G'day guys. Very very new to Scorpion rearing - but very interested.

Hello all,

I'm very new to scorpions, currently I'm going to purchase one - however I'm not sure which one I should Purchase:

The Emperor Scorpion or the Asian Forest Scorpion,. May I ask which is the easier one to rear or is both just about the same and what is the lifespan of both? If they are roughly the same, I would chose the Emperor Scorpion. As I'm residing in Singapore, these critters are considered illegal there but I have friends who have imported (smuggled ) them from overseas and are already in the sub stage.

I'm also planning to set up a 10 gallon aquarium for my scorpion and I have read that it must thrive in humid and warm in order for it to be healthy and to live long.

I need some help on which substrate i should be using for my scorpion, what am I able to place inside and what I'm not.

Also I have a white light lamp on my desk, is that alright enough to maintain the heat of the aquarium for my scorpion? I have read that the heat source should be either on the side or the top and never at the bottom.

Food wise, I am able to get crickets, mealworms for them from a nearby fish store, would that suffice?

Sorry for my many questions, I just want to make sure I have prepared enough to rear one!
All help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you very much in advance guys

Glad to be part of the community!

welcome, well i am farely new to this but i got a rough idea... i have 2 asian forest and they have almost identical requirnments with emperors.... emperors get a little bigger though.. as for substrate i recomend(cant spell) coco fibre (compressed brick is the best choice)... as for your lamp, i would say get a infrared buld because they dont like light. crickets are the best choice, because mealworms are very fatty for them. when i purchased my scorpions i thought i was getting emps but it turned out i got afs... you can also use a heat pad on the side if you dont want to use a lamp... be sure to have a hide or 2 for your scorp!

I would recommend you get what is legal in your country, mostly because the reasons that they are illegal porbrobly is that they are a threat to the native eco-system if they get out... But of the two I have to say that Pandinus Imperator is the best for beginners...

I would say a 40W lamp is enough for heat, but as lordpotato said they doesn't like light so they wont be out during the day... As for substrate, temperature, humidity, etc. there is a lot of other threats I think you should read before asking questions or else people will just repeat themselves

(Sorry for all the misspelling btw...)

Welcome to the forum!! (and to the hobby for that matter)

Either choice is great for beginners. They come from the same family of Scorpions and their requirements are indeed quite similar. You're right, they do need high heat and humidity. As stated above, coco fiber is a good choice. Peat is also very good. Personally, I like to blend them. They need a good 5 or 6 inches of substrate for burrowing and it should be moist and fairly compacted. Some people like to put heaters under the tank, but I don't recommend it.

My knowledge of Asian Scorps is limited to what I've read in books, but if you decide to go with Emps, I have alot experience keeping and breeding them. Feel free to PM me and I can answer any specific questions you have.

Cheers!

Thinking the best place to look for most of your questions is here:

https://scorpionforum.darkbb.com/the-burrow-in-ghana-emperor-zone-f34/frequently-asked-questions-about-emperor-scorpions-p-imperator-t13.htm


If it's not there, likely we can help you, but that FAQ is pretty comprehensive. This is essential the caresheet for both Emps and AFS.

Between both the AFS and the Emp, I definitely prefer the AFS. Largely due to their slightly more aggressive tendencies the joys of feeding and exploring are just that much more interesting. I also enjoy the colouring and general look to them. Not that I don't love my emp of course.

I also agree with Rene. Get what is legal. There is no sense risking fines/jailtime (not sure the penelty) for something so easily handled.

Kerrby wrote:

I also agree with Rene. Get what is legal. There is no sense risking fines/jailtime (not sure the penelty) for something so easily handled.

I also think that breaking the law on keeping these animal might potentially be harmful to the hobby in the sence that if foreksample it gets loose and inflicts some sort of damage (on humans or the local eco-system) the "freaky pet owners" will be blamed and this could result in even more strickt rules... Here in denmark we have lots of examples of this, foreksample most species of the buthidae are banned for the same reasons and just last year a lots of dogs of the so called "fighting dogs" got banned because of some few inresponsible owners... So keep to what is legal

Thank you guys for the quick replies!

