Looking for a first scorpion...

The ever popular Emperor I'm finding in abundance around here (Southeast Ohio)....actually it's the only kind I'm finding. I may get one or two eventually, since they do seem to be quite impressive. However, I was looking for an alternative species...something relatively easy to care for an inexperienced keeper.

Would like to get a species that can be kept communally..although I'd probably only get two...at least to start.

Can anyone point me in the right direction...thanks!

you might want to check out the......The Scorp-O-Matic Choose Your Scorpion Wizard! thread it's a sticky on this board...

my first species was a heterometrus spinfer and he was relatively easy to look after. to me they look more impressive than an emp and are more aggressive. but i would recommend this species.

Heterometrus species (communal)
Hadrurus Arizonensis (non-communal)
Hadogenes species (non-communal)


I would advise against the latter two if you are thinking of breeding at some point.

Thanks everyone..mezz, carefully studying your suggestion...where did you get your scorp? Can anyone suggest a supplier/breeder?

KenTheBugGuy.com.

I was a bit worried about doing the online thing but couldn't find anything but emps in WI also unless I wanted to pay more for a scorp than a few of them with shipping and drive an hour to Milwaukee to boot, so I tried Ken after reading some of the reviews on here and had a great experience with now both orders I have placed.

But don't just take my word for it...
https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/online-dealer-review-f37/kenthebugguy-t269.htm

i got my spinifer from a shop round the corner from me. but they are avalible on here occasionally and on the websites posted on here. i do reccomend gettin a young scorp because you will have it longer than i had mine. i brought an adult and it lasted 3 months. as binksy said there are lots of heterometrus and they are all have roughly the same aggression level so it dosent mater what you get for that family really.

I'd really like the big boy of the group...anyone know of a stateside source? H.Swammerdami

ALLLLLL Righty then!!! Anyone else find themselves spending a crazy amount of time using search engines and cross-referencing with this board?? Every time I get excited about a species, I find out it is non-communal or just flat-out not available....so I'll throw out a general 9-1-1 and see what happens??

What is the largest (or longest), most active species that can be kept communally? I have a current tank roungly 24x12x15 that I would like to start out a community set up with.

There are a few non communal species I would like such as H. Troglodytes.

Mooochas GrassyAss!

If you were interested in the H. Swammerdami you may want to check out some H. Spinifers they get just about as big and are noted as being more aggressive than Emps but still somewhat docile and they are on the lower end of the venom scale. I have 4 but they are only about 3i give or take. 2 of 4 have just molted again and since then have been a lot more active.

The other 2 species I have are Hoffmannius Spinigerus (arguably communal, but having lost 1 of 3 and since split them up I lean on the 'not' communal side) and Hottentotta Trilineatus. So far so good with the H. Tris but they are considered medically significant and both of the these latter two species are medium sized ranging from 2-3 1/2 inches.

From reading I would recommend looking into some B. Jacksoni also. I was torn between the Hottentotta's and the Jacksoni when I bought them. Still am! They beautiful scoprions have a good reputation of being communal and it seems a lot of people on here have them so maybe you could some good insight here on that species if you are interested.

Hope this helps.

I think it has...think I'll order scorps for two setups since I can't decide...I want the size of the larger forest scorpions and the coloration of Jacksoni....so I think I'll order 2 juvenile H. Spinifers ...for the 20 gallon tank I have...and a couple of B. Jacksoni for another 10 gallon. Anyone have an opinion on Jacksoni juveniles co-existing well together?...I've heard both sides of the story...that they are communal as adults, but juveniles are not. .....OOOH one more thing...how many Jacksoni would some of you with experience feel comfortable housing in a 10 gallon tank? Thanks again.

iitomodachi1 wrote:

If you were interested in the H. Swammerdami you may want to check out some H. Spinifers they get just about as big and are noted as being more aggressive than Emps but still somewhat docile and they are on the lower end of the venom scale. I have 4 but they are only about 3i give or take. 2 of 4 have just molted again and since then have been a lot more active.

The other 2 species I have are Hoffmannius Spinigerus (arguably communal, but having lost 1 of 3 and since split them up I lean on the 'not' communal side) and Hottentotta Trilineatus. So far so good with the H. Tris but they are considered medically significant and both of the these latter two species are medium sized ranging from 2-3 1/2 inches.

From reading I would recommend looking into some B. Jacksoni also. I was torn between the Hottentotta's and the Jacksoni when I bought them. Still am! They beautiful scoprions have a good reputation of being communal and it seems a lot of people on here have them so maybe you could some good insight here on that species if you are interested.

Hope this helps.

i have no idea about the jacksoni, but id like to know so it would reduce my research cause i wanted to do a setup for jacksoni too

Ironically enough I thought I read last night that the B. Jacksoni are alright as communal juvis and that was one of their perks, but I don't know from experience and that would just be one source as I don't recall seeing anything about this explicitly for B. Jacksoni before.

Also, (and again not specific for B. Jacksoni) I have read for communal set up's that a minimum of 2.5 - 5 gallons for 1 adult med sized scorp and about 1 gal. per scorp. I'm not sure if that means 10 per 10 gal, or 5-7. I think know there are other variables involved too making this a little more complex such as having enough hides for each individual scorpion and a few extra just in case. Also each species will be a bit different, I have read that B. Jacksoni and some Hottentotta species do well with crowding, so I'm not sure if I can interpret this as 7-10 scorps per 10 gal or what.

I guess the only other thing about B. Jacksoni that I really wonder about is the humidity. Do they require a moderate level? I know with emps and spins you can keep it pretty darn humid and they are good, arid species you can keep it very dry but I believe the B. Jacksoni is more moderate. I would like to know if they are very susceptible to mycosis(sp?) or dehydration with humidity changes?

Hopefully we can get some insight from some of the members that keep them as most of my comments are based just on reading I've done and I'm considering B. Jacksoni for a future species.

B. jacksoni caresheet i found

http://eycb.pagesperso-orange.fr/scorpions/FBabycurusJacksoni.htm

the lycan mikey wrote:

B. jacksoni caresheet i found

http://eycb.pagesperso-orange.fr/scorpions/FBabycurusJacksoni.htm

That is the same site I was on last night and couldn't remember what it was without being on my home computer!! Sweet!

check out the site too...

the guy that runs it has an awesome gallery of all different kinds of scorpions

dessert species coud be a dessert hairy and tropical can by any heterometrus or pandinus.