3 replies to this topic

[OhNoNotAgain]

So last year as an experiment I bought some cheap formicaria off the internet. One was a Tar Heels mini hearth ripoff and another had an interesting multi-chamber glass tube attached to a plastic outworld.

 

Fake mini hearth issues: (1) No nestmates for hydration. (2) Wimpy magnets, so the outworld would come off when lifting it up. (3) Paint peeled off. I have no idea if this thing contributed to the issues my C. sansabeanus are having, but they certainly have not been doing well. I moved them out into a different cheap starter formicarium with more access to water, but they still aren't exactly thriving.

 

Glass tube attached to plastic outworld: (1) Gaps in the outworld construction. I filled many of the gaps with glue but apparently it wasn't enough when housing small ants. (2) Too much loose sand - if you scratch the substrate it just releases more sand. I used this thing to house Tetramorium and they collected sand and completely coated the inside of the glass tube, and (3) there's no way to clean it. The tube has 3 chambers, including a back portion that can be refilled with water - good in theory - but the inability to clean the second chamber (the ants' favorite hangout) was a huge minus. But the outworld gaps were the final straw today when I found them visiting the C. sansabeanus next door (yeah the C. sansabeanus set up has gaps, too).

 

I had tried to encourage them to move out into a (real) mini hearth before, but this time I'd had enough. I found tubing that fit the glass tube, whacked the tube until a bunch of ants, brood, and queen fell out of the inner chamber and into the outer chamber, then tapped them into the tubing, and am now letting them slowly figure out they HAVE to move into a real Tar Heels mini hearth. I left a few ants and brood behind but hopefully I'll be able to rescue them at some point.

 

By the way, I also got a couple different brands of 3D printed formicaria at the same time. They are much better quality but also are hard to clean with active occupants. For the immediate future, it's gonna be all Tar Heels for me once they grow out of their test tubes. (Aside from the ants living in dirt/substrate.)

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, January 13 2020 - 1:44 PM.

[Vern530]

pics?

[Serafine]

I would never use cheap chinese formicaria for small ants, that's saving money in the wrong place and will cost you significantly in the long run. Large ants like Camponotus can't really squeeze through tiny gaps like most Pheidole, Solenopsis or Lasius species can.

 

Not being able to clean formicaria with active inhabitants is an issue you'll have with pretty much any nest or outworld. Most antkeepers I know do major cleanings during hibernation, although I have say that I didn't really have to clean my ant setups on a large scale ever. Regularly removing their trash piles every week works just fine, they can keep their nest clean enough to not cause any issues.

[OhNoNotAgain]

The glass tube is actually pretty nice in and of itself (I like the ability to rehydrate) and the ants liked it too - buuuuuut the access to improperly bonded sand in the outworld enabled them to completely block off viewing. Unlike anything with magnets, it's nearly impossible to access the inner chamber (maybe an extra long Q-tip would have worked). It wasn't bought FROM China, but the seller may have acquired it from China, possibly. Yeah the gaps had been a concern and while I think I could solve the problem with more glue and more climbing barriers, the combined issues tipped the scales.

 

They have settled nicely into the mini-hearth, but ironically the queen is still able to hide from view ... behind the humungous mountain of brood. (This is only really an issue because I was thinking about taking them in for an educational sesh with some little school kids.)

 

Re: hibernation: So far only the C. sansabeanus are acting like they want to bruminate, and they aren't even supposed to. (None of my colonies are supposed to need it.)

Edited by OhNoNotAgain, January 15 2020 - 1:13 PM.