h. swammerdami set up advice...

hi guys

ill be getting my swammerdami this friday and i would like to ask for help.. im planning on a set up of semi aridl set up where he other side is dry and on the other side there will be an area where it is damp coco peat, there will also be a
water dish..

im new here.. please help

thank you

So we talking H. swammerdami or G. ankarana?

Keep them how you would keep emps I think. They are native to India. Of course, if you are doing the dry side for looks, then maybe do some sand and some rocks on one side (above a thick layer of moist peat or coco fiber) and then the wet side on the other end.

That's all I got, maybe someone else would like to chime in? Shakudo......Bayss......Abyss.....

If you want a semi arid enclosure I would recommend you get a semi arid scorpion. To ensure the happiest and healthiest specimen it would be better to make a tropical enclosure. They require the same set up as a Emp. 80 F and 80% RH is considered optimal.

Patcho wrote:

So we talking H. swammerdami or G. ankarana?

Keep them how you would keep emps I think. They are native to India. Of course, if you are doing the dry side for looks, then maybe do some sand and some rocks on one side (above a thick layer of moist peat or coco fiber) and then the wet side on the other end.

That's all I got, maybe someone else would like to chime in? Shakudo......Bayss......Abyss.....

H. swammerdami yup, dry side for the looks.. thank you..

most H. swammys i see from the Philippines are mostly kept in a semi-moist coco peat. there's a lot of swammys back home but the adult ones are really expensive

I would also implore that you use a false bottom setup to keep humidity up.

exoticvirus wrote:

most H. swammys i see from the Philippines are mostly kept in a semi-moist coco peat. there's a lot of swammys back home but the adult ones are really expensive

i got mine quite cheap its 3i... i guess ill just layer it ..

Patcho wrote:

I would also implore that you use a false bottom setup to keep humidity up.

ill keep that in mind thank you

(excuse the foreign language LOL)

@rusheed: ahh kaya pala.. mura talaga pag 2i-3i pa lang hehe.. gusto ko sana bumili ng 6i pair kaso almost 4k na price e haha!

- anyways were just discussing the price range of young and sub-adult instars

exoticvirus wrote:

(excuse the foreign language LOL)

@rusheed: ahh kaya pala.. mura talaga pag 2i-3i pa lang hehe.. gusto ko sana bumili ng 6i pair kaso almost 4k na price e haha!

- anyways were just discussing the price range of young and sub-adult instars

yup.. how long will i take to be fully mature? im worried because the enclosure might get infected by ants or mites because of the humidity..

it normally takes a year or 2 for a Heterometrus sp to complete its cycle from 1i to 7i but since you're living in the Philippines, it'll take less than a year up to 1 year tops, to be sexually mature. swammys usually take a bit longer

I keep my h.swammerdami's a little dryer than my emps an other heterometrus

0.0.0 species name - what's does the 3 digits means and how do i set it up

here would be a good setup for a swammerdami. kind jealous you have about six years ago i found one on VL for sale for $2000 i practicly shat a brick. then i found anouther one for around 200.
but back to the encloser. You should do a false bottom tropical tank i would suggest making a tube on the side that you can poor water into so that the bottom can easily be filled with water clay spheres work well but i suggest a heavier rocks because the scorpion will dig them up and bring them all to the surface unless you use a mesh screen to separate the false bottom from the dirt. i would have an excessive amount of substrate about 5-6 inches but depending on the size use the amount that is reasonable live plants will really bring a tank together and create a vary visually pleasing tropical tank. For substrate a mix of coco fiber, some sand, small aquarium rocks, Non treated top soil, and cypress mulch will create a great forest floor for your scorpion also some dead leaves will look great as well. And place some patches of moss around the tank. To be honest the half and half encloser idea is cool but going full tropical will do your specimen a much greater justice not only for husbandry needs but i think if you do it right it will look amazing and could make a great display tank and conversation peace.
I hope that this helps you a bit in the decision of what you want to do with your tank
emp tank


Here is a small C. gracilis encloser that demonstrates the use of leaves

Here it shows how a scorpion will utilize a recently fallen leaf i would pick the leaves off my sisters braided money tree they call it but that probly not the real sp name but it can be used as a nice natural water dish where water will accumulate ontop of the surface of the leaves and looks great

exoticvirus wrote:

it normally takes a year or 2 for a Heterometrus sp to complete its cycle from 1i to 7i but since you're living in the Philippines, it'll take less than a year up to 1 year tops, to be sexually mature. swammys usually take a bit longer

hope i would be able to nurture it to maturity properly thanks...

chrisc wrote:

I keep my h.swammerdami's a little dryer than my emps an other heterometrus

ive also read some doing that... may i ask whats the set up of your smammerdami?

msgtmmgn wrote:

0.0.0 species name - what's does the 3 digits means and how do i set it up

it is used to identify how many males, females, and unsexed an owner has..

example:

