10 replies to this topic

[CoolColJ]

Testing out some prototype 3D printed feeding dishes with my test tube ant colonies -

Top - polyrhachis rufifemur
Middle - Iridomyrmex purpureus, meat ant
Bottom - Pheidole

There is a basin for honey, and main dish area for the food and rubbish dumping

The best combo would be the basin design from the middle one with the large dish area of one of the others.
There is a hollow area at the front end for using tweezers and forceps to insert

The Pheidole setup has a double chamber entrance, which meshes well with the dish

I just leave in there, and they feed and then dump rubbish ontop the left over food and honey.
Until the next time I feed them, where I can just pull the whole thing out, clean and refeed

Edited by CoolColJ, January 4 2019 - 6:09 PM.

[rbaezam]

Looks great! are you willing to share the files to print them?

 

Thanks.

[CoolColJ]

Looks great! are you willing to share the files to print them?
 
Thanks.

I did not print them, testing them for someone who intends to sell them on a local E-shop I presume

I suggested the initial design to him, and he came up with these, which needs tweaking

Edited by CoolColJ, January 4 2019 - 6:11 PM.

[CoolColJ]

Actually the small basin design works well, just a touch bigger and it would be perfect, as they do use the whole platform to walk on.

I tested the feeding dish with the small basin, filling it with honey, with the meat ants and it worked really well, as I found they were walking and splattering the honey about with the square basin design one.
And then trying to drag cotton to cover it up.
The small basin design didn't have these issues and they loved sipping from it. Maybe if that small basin was made a touch bigger it would be the perfect design, like 2mm bigger diameter maybe?

They dump rubbish and left over food to the front
And Pheidole covers the basin with rubbish as well
Then I can pull the whole lot out, clean and refresh

There is a small ramp to the front of the small basin which they use, unexpected design bonus

Edited by CoolColJ, January 6 2019 - 4:27 AM.

[Barristan]

Great idea, feeding ants inside test tube is ofte a little bit risky

[FSTP]

oh cool, these remind me of the THA ones.

[CoolColJ]

See how they dump their rubbish in the front section? Makes it a perfect all in one solution to test tube feeding issues

Edited by CoolColJ, January 6 2019 - 3:00 PM.

[Zeiss]

Looks like a good prototype.  I'm attempting to make something similar.

[sirjordanncurtis]

How snug do they fit inside? I assume it might get tricky to deal with removing and placing the dish, especially with hungry ants roaming around.

[CoolColJ]

How snug do they fit inside? I assume it might get tricky to deal with removing and placing the dish, especially with hungry ants roaming around.

Snug but loose. I had to shave 1mm off each top edge to fit into my tightest test tubes, but after that smooth and easy with forceps and tweezers to get in.
There is a bit of play with 16mm test tubes.
With 20mm obviously loose.

Not an issue with my larger ants.

With my near 80+ worker Pheidole colony, I open up their test tube inside a container.
But I do have styrofoam double chamber setup in their test tube and they tend plug it up with cotton and hide inside it.
If it was an open test tube the queen would freak out, and swarm of workers and 2 majors would rush out
You can see it in the pic above, the bottom test tube

Edited by CoolColJ, January 6 2019 - 11:53 PM.

[ctantkeeper]

Very cool design! kind of reminds me of the one's THA has been experimenting with.