Just got my first emperor, unsure about his behavior...

Hi,

So i got my first scorpion yesterday, brought him home and put him in the tank. I have used a mixture of potting soil and peat moss as substrate, about 4 inches deep. My little guy has a water dish, a small log and a broken flower pot as a hiding place in his terrarium. When I put him in yesterday, he walked around the tank, and then seemed to settle next to the water dish. Now I have understood (correct me if i am wrong) that emperors spend a great deal of time hiding, and i have not seen mine go in the hide or burrow at all, and i am slightly worried. Is this normal? i gave him his first cricket here just now, and he ate it as soon as it came too close (it was rather impressive too), which reassured me a little. Can anybody tell me why he would avoid the hides? Is he just getting to know his new home, or does something need to be changed?

Thanks,
Phaeton

He's just getting used to his new homes, They will move around a lot when you change the enclosure, try to escape and such, but after some time (a few days to several weeks) they should start to burrow, just enjoy the time watching him now

Also to save you some grief later on they will stop eatting for no reason so dont be alarmed when they dont take food. just try again the next week.

Alright, thanks alot!

Just a quick update; I just walked in on my emperor during his dark cycle, to find him very, very active, he was in a corner of the tank, and was sweeping his claws side to side, as if he was trying to find a way out. I understand that this is normal behavior, am I correct? If so I am extremely pleased!!

That's completely normal. Do enjoy your many "first" experiences with him

Hello again, just a few quick questions.

I just changed the lighting to infrared, he seems to have enjoyed the change since he has now started hiding and burrowing, which i take as a good sign. however, there are strands of grass growing in the peat moss. Is this a bad thing? Should I change it? And as for changing the substrate, how often should i do that?

thanks,
Phaeton

Phaeton wrote:

I just changed the lighting to infrared, he seems to have enjoyed the change since he has now started hiding and burrowing, which i take as a good sign.

Yes definitely good sign

Phaeton wrote:

however, there are strands of grass growing in the peat moss. Is this a bad thing? Should I change it?

Not a bad thing. I would say that there's no need to remove but its your choice.

Phaeton wrote:

And as for changing the substrate, how often should i do that?

Some keepers can use the same substrate for years. Sometimes, It depends on individual and the extent of mites infestation. Some keepers has minimal mite issue probably due to their diligence in doing weekly spot-cleaning of the tank. Personally, I do a complete overhaul the entire substrate every 6-12 months.

The mites appear if the substrate is not cleaned often enough correct? Will these mites harm birds or are the types of mites that birds suffer from different?