night time?

eldivad

Arachnopeon
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Nov 11, 2007
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so, i just got a p. imp, my first scorpion... and for heat i use a lamp and a heat pad but i have to turn the lamp off at night and i don't think the heat pad is sufficient enough by itself so i guess what my question is is what should the temperature be at night? oh and also are heat pads supposed to just be warm? i have the 4 watt one and it doesn't seem like it gets very hot
 

Cyris69

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I use a single 100watt IR bulb to heat my 18 scorps 1 T and one milli
They are all in my closet with the door just cracked. With container placement I can get each species temps correct.

My emps setup
My temps drop to about 74F for 10 hrs during the night cycle but it takes it a bit drop to that. I keep my 14 hr daytime cycle temps around 87F-90F for 14 hrs.

My RH(relative humidity) for the daytime is 85% and night time is 90-100%.
 
Last edited:

Don&SallysZoo

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P. imperator - Daytime temperatures 80 - 85F Nighttime 78-80F This is what I've done with mine in the past with no problems. What size tank are you using ? Why are you having to turn off your light at night? What kind of light are you using?
 

eldivad

Arachnopeon
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Nov 11, 2007
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okay cool, yeah my day time temperature is usually about 90 on one side of the tank, probably about 80 on the other with humidity of about 80-85 and at night the temp probably gets to about 70-75ish.. so that's alright?
 

Cyris69

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Yup sound just fine, i'd keep the night temps around 75-80F they are semi-active at night and cool temperature will make them less active and slow down their metabolics
 

eldivad

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yeah, he hasn't eaten since i got him but then again, i just got him yesterday
 

Xaranx

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Scorps have slow metabolism, not eating for weeks is normal. I'd wait another day or two then start feeding him once a week. I feed mine adult dubia's.
Do you have your heat mat on the side or back? With a decent amount of substrate having it on bottom is a waste.
 

Cyris69

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I knew metobolics with an "s" wasn't a word it's metabolism.

Well, the hotter it is they higher it is from my understanding then again I could be completely wrong.
 

Johnny Savage

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If the heat pad isn't enough get one of those blue/red bulbs made for nocturnal reptiles. The plus side is scorps can't see the light so they won't be bothered by it downside is you *can* see the light and having it on all night might be a problem for you.
 

Cyris69

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They can see the blue light. It is supposed to simulate moon light or star light. Not all the blue bulbs emit UV rays but they still make the scorp glow so I'm not 100% on the safeness of them. I have use about every light until I got it right with a IR light. You don't have to heat them 24/7. Light on while your up then turn it off when you goto sleep but it really needs to be close to the same time aeach night. Then the heat pad wil the temps up a bit at night

I ceramic heat emiter would work best for you since its just in your room and not a closet. They can be pricey, well the are here for me $40 for a 150watt and like $35 for a 100watt. Others say they are much cheaper just crazy where I'm at.
 

InfestedGoat

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Mine is normally 80-90F day time with 70% humidity, and I let mine drop to about 70F at night with about 75-80% humidity. Is the night time temp too low?

*edit* cause i can just move my heat lamp a bit over so it will stay round 75F at night if that would be better. Even though they cant see the red light, it shouldn't affect them if I leave it on now 24/7 should it?
 

Xaranx

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It won't bother them a bit, I do it all the time in winter.
 

Cyris69

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Yeah, you can keep constant heat one them.. I just like to keep my on a photolight cycle I think thats what you call it. Day/Night
 

skinheaddave

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I just like to keep my on a photolight cycle I think thats what you call it.
You are using only an IR bulb, though, right? In that case you are actually just providing them with a thermal cycle, not a photo cycle. Matters not, since they can use that to entrain their circadian clock as well.

Cheers,
Dave
 

Cyris69

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Thanks for that dave, I knew it had photo in it and was timed off of light cycling ;)

Sleep and Circadian Rhythms is a good read, I had to research it.
http://healthlink.mcw.edu/article/922567322.html

Yeah, I figuered they would learn that when its hot its daytime and cold it'd be night time but I wanted it to be a more natural thing they would go by. In the beggining it was a photo cycle, now its a thermal cycle because all my scorps are in the closet and rarely see daylight.
 

skinheaddave

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Yeah, I figuered they would learn that when its hot its daytime and cold it'd be night time
Actually it is a bit(lot) more complicated than that. There appears to be a built-in mechanism for circadian entrainment using thermal cues. At least there seems to be in some species. It isn't necessarily hot=day, cold= night either. In desert species, the heat diffusing through the sand can result in the hottest part of the day at a certain depth corresponding with sunset. So a scorpion at that depth would be receiving a hot=night cue. I imagine things are substantially different in forest environments, but then "forest" scorpions have been shown to have a much less regimented activity pattern than desert scorpions and have been seen to be active during daylight.

Cheers,
Dave
 
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