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...glass walls of the tank. I assume the Emporer does not get wet with liquid water, because he's as warm as the substrate (71F - I'm going to raise it to 80F), not cold like the glass. I'm keeping an Emporer, and all the info I found said it is a rainforest species. That means high humidity. But at 80% humidity, the glass walls get condensation that builds up pretty big and droplets run down the glass. Without a solid top, like a board,, there is no condensation. But the heat under the tank will soon evaporate all the substrate's moisture and I'll have to mix more water in, to make it slightly damp again.

*Is this just a normal maintenence issue?* Without a solid top, I don't get any humidity in the tank's air from just a drinking-water plate 1/4 inch deep with water. I just ordered a quality humidity gauge, so I'll know precicely the air humidity at ground level for my inverts.

Thank You if you can help me out. When I learn enough about T's and scorps, I'll answer other people's questions. I'm just a step down from being an expert about Green Iguanas. If i knew the drugs and dosages per kilgram, I think I actually would be an expert. I enjoy answering newbie's questions on a couple of iguana forums. I'm known as just Roger over there.

Clffdvr

Just like tarantulas, it is not necessary to provide an exact humidity level for your scorpions. Fighting to achieve the perfect balance will drive you crazy and can end up hurting the animal. I hate caresheets! They all tell you to maintain 80-90% humidity wich is nearly impossible and still have the airflow that is necessary.

The key is to have part of the substrate be wet at all times. I do this by overflowing my waterdish once per week. But then it has dried and I do it agian. The deeper the substrate, the longer it'll hold the moisture. Most Emps are hiding under their hide most of the time and if the soil is moist under their burrow then the burrow humidity may actually be 80% even though the tank humidity is only 50%.
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KJ Vezino
My Gallery

Yes, with tropical animals in relatively small tanks, humidity is a very difficult issue. I wrote about a plan to keep the substrate slightly damp. Several posts up. What do you think of it? I was thinking maybe once a month or so, especially during the heating season when in-tank heat is on a lot more and the substrate dries faster. BTW, the substrate is 4 inches deep, and the T's den is just under the dinner-plate water container (the water is 1/4" deep). I'm thinking of doing this with the Asian Blue Forest Scorpion's tank too. BTW, "It" is to remove the amimal, and pour a little water on the substrate, and mixing it in thoroughly, so all the substrate is slightly damp again. By slightly I mean not at all wet, just very slightly damp.

Clffdvr