_Spiders_Insects&hash=item23118acc9d

are you from Okehampton as in devon Uk?

I will have a look on ebay for that coco fiber, thank you, and yes Oke in devon

+1 on using coco fibre and not using the uv.
uv from little torches is cool though, if you didn't know, scorpions flouresce

My sister lives in Beer in Devon

i know pets at home do the coco fiber blocks if you have one near you?