920 replies to this topic

[Bryansant]

If I have understood dspdrew's threads correctly, the sponges now hydrate a thinned circle of ceramic tile in the center of a hydrostone floor, but separated from the hydrostone via a plastic insert as hydrating the hydrostone directly was causing the hydrostone to dissolve. As I understand, this design is aimed at providing adequate humidity for Acromyrmex versicolor fungus culture.

Edited by Bryansant, June 9 2016 - 9:20 AM.

[dspdrew]

That pretty much sums it up. Glad to see you read through the details. I'm actually starting to make these for any ants now. I'm just going to use much smaller tile disks for less humidity.

[Goldsystem]

An outword I've been working on.

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Edited by Goldsystem, June 9 2016 - 11:14 PM.

[dspdrew]

An outword I've been working on.

 

Love it.

[Goldsystem]

Thanks 🙂

[Antqueen]

This is my Formicarium and outworld attached.

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[Cypherf0x]

At request I've reduced the size from 75mm to 50mm and cut down on material usage.  It cuts printing time by 2/3 and makes it much cheaper to order from an online 3d printing shop for those without printers.  Holes are just a bit over 10mm.

 

 

 

It can actually fit inside the previous version with the acrylic cover on and be free to slide around.

Edited by Cypherf0x, June 11 2016 - 8:01 PM.

[JWRay]

The bottom chamber is a water tank that hydrates the hydrostone via sponges unless Drew has changed his design.

 

I see.  I did find another thread about this setup and some of drew's other work so I am starting to understand.

 

On a related note, what is the giant orange pyramid?  Looks kind of like the piloncillo I see at Mexican grocery stores.

Edited by JWRay, June 11 2016 - 11:40 PM.

[dspdrew]

On a related note, what is the giant orange pyramid?  Looks kind of like the piloncillo I see at Mexican grocery stores.

 

Those are my liquid feeders.

 

 

http://www.formicult...ated-5-30-2016/

[Bryansant]

Wondering if anyone has experience with AntsRussia? (http://www.antsrussia.ru/#!store/znta7). The name of the company is oddly familiar. I don't see it offered on the website but the eBay seller also has a Drosophila module that attaches to the modular nests as an outworld for continuous feeding (http://m.ebay.com/itm/Ant-farm-Camponotus-module-nest-New-educational-formicarium-for-LIVE-ants-/152068473774?nav=SEARCH).

[Bryansant]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who shares their knowledge and experience on this forum - such a fantastic resource! 

 

This is my first grout formicarium and outworld: 

 

 

I followed Crystals grout formicarium guides (the Crystals Method). It's made from the display case for a phone case I purchased a while back. I used unsanded grout for the tunnel layer and sanded grout for the back layer. I'm still not convinced that the sanded grout is more "water proof" but we'll see what the wall says.

 

 

I added a small water tower, imitating those I see in Tar Heel Ants products, and another hydration chamber lower down. I know gravity would assist in hydrating from a higher position but I was worried about too much water. Now I'm surprised at how slow the water actually moves in grout even after reading others talk about it.

 

At the moment, I'm trying to convince my Brachymyrmex that they'd like to move in. A scout made it to the opening then "stumbled" backward as if the fumes were too strong (It's been curing for a couple days already!!). And, they're such tiny ants that it's probably too spacious for them. They seem to like the tiny confines of their sand and dirt pile in the outworld of their temp plasticware setup:

 

 

And here is my outworld:

 

 

It's modeled after the clean look of dspdrew's BoxBox formicariums and outworlds (Dspdrew Style), though with a grout floor and without precision tools. OK, one precision tool: step bits are amazing! Thank you so much for that time-saving-and-frustration-avoiding tip to drilling clean holes in plastic!

Edited by Bryansant, June 27 2016 - 8:30 PM.

[Bryansant]

Sandbox formicarium (variation on a theme):



"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery." Cheers dspdrew!

The innards:



This formicarium is now residence of my Brachymyrmex colony (which still needs species ID. Takers?: http://www.formicult...2016/?p=36785 )
ID'd as B. patagonicus.

Edited by Bryansant, July 26 2016 - 12:23 PM.

[AntsBrazil]

This is my first post in this forum, I'm new to ant keeping decided to make a founding formicaria for my Camponotus rufipes.

My hydration system didn't work very well so I'm in the process of making it work ^^ could use some ideas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by JPSMedeiros, October 31 2016 - 11:04 AM.

[T.C.]

Looks good, I assume you just drilled a hole near the tunnel and stuck a tube don't it. And you pour water through that to hydrate it? To make it more wet I would add some more holes in the back as well to hydrate it.

Edited by T.C., October 31 2016 - 12:11 PM.

[Canadian anter]

That woulwould e AWESOME for myrmecocystus

[AntsBrazil]

I don't want to make it too wet so the ant's can choose, but I think that I'll drill one or two more holes after this queen moves out.

[1000101011]

made out off a tic tac box and some plaster of paris

 

[Saftron]

Cool. I want to try that!

[1000101011]

Cool. I want to try that!

it's a bit small but probably great for a queen and her nanitics  also it's horizontal, vertical and upside down as i made chambers in every side. 

[Shareallicu]

Here are some of mine: 

 

Nice alternative to a test tube if you are boosting:

 

Mine are all made from grout, I have a how to build thread here: http://forum.formicu...ut-formicarium/

How did you make the last one?  The queens chamber!?