1,0,1 h. swammerdami - it means 1 male, zero female, 1 unsexed H. swammerdami

lweigle wrote:

here would be a good setup for a swammerdami. kind jealous you have about six years ago i found one on VL for sale for $2000 i practicly shat a brick. then i found anouther one for around 200.
but back to the encloser. You should do a false bottom tropical tank i would suggest making a tube on the side that you can poor water into so that the bottom can easily be filled with water clay spheres work well but i suggest a heavier rocks because the scorpion will dig them up and bring them all to the surface unless you use a mesh screen to separate the false bottom from the dirt. i would have an excessive amount of substrate about 5-6 inches but depending on the size use the amount that is reasonable live plants will really bring a tank together and create a vary visually pleasing tropical tank. For substrate a mix of coco fiber, some sand, small aquarium rocks, Non treated top soil, and cypress mulch will create a great forest floor for your scorpion also some dead leaves will look great as well. And place some patches of moss around the tank. To be honest the half and half encloser idea is cool but going full tropical will do your specimen a much greater justice not only for husbandry needs but i think if you do it right it will look amazing and could make a great display tank and conversation peace.
I hope that this helps you a bit in the decision of what you want to do with your tank
emp tank


Here is a small C. gracilis encloser that demonstrates the use of leaves

Here it shows how a scorpion will utilize a recently fallen leaf i would pick the leaves off my sisters braided money tree they call it but that probly not the real sp name but it can be used as a nice natural water dish where water will accumulate ontop of the surface of the leaves and looks great

thanks i really appreciate it.. gotta do some thinking regarding the set up nice set up, i really like it...

rusheed_87 wrote:

chrisc wrote:

I keep my h.swammerdami's a little dryer than my emps an other heterometrus

ive also read some doing that... may i ask whats the set up of your smammerdami?

my 2 are only small 3rd instar i think so their both in little tub's with slightly damp coco fiber substrate and a couple of bit's of cork bark, i give the setup's a light spray once a week

Congrats on your new swammer! Like others have already said. Really not much to taking care of swammers. Almost like an emp. I keep mine warm during the day with a slight drop in temp at night. For substrate I use eco earth and keep it dry with the exception of one corner at the opposite end damp. During pre-molt it seems they like to lay in the damp corner days or even weeks prior to peeling out of there old armor. Also keep a little water bowl inside and a flat piece of cork bark to hide under. IMO...they love and prefer the cork bark flats. I have tried a lot of different hides and I would never find them in it. I put cork bark flats inside and they are ALWAYS under it.

Here is how I kepp my H. Swammerdami female. I keep her on moist cocofiber and one end is about 3 inches deep and the other is 6 inches deep. She has built an intricate burrowing system and she is very active. She comes out around dark thirty and clangs around her enclosure all night. She eats like a little pig. She has even made a hole in the substrate where she will sit down in it and wait for her prey items to pass by ambushing them.

In this pic the hole she likes to sit in is right in the middle of the enclosure.

rusheed_87 wrote:

exoticvirus wrote:

it normally takes a year or 2 for a Heterometrus sp to complete its cycle from 1i to 7i but since you're living in the Philippines, it'll take less than a year up to 1 year tops, to be sexually mature. swammys usually take a bit longer

hope i would be able to nurture it to maturity properly thanks...

oh you will.. our climate is perfectly suited for doing so. just keep it well-ventilated as we tend to have soggy substrates, ant attacks and stuff.. good luck and enjoy!

stingray wrote:

Congrats on your new swammer! Like others have already said. Really not much to taking care of swammers. Almost like an emp. I keep mine warm during the day with a slight drop in temp at night. For substrate I use eco earth and keep it dry with the exception of one corner at the opposite end damp. During pre-molt it seems they like to lay in the damp corner days or even weeks prior to peeling out of there old armor. Also keep a little water bowl inside and a flat piece of cork bark to hide under. IMO...they love and prefer the cork bark flats. I have tried a lot of different hides and I would never find them in it. I put cork bark flats inside and they are ALWAYS under it.

wow.. thanks ill keep that in mind...

Kale wrote:

Here is how I kepp my H. Swammerdami female. I keep her on moist cocofiber and one end is about 3 inches deep and the other is 6 inches deep. She has built an intricate burrowing system and she is very active. She comes out around dark thirty and clangs around her enclosure all night. She eats like a little pig. She has even made a hole in the substrate where she will sit down in it and wait for her prey items to pass by ambushing them.

In this pic the hole she likes to sit in is right in the middle of the enclosure.

nice set up.. cool swammerdami... i hope mine'sthe same with your swammerdami

exoticvirus wrote:

rusheed_87 wrote:

exoticvirus wrote:

it normally takes a year or 2 for a Heterometrus sp to complete its cycle from 1i to 7i but since you're living in the Philippines, it'll take less than a year up to 1 year tops, to be sexually mature. swammys usually take a bit longer

hope i would be able to nurture it to maturity properly thanks...

oh you will.. our climate is perfectly suited for doing so. just keep it well-ventilated as we tend to have soggy substrates, ant attacks and stuff.. good luck and enjoy!

thanks i just hope i wont be able to encounter pest problems...