17 replies to this topic

[BugFinder]

So I've been thinking about trying to build a formicarium that would meet several requirements I am specifying for it:

 

- I want to allow the ants to dig their own nest.

- I want to be able to see the nest tunnels and caverns

- I want to be able to transport this with me to home shows and classrooms so I can share this colony with lots of other people

 

With those requirements in mind, I was thinking about taking a 10 or 20 gallon aquarium and using silicon and glass to create a false wall on one end of the tank, about 1/8 or 1/4 inch from the actual end wall of the aquarium, and filling the gap between the actual wall and the wall I install with a fine sand for nesting in, and on the ground of the rest of the aquarium I would glue sand, gravel, and some rocks so that they are present, but can't be nested in.  I was thinking about attaching something to the exterior wall of the nest that would cover it most of the time to keep the nest dark, but can be moved out of the way to allow people to see into the nest.   Food and moisture woule be provided to the ants in the "outworld" portion of the formicarium.

 

This set up would allow me to have a dirt nest that can be observed from outside, has a nest and outworld contained in one setup, and can be easily moved around/transported without disturbing the ants too much.

 

Is this a good idea or a recipe for failure?  Does anyone have any ideas that I have missed?

 

Thanks,.  

[Thunder_Birds]

Sounds good to me!

[RushmoreAnts]

Sounds more like a vivarium than a formicarium.

[BugFinder]

Sounds more like a vivarium than a formicarium.

 

Yeah it would start out as a formicarium, and eventually transition into a vivarium, and hopefully evenutally transition into an atrium.. 

 

Wouldn't it be cool to hang out in an atrium like that?

 

An atrium like that might even allow mating flights.  How absurd would that be?

Edited by BugFinder, March 10 2020 - 12:53 PM.

[BugFinder]

 

Sounds more like a vivarium than a formicarium.

 

Yeah it would start out as a formicarium, and eventually transition into a vivarium, and hopefully evenutally transition into an atrium.. 

 

Wouldn't it be cool to hang out in an atrium like that?

 

An atrium like that might even allow mating flights.  How absurd would that be?

 

 

Ooops I was confused about which thread this was: I thought your reply was to my other post about the permaculture roommates.

 

Why does this sound like an vivarium instead of a formicarium?

[RushmoreAnts]

It sounds more like a natural environment than some artificial nestlike box we happen to make for them.

[lpst]

I agree with AntsDakota, it is more of a vivarium. I think it sounds like a great idea for something that won't ever move, but that size of an aquarium will be hard to handle as a portable. Have you thought of using cube tanks? you could get an 8 gal then silicone a 5 gal upside down in it and fill with sand then top with soil and a couple of small plants. I'm doing a 10 gal for my Camponotus but it will set on a shelf permanently. Just keep the plants alive, and the ants will have no problems living in it. If the sand is too dry they can't dig, if its too wet you flood them out. 

Edited by lpst, March 10 2020 - 9:35 PM.

[AntaholicAnonymous]

I make vivariums and heres a couple things to think about.

People complain about not seeing their tunnels cause they build where they want.
Well if you place a heating mat against the glass it's warm and dark and that's exactly where they wanna build.

You don't wanna flood them so I'd think about making a false bottom with gravel or clay balls to take of weight and a mesh for seperation.

Springtails keep everything clean I think they are a must in any natural setup.

I like to make a layer of active carbon or charcoal right above the false bottom (aka. drainage layer) to filter the water running through to avoid mold and bacteria growth.

Be careful with charcoal tho it can contain harmful chemicals I'd go with active carbon they use for aquarium filters.

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Also you want to make a moisture gradient.
Don't water everything at once so they can escape in case you went overboard with hydration. If you place their food at an area that you keep fairly dry you can also prevent mold and bacteria from spreading.

[BugFinder]

Thanks a lot for the advice.  It sounds like good info and will give me a lot to think about this week!

[SuperFrank]

He is pretty obviously not describing a vivarium at all js.

[BugFinder]

I looked up the term vivarium and apparently it includes formicaria, terrariams, green houses, aquariams, and atriums lol.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

lol, well hope you got the help you needed

[BugFinder]

lol, well hope you got the help you needed

 

Thanks bud!  I did get some great information.  I still need to roll the idea around a bit.  If I end up building it I'll post photos here.

[Da_NewAntOnTheBlock]

cool!

[Thunder_Birds]

Sweet, good luck!

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Should you ever build a larger setup where you wanna make cliffs, caves up against the glass or any sort of difficult landscape structures just ask me cause I have a technique where you can build pretty much anything you can imagine

[Whitelotus]

Not sure if this has been suggested, but Ants Australia has a video on how to make good vivarium similar to what you are looking for.

I have put thew link below if this helps.