Please help with Scorpion Enclosures

Next week I will be receiving some scorpions that I bought. I have only ever owned 1 scorpion, a Pandinus imperator, that died. There was something wrong with it when it arrived. But anyways, that's old news.

I will be recieving the following

0.0.1 2nd Instar Parabuthus transvaalicus

0.0.1 3rd Instar Parabuthus schlechteri (is it pronounced Klek-ter-ee?)

0.0.1 5th Instar Pandinus cavimanus

For me this is a big deal as I have never owned rare scorpions like these (P. cavimanus and P. schlechteri are considered rare in South Africa) so wanted to know what the ideal enclosure setup would be (Not worrying about cage size just mainly decor and substrate essentially. Maybe plants as well) for each species.
Also, while I'm at it let me introduce myself. My real name is Cameron Torode and I live in South Africa. Same as Shadowfoot )

There's an entire thread dedicated to Parabuthus species here. Plus, very good articles on raising both desert and forest scorpions in the ASA section of the forum.

shebeen wrote:

There's an entire thread dedicated to Parabuthus species here. Plus, very good articles on raising both desert and forest scorpions in the ASA section of the forum.

+1

Welcome Cameron! Hope you enjoy the critters.
The care sheets provided are some of the best on the web. Goodluck with reading 30+ pages in the Parabuthus thread.

You might also want to use the search function, besides the caresheets and the thread Shebeen mentioned, there is a massive amount of written material at the forums.

[HOW TO] Search for Scorpion's Information

You will also usually get better response if you do introduce yourself at the Introduce Yourself section.

I read some good infor but what I want to know now is, can I leave the cage for the P. cavimanus plain or can I add things like little stones, dried leaves, bark blah blah blah?

Hi F1refly,

The minimum captive requirements in keeping a forest scorpion healthy is simple.

Substrate
1. Correct substrate and depth
(e.g. coco fibre with a depth is as deep as the scorpion's full length)


Humidity
2. Adequate moisture content of the substrate
(When the substrate is dampen nicely, the correct humidity should follow closely behind it)


Housing
3. Provision of at least one hiding place e.g. a large flat piece of slate/ bark, a shallow water dish filled at all times, ample ventilation and minimum floor space required for a single specimen is at least three times the scorpion's full length.


When the above are met, all other deco is more of a "want" for the keeper than a "need" for the scorpion. I'm not discouraging you from decorating your tank as there's no harm in making a naturalistic looking enclosure e.g. adding of stones/dried leaves to replicate a rainforest setup, but it's more for the aesthetics look and feel of the enclosure, that's all

F1refly wrote:

I read some good infor but what I want to know now is, can I leave the cage for the P. cavimanus plain or can I add things like little stones, dried leaves, bark blah blah blah?

You can add all those items to your enclosure. Anything that you collect outdoors should be baked, boiled or microwaved to kill any parasites they may harbor. Some people freeze stuff they collect, but this doesn't always kill everything. Also, make sure anything you add to your enclosure hasn't been exposed to pesticides. Heavy objects, such as large rocks or chunks of wood, should be supported or anchored to prevent them from crushing or trapping your scorpion in the event he/she burrows under them.

shebeen wrote:

You can add all those items to your enclosure. Anything that you collect outdoors should be baked, boiled or microwaved to kill any parasites they may harbor. Some people freeze stuff they collect, but this doesn't always kill everything. Also, make sure anything you add to your enclosure hasn't been exposed to pesticides. Heavy objects, such as large rocks or chunks of wood, should be supported or anchored to prevent them from crushing or trapping your scorpion in the event he/she burrows under them.

+1
That's what i'm trying to add in to my previous post but i couldn't have said it better

For wild-collected barks/logs, try to find out if the collection area was recently exposed to pesticide and give it at least a simple heat treatment (e.g. Using tongs to hold a piece of bark above a flame like how you would grill a chicken wing) before using. Have to be tactful so not to over do it though.

Well this might be more for me when i do not have a delicated microwave to do something which my wife will gladly scream at me for

I got carried away microwaving some wood once. You know you've over done it when smoke starts coming out the microwave vents. The kitchen smelled like a camp fire for two weeks.

Thank you so much guys . I'm always looking through caresheets but they never cover the decor part. Thats my biggest pet peeve with Care sheets. Thanks GS, oh and those Caresheets of yours are AWESOME

shebeen wrote:

I got carried away microwaving some wood once. You know you've over done it when smoke starts coming out the microwave vents. The kitchen smelled like a camp fire for two weeks.

Yep, campfire! That's one of the words that got shouted to me across the hall
It's the same smell when i "over-do-it" with my "grilling of barks" over the flame.
Btw, during the process of doing so, i can see little sparks over the barks... that's a good indicator for me that the little bugs/mites are being "treated nicely".. lolz

F1refly wrote:

Thank you so much guys . I'm always looking through caresheets but they never cover the decor part. Thats my biggest pet peeve with Care sheets. Thanks GS, oh and those Caresheets of yours are AWESOME

It's a simple guide and aims to cover the basics by giving an overview, i'm glad that my caresheets helped a little.
I am always learning new things each day through the sharing of the forumers here and i'm sure from you as well.
Keep us updated on your projects mate