Charles The Scorpion

SafetyDang wrote:

I bought Charles about 3 weeks ago from Petco. Hes really fun to watch and play with . I learned quite a bit just reading some of these threads on here . Love forums.

Heres my set up:

4. Temps run from 80C (Heat Pad Side) 85C (Red Heat Lamp Side *75w)

Problems I still have:
1. A lamp that can use a Ceramic bulb. I bought the bulb and my cheap $10.00 lamp says not to be used with a Ceramic bulb. So I need A way to mount it so that it wont burn Charles, because his substrate is near the top of the tank.. 5 inch's from the top.

2. I don't know if I am over feeding him or not. He seems to be always hungry. I put some rolly-polly (sowbug, pillbug) in the tank and hes always mashing them up and eating them. So I get him more crickets.. I haven't looked at his Stinger cooler yet but Im thinking is a white and gray color. One night i gave him 6 crickets and he ate them all in one night.

Ill start posting videos and pictures of Charles As I go, maybe get him a little mate for the big tank.

I would love for any hlep or comments or feedback about my setup

Greeting and welcome to the borg (uhmmm board)

First thing I would change is the temps 80C is like 176°F...

any-who... petco should have a lamp housing that will handle the ceramic bulb, I bought all of my clamp style lamps from a chain pet store (petsmart) in the bulb section.

overfeeding... I have never had an emp overeat, but that's not to say they won't... try to space (sporadically) your feedings one week 2 crix next week 1... then wait 2 weeks and give him 4... something like that. Emperors (and most all scorps) can go extremely long periods with out eating so don't worry (I had my whole collection go on the average 3 months refusing food over the winter)

Can't wait for pics... a 50 gallon with enough substrate to be 5" from the top

SafetyDang wrote:

their "laying egg stick?"

It's called an ovipositor.

Not quite sure about the "greyish" telson -- but it sounds like he's immature. And as Thaedion said (he's an emp expert, by the way), it's hard for an emp to overeat. They just like to stuff themselves occasionally, and then they won't eat for months.

Oh, and welcome!

hmm sounds alright! maybe charles is a greedy one! i feed my emps 6 crix in 2 weeks!
welcome to the forum, hope you like it.

As far as handling goes, too much is stressful... but occasionally it's an amazing experience hehe. But try for getting the least stressful way out, have something flat and gently move it towards your scorp with your other hand flat behind it. That's my prefered method, and if it does get defensive, give it a few ticks to calm down a bit, if you keep going it will just get more and more offensive/defensive.

Is he the scorp in your picture?

Scorps are usually more defensive when they're in their terrarium; it's easy to feel cornered. Once they're out they're usually much calmer.

Also, don't feed him WC prey -- they could be contaminated with pesticides or parasites.

The telson is the last segment of the body that bears the sting. It's brown in adults, and it sounds like you have an adult. The white you see is the intersegmental membrane. Since the anus is located directly behind the stinger there is usually a little more membrane to accommodate it.

Regarding size, it's usually measured from mouth to sting. It sounds like you didn't include the metasoma in your measurement.

Nice looking emp, and yeah a tick is just however long you feel is enough so he's not pissed, sounds like you got the idea

Try not to over handle him. A happy scorpion is an undisturbed scorpion who likes to spend most of his time in his burrow.

If you want to breed crickets you can buy their own little tank and let the females lay. You can in England *sure in other countries* buy a Kriter Keeper for crickets, its small, has two tubes to get adults out.
I dont know how you breed them but im just guessing allow females to lay, remove them into another tank *the feed to scorpion tank* and the little ones from the other will hatch, grow and you can allow females to lay, take out adults etc....but I dont know, I only buy them from the shop
xxx

SafetyDang wrote:

Whats the best way to bread crickets?

Dip them in beaten eggs, then corn meal, then lightly fry them in canola oil.

Just kidding. If you want to breed crickets, provide a large tank (such as a ten-gallon -- breeding feeders in your scorpion tank isn't a good idea) with some slightly moist substrate and LOTS of hiding places (such as stacked egg cartons).

Females will lay their eggs in the soil; these will develop and hatch in a few weeks. The ample hiding places I mentioned work well to cut down on cannibalism. Also provide fruits, veggies, and / or commercial cricket food. Water can be provided by "water gel" polymers or by routinely misting the enclosure.

I highly recommend breeding roaches, though; there are many species available and they are much easier to breed than crickets. Check out the feeder subforums if you have any other questions on breeding your own food.

That was just a fun little joke about the spelling . . . you're not the first person to spell it that way on this forum.

AS for the lack of digging, some scorps are just lazy. My pair of emperors used to dig a LOT, and now my male hardly ever digs.

My scorplings...well 3I have all dug burrows, my 2Is havent even bothered and mother scorpion, even though with the right substrate now hasnt even bothered! not even a gentle digging.
Sometimes they do or sometimes they are just happy with the hide they have provided for them

xxxx

Looks like you've got a great setup there!

You could probably fit another three or four in there.

beautiful pictures...

Great set up, I bet that's one happy scorp!

thats a really cool setup you got there! charles is a lucky scorp! maybe hes a bit lonely........

sometimes my scorp gets me up late 'cause she rattles her chela of the air vents.

Yeah . . . 'cause who needs sleep?

(I'm in my fourth year of engineering school -- sleep is not high on my priorities.)

I love sleep... but I am more than happy to set it aside, especially for SCORP-O-VISION

AHAH indeed. Sleep is good but watching Charles hunt is much more exciting