# Black rock scorp care - not happy!



## jabbawok (Feb 7, 2009)

Hey guys, new here. Have a couple of questions about black rocks. I found this site from googling and thought it may help me.

Anyway, I've had a couple of black rocks that I got from the wild (sorry if that's wrong) several months ago. They have been fine up to a few days ago. When I first got them I read the "Green Scorpion" care sheet, which I printed out for my brother who also took a couple of scorps. His died in a couple of weeks.

With mine, I just put them in a small aquarium with a kitty litter bottom layer and about 5-7cm coco peat. When I thought they needed water I just poured some in a corner - really haphazardly. I know this wasn't deep enough as far as the care sheet described but, hey, they lived (on grasshoppers, earwigs, crickets etc).

The other day I decided to make up their enclosure as per the care sheet - scoria false bottom, tubing in corner to pour water down, and heaps of bark pieces among the coco fibre. Well, after 3 days one of them is dead. The other one has dug a deep hole but I'm thinking he may be dead too.

So I just want to ask, how have I kept them so well with my own method - and they did look healthy until now - when the "proper" method failed? What could I have done wrong? I even used filtered water this time. The tank was clean and everything. 

It's strange because the one that died was out on the surface/bark since fixing up the tank, and was lively yesterday, and I was looking at him all day wondering why he hadn't moved (had his claws up in a defensive position all day). But I just prodded him and he's a stiff.

The thing is, where I know to get these Urodacus, they don't dig deep holes so I think what the original setup was like is more natural to them. So why the deep setup? Just to allow a moisture gradient? Whatever, the "proper" setup has seemed to kill my scorps. Any ideas people?

Thanks,
Dave.


----------



## trogdor1988 (Feb 7, 2009)

I dont know why there dying _Urodacus manicatus _(black rock scorpions) are one of the easiest species to keep, especially amongst urodacus. I wouldnt be taking the advice of the care sheets, better off signing up somewhere and asking. With my black rocks (i have alot) I just put them in chinese food containers with about 1-2 inches of cocopeat and a piece of slate as they aren't burrowers there scrape dwellers (eg. a short burrow under a rock) And they rarely come out unless hungry. If your diggin them up or not letting them burrow they will die due to stress, just keep the cocopeat a tiny tiny tiny bit damp which doesnt take much. Do as you said and just put a little water in one corner once a week or two and only if it dries out. I have only just given mine water and food and they have had neither for around a month or more, and there still going strong. like i said, very very tough scorp, If you need to know anything else just pm me mate ill be happy to help, ive been keeping scorps for quite awhile now and know enough to keep most species running smoothly.

Cheers
Steve


----------



## jabbawok (Feb 8, 2009)

Hey trogdor, thanks for the reply.

I don't understand why you say not to follow the care sheet but anyway. That guy seems to know what he's talking about and I've heard of others following that advice and having good luck.

The point is like you say they are scrape dwellers so the care sheet is a little confusing to me. I've watched these scorps in their natural environment for years and never really understood why the care sheet says at least 10cm depth of substrate. It's just with the heat wave I thought setting up everything properly (like the care sheet says) would give them the best chance of survival. Obviously I was wrong, just like my brother's died in no time when he did everything 'correct'. Not that the heat really worries these creatures, but oh well. At first I thought the fact the now-deceased one was out moving round a lot meant he was happy, now I know he was stressed.


----------

