infinitebohr
Arachnosquire
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2011
- Messages
- 61
Hello Everyone!
I want to be upfront and say this isn't an "I'm new to scorpions and I don't know how to take care of my Emperor" type of post. I have over 12 spiders (mostly T's) and have had zero deaths, and most of them I've since they were slings. I also have over 20 hermit crabs and in a years time I have lost one. My flat rock scorpion is doing great! So while I could be better about upkeep, I do not feel that I am neglectful or uninformed about the care of my animals.
Over the last 6 months I've been having a constant loss of my Emperors, I initially had 4 in a colony in a 20 long. They were all juvs and were fat things living happily, but a few months ago I found one laying outside the hide, missing a leg and very very lethargic. I put it into an iso, but he died shortly after. This repeated itself 2 months later, another one was outside the hide, missing a leg and died shortly after. Now keep in mind, I feed 2 crickets each per week, so there is ample supply of food, I try to mist daily but even if I forget they ALWAYS have a water dish, and I keep more than one hide available although they all want to be under the same one. Well two days ago I found one of my last two outside the hide but seemed to be hunting so I left him alone. Today I found him laying there tail straight out and moving his legs and claws slowly, looked on the underside because I was worried he might be being predated upon by mites, but he was clean. (I do keep springtails and isopods in their tank, as scorpions are nasty with leftovers) The only difference is that this guy is not missing any legs and doesn't show any obvious signs of attack, he is however not very fat. I suspect he is going to die, but I suppose it could be a molt. I have yet to see any of them molt (I've had them for about a year).
Setup Details: 20 Long, Ecoearth substrate 4-6 inches deep (they never burrow, just stay under the hide), three hides made with either a corkbark flat, or corkbark and sphagnum moss. A water bowl, and a constant supply of food is provided. Heavily misted twice a week, and usually misted daily or every other day. The top of the tank is a screen top with 80-85% covered in plastic wrap to keep in humidity. The room is an ambient 78 minimum up to 82 in the daytime. I am aware that the prefer higher temps, but I am still working on a way to get heat to them (I am totally out of plugs in the room :sarcasm. However, I think we've all known people to keep Emperors in much cooler and suboptimal conditions than I do and while they may not flourish they are stable at least. So I am really at a loss as to what I am doing wrong.
I don't consider myself an expert, but I do like to think I am at least an intermediate invert keeper. This loss of what is supposed to be an easy pet that is great for people new to the hobby, is hurting both my spirit and my pride. I feel terrible that I cant keep them alive, and I am saddened by each of the losses as well. Has anyone had this kind of experience? If it is cannibalism, what would spur it? I feel like I have enough hides, and food to prevent this kind of behavior (if it can be prevented).
Thanks for any aid in advance.
I want to be upfront and say this isn't an "I'm new to scorpions and I don't know how to take care of my Emperor" type of post. I have over 12 spiders (mostly T's) and have had zero deaths, and most of them I've since they were slings. I also have over 20 hermit crabs and in a years time I have lost one. My flat rock scorpion is doing great! So while I could be better about upkeep, I do not feel that I am neglectful or uninformed about the care of my animals.
Over the last 6 months I've been having a constant loss of my Emperors, I initially had 4 in a colony in a 20 long. They were all juvs and were fat things living happily, but a few months ago I found one laying outside the hide, missing a leg and very very lethargic. I put it into an iso, but he died shortly after. This repeated itself 2 months later, another one was outside the hide, missing a leg and died shortly after. Now keep in mind, I feed 2 crickets each per week, so there is ample supply of food, I try to mist daily but even if I forget they ALWAYS have a water dish, and I keep more than one hide available although they all want to be under the same one. Well two days ago I found one of my last two outside the hide but seemed to be hunting so I left him alone. Today I found him laying there tail straight out and moving his legs and claws slowly, looked on the underside because I was worried he might be being predated upon by mites, but he was clean. (I do keep springtails and isopods in their tank, as scorpions are nasty with leftovers) The only difference is that this guy is not missing any legs and doesn't show any obvious signs of attack, he is however not very fat. I suspect he is going to die, but I suppose it could be a molt. I have yet to see any of them molt (I've had them for about a year).
Setup Details: 20 Long, Ecoearth substrate 4-6 inches deep (they never burrow, just stay under the hide), three hides made with either a corkbark flat, or corkbark and sphagnum moss. A water bowl, and a constant supply of food is provided. Heavily misted twice a week, and usually misted daily or every other day. The top of the tank is a screen top with 80-85% covered in plastic wrap to keep in humidity. The room is an ambient 78 minimum up to 82 in the daytime. I am aware that the prefer higher temps, but I am still working on a way to get heat to them (I am totally out of plugs in the room :sarcasm. However, I think we've all known people to keep Emperors in much cooler and suboptimal conditions than I do and while they may not flourish they are stable at least. So I am really at a loss as to what I am doing wrong.
I don't consider myself an expert, but I do like to think I am at least an intermediate invert keeper. This loss of what is supposed to be an easy pet that is great for people new to the hobby, is hurting both my spirit and my pride. I feel terrible that I cant keep them alive, and I am saddened by each of the losses as well. Has anyone had this kind of experience? If it is cannibalism, what would spur it? I feel like I have enough hides, and food to prevent this kind of behavior (if it can be prevented).
Thanks for any aid in advance.