New Enclosure..

Hi All,

Some of you might have seen my previous posts about my little Emp.. Ive had her about a month and when I got her he/she was very much due a molt (she looked like a big purple fruit).. She molted just under 2 weeks ago so now shes finished ive moved her into her new home. Space is really tight so I couldnt get a huge one like I wanted and my creativity is even smaller than the amount of space I have..

What does everyone think? Is it OK?? Please tell me if you think its rubbish and needs re doing as I want it to be as good as I can get it


There is a big hand made burrow in the middle which she/he went straight into.






Side view... I tried to slope the eco earth to give more for burrowing at the top.. Theres also another hide at the front next to the water bowl (excuse the mess in the background)




Oh and im getting some pebbles tomorrow to go in the bottom of the water bowl

Your set up looks great. Your emp is big enough to not drown in that dish so the pebbles would be just for show. Maybe add a piece of slate if you intend to ever put a mating pair in there. It's actually too tight for a pair but I for some reason put a piece of rock in all my enclosures.

But really as long as you watch the temp/humidity and keep it clean(ish) you have a great set up. It'll be fun to see what your emp thinks. You may wake up one morning to see a plant in the pool and a new hide opening on the other side. They do tend to shuffle our decorations around.

I know its definately too small for a pair. Id love another one but would house seporately if I get another one..

Yeah Ive heard they like to redecorate themselves

Nice looking enclosure. Is you substrate loose or packed? If it's loose, I would suggest removing half of it, moisten the remaining half and tamp it down so it's tightly packed. Add back the substrate you removed, moisten and pack it down as well. This will stop any burrows from collapsing. I usually use a beer bottle or hammer handle as a "tamper". Be careful not to scratch the sides of your tank. Other than that, it looks like you've got a good grasp on the basic Emperor setup.

When your scorp gets bigger, you'll want to move it to a larger enclosure. This is a ways off yet, but when the time comes, you might want to consider a false bottom setup. They do an excellent job of keeping moisture in the substrate and maintaining humidity.

Its packing in tight but I left the surface layer loose on the top as I was digging out the burrow. Would you recommend packing down the surface as well?

Hopefully in the next few months I can get some money saved (and clear space in my house) for a nice big glass exo which I plan on attempting a false bottom.. Ive seen a few on here that look really cool..

If the surface layer isn't too deep you can leave it as is. About 80% of the substrate should be packed down, the top layer of 20% shouldn't cause burrows to collapse.
Nice enclosure btw.

Sounds like you're all set. You'll end up with loose substrate around the burrow since the excavated material has to go somewhere. It's often surprising how different your enclosure ends up looking after your scorp has had time to re-landscape.

I agree that set up is fine for another molt or 2.

One thing worth mentioning though is those kritter keeper type enclosures can have quite a lot of ventilation in the lids which can make keeping the substrate damp hard work. I usually just cover 2/3 of the holes in the lid with tape on the inside or wrap with cling film but you might find it holds moisture well enough without so just keep an eye on how quick it's drying out.

Do you have a lid for it? My Emp jus escaped his enclosure and there was a good 4 inches from the top of the substrate to the top of the tank...

pittsburghpiff wrote:

Do you have a lid for it? My Emp jus escaped his enclosure and there was a good 4 inches from the top of the substrate to the top of the tank...

Yeah there is an escape proof lid on there. I think my girlfriend would kill me if there wasnt.