Newbie with an Emperor, first time, have a few questions.

Hey everyone, got into having scorpions recently, and need a bit of help. I got my new Emp 5 days ago at PETCO. It is about 3-4 inches long as of now, (I refer to it as an "it" becuase I have yet to sex it) and I am worried that there may be something wrong. It is currently in a 10 gallon tank, which has about an inch of rocks at the botton (supposedly good for holding water so that it can evaporate and keep the tank humid) and about 4 inches of ECO Earth on top. There is a small and shallow water dish, roughly it's size, maybe a bit bigger. I have a rounded chunk of wood, usually a home for a lizard, that may be a bit big for it. I also have a heat pad and a infared heat lamp for warmth. On the side with It's hide, i have a plant for shade. As I type this, the humidity is about 60% and the temp is about 80. I have thrown in a few crickets, which have dissappeared (A good sign, I guess). The thing I'm worried about is that it hasn't come out since I got it. It's still alive, but I don't know what to do. Is it the heat? I don't know what to do. Any advise would be welcome. Thanks, and sorry for such a long post.

Don`t worry about the fact he likes to hide, that is perfectly normal. Pandinus Imperator is whats known as a "pet hole" Also don`t be worried if it stops eating, they can and do sometimes go a month or more without eating, especially male emperors. If you find crickets in the enclosure the next day, remove them and try later.

Thanks so much. Big relief there.

OK, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks. Also, side note, withing 15 minutes of writing this, she came out for the first time (she climbed against the glass, so I got a chance to see the underside. I have a female). She is now happily sitting by her dish. Very cool looking. Now that she has had time to recover from the traumatic ride home (bumpy dirt roads by my house), she seems to have settled in quite nicely. Thanks again, for all the help.

if ya havnt already, have a butchers at this
https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/the-burrow-in-ghana-emperor-zone-f34/frequently-asked-questions-about-emperor-scorpions-p-imperator-t13.htm
you probably know most of the stuff already though
also welcome to the forum

Sounds all normal to me and im still new aswell, but getting there

And i wouldnt worry about hides being too big for it, i used to have a massive hollowed out log, just buryed it about 2 inches deep in the substrate and it was fine with it, but cork bark seems to work alot better though so give that a try if you get a chance.

Im not sure if the infared heat lamp is nessescary though? Im over in nice old sunny england (sarcastic) and heatmat just seems to work for me. And yeah i sometimes go days without seeing mine too, but i work nights seening as nightclubs aint open in the day so i have a feeling as soon as i go off they sneak out and back in as i return

Maybe, but I live in Alaska. Even with heating, it can be a bit chilly during the nights. Don't want it to be too cold for her. Better safe than sorry, I suppose.

i never found heat mats to be an effective heat source so i switched to heat lamps, and never looked back.