Singapore is a very humid country somewhat like Malaysia or Thailand, I believe the very ecosystem that the Asian Forest Scorpion lives in. The reason why scorpions aren't allowed for import/export is just like what Rene mentioned - bad owners then anything else.

However, I know people who have brought over these creatures, hence I was thinking to myself why not? Since I have the interest in *exotic pets* such as these

I agree with the feedback already posted up I'd just add that for a light if that is your heating source use an infrared bulb as stated above but I believe this is good because UV A and UV B light is bad for the scorps but infrared doesn't bother them, I also believe that scorpions cannot see red

Also if you use a heat pad make sure to put it on the sides or back and NOT on the bottom of the enclosure. This way if the scorps want to get away from the heat they will do so by burrowing. They won't cook this way and it replicates the natural environment a little better. You should not need to heat much if you are in Singapore though unless you have AC and it is on all the time. You are correct in assuming that there is a similar climate. I have not been to SE Asia yet but am planning a trip to Thailand and Indonesia next year, and get into learning about other places.

Good luck which ever way you go.

Oh yeah, between Emps and AFS I think both are great for beginners also. I have not had an emp but have 4 H. Spins. From what I have ready/heard the AFS have a slightly stronger sting but toxicity is still rated the same as emps. The AFS is slightly more aggressive usually too - meaning you may get to see a little more activity, that's why I opted for AFS.

**Almost forgot the most important part... Welcome to SF

The only difference to really think about between to two when you're a beginner is if you have the desire to handle them or not since they are pretty identical to eachother. Emps are more docile, hets or forest scorps are more voracious eaters but it really depends, this is just really on average from personal experience.

I see thank you all who posted here.

I have decided to get ... A tarantula instead for starters - Brazilian White Knee.

However I'm still really interested in scorpions and now pacman frogs heh heh.

I know the Death Stalker is NOT a beginner's species but I've watched videos of it subduing its prey and damn they're fierce.

plankationship wrote:

I see thank you all who posted here.

I have decided to get ... A tarantula instead for starters - Brazilian White Knee.

However I'm still really interested in scorpions and now pacman frogs heh heh.

I know the Death Stalker is NOT a beginner's species but I've watched videos of it subduing its prey and damn they're fierce.

Acanthoscurria Geniculata is a pretty nice tarantula, especially for beginners! So good luck with that!

Thank you Will definitely post pictures in the section for Ts

plankationship wrote:

Thank you Will definitely post pictures in the section for Ts

Please do

also if you ever get a pacman frog post that up, they are so cool, that growling sound they make is awsome.

If I manage to take care of my tarantula well it would be in due time when I get my pacman frog.

And if I do I'll definitely post some pictures of those critters!

"if I manage to take care of my tarantula" Dude, please don't set the bar too high from the beginning (in case you miss the sarcasm, it's there...)! lol

It's really not that hard

Hahaha thanks for the encouragement!

I've been fretting over it for the past few days like which is the best substrate for it, best feeder, best enclosure. Just want the best for it

But I guess everyone's like that when they receive their first ever exotic pet right?

yeah mate everyone is, but theres lots of helpfull people on here so your in the right place

plankationship wrote:

Hahaha thanks for the encouragement!

I've been fretting over it for the past few days like which is the best substrate for it, best feeder, best enclosure. Just want the best for it

But I guess everyone's like that when they receive their first ever exotic pet right?

+1 on that! But he best you can do is read as much different materials on keeping that specific specie, but I can give you some tips on keeping the A. Geniculata here:

the enclosure should be about 30x40x30 (length, debt anf hight). Substrate should be that dirt that comes in a brick that you can soak (don't know what it's called in english) or the coco-stuff (also in a brick, as it has been disinfected) and should be about 8-10cm (3½-4 inches) deep. humidity around 70-80% and temperature about 24-28 degrees celcius. And remember some hides and always a water dish

Good luck!