Do I really ned a heat lamp????

do i really need a heat lamp for a emp scorpion i want to keep it humid but im worried if i put like some thing over it to keep the humidity in i either melt or set something on fire that would not be cool i live in IL and it like 82 out side no ac just open windows

That should be fine at that temperature w/o a heat lamp. I kept my Emp without a heat lamp for nearly 6 months until I got a 10 GAL to put him in and the lights, etcetera. When fall/winter rolls by you'll definitely want to invest a few bucks in one. I paid $30 for the base and $10 for the light and it was well worth it. You're going to want one of those sticky thermometers, too. They're only like $3 or less.

like brandon said...winter time would be a good time to invest in one..but for now 82 is in the optimal range

i use one during So Cal winters when the night-time/early day time temps drop to 60 F inside the house. even without a heatlamp, my emp would still survive by burrowing, but it just slows down its metabolism and won't feed as often unless I offer heat during the early morning ours to raise the ambient temp inside the enclosure.

Most scorps survive unbelievale temps. You can get a heat pad...cheap and put it on in the winter. Just remember that without heat their matabolism is slower so they grow slower and eat less.

I never use a heat lamp for anything; I just keep the room warm (which in the winter probably costs a lot more, but we have a lot of bugs and need the roaches to keep breeding).

Hehe, it's "summer" now where I live in Montana, and has been in the 50's outside. But that will soon change and I'll be taking the heat lamps off my scorps and lizard, probably in 3 weeks.

I have to use two heat lamps for my lizard in winter though, with the heat on to 70F for the house.

i keep my room at around 25-26c all year.. i dont use heat lamps for anything and it seems to work perfekt

My 10 gals are currently staying around 80-84, so I don't use a heat lamp. Plus it dries out the substrate (burns it sometimes, too) if you're using it directly on top of a screen like I do. I can't find my clamp...

your heatlamp BURNS the substrate? uh...wow, that's powerful, dude.

IHeartMantids wrote:

I never use a heat lamp for anything; I just keep the room warm (which in the winter probably costs a lot more, but we have a lot of bugs and need the roaches to keep breeding).

i think my scorp could be warmer, cause it doesnt eat to often. slow metabolism?

Scorps tend to slow down if it gets colder, yeah. But emps are also known for fasting randomly with no real "reason."

jmoran1097 wrote:

your heatlamp BURNS the substrate? uh...wow, that's powerful, dude.

Yeah it's a 75W red bulb. I left it on too long and it started to burn the rocks/plant pot, too

IHeartMantids wrote:

Scorps tend to slow down if it gets colder, yeah. But emps are also known for fasting randomly with no real "reason."

i'll attest to the fact that it's easily one of the most annoying things of the scorpion keeping hobby, too.

my emp didn't feed for a month and then i offered it some crickets after this month period...ended up going without food for yet ANOTHER month. btw, she's fully mature and everything. it was thinking WTH?

How do you regulate the humidity at room temp? Does it matter if the substrate is cold?