5 replies to this topic

[CatsnAnts]

I have been beating my head against a wall attempting to figure out a good setup for these ants that would allow for a natural feel, but would also allow for photography of the colony. These ants need high humidity at all times and need to have a foraging area that’s big enough for me to drop some springtails into. I am open to any and all suggestions, I’m just tired of keeping them in a test tube, and it appears as though they are too. Be creative! (Also, if I were to keep them in a Petri dish, how would I do it?)

[TennesseeAnts]

I use small petri dishes with cotton and some native soils in the bottom.

[CatsnAnts]

I use small petri dishes with cotton and some native soils in the bottom.

Thank you! Mind me asking a few questions:
1. How thick of a layer of cotton?
2. How thick of a layer of soil?
3. How big of a Petri dish (I have 35mm and 60mm [both deep])?
4. Should I create a “nesting area” within the Petri dish, or will they be fine with living atop the soil (or will they burrow into it?)?

Edited by CatsnAnts, July 25 2020 - 4:40 PM.

[TennesseeAnts]

 

I use small petri dishes with cotton and some native soils in the bottom.

Thank you! Mind me asking a few questions:
1. How thick of a layer of cotton?
2. How thick of a layer of soil?
3. How big of a Petri dish (I have 35mm and 60mm [both deep])?
4. Should I create a “nesting area” within the Petri dish, or will they be fine with living atop the soil (or will they burrow into it?)?

 

I don't mind at all; that's what I'm mainly here for!

1. Depends on how deep your petri dish is. I usually take 2 cotton balls (55mm dish) and stretch them out until it fits the entire dish.
2. Just enough to cover the surface of the cotton; not too much, not too little.
3. For Strumigenys I would use 25mm or smaller.
4. They should be perfectly fine living atop the soil. Just make sure you hydrate it very regularly. They can dry up and die within an hour if not provided water.

[ponerinecat]

one way I could think of for pretty much any cryptic is to layer a tall petri with plaster or something similar, create a small hollow in the center with a trench leading away from it, cover/embed the surface with soil and debris, then place a piece of plexiglass/glass over the hollow, being sure to leave the trench open as an entrance. do all of that before the plaster is able to set completely. If you like to mix your plaster (or anything else) at a very thin consistency, then you can carve out said chamber/trench before it fully sets.

[CatsnAnts]

one way I could think of for pretty much any cryptic is to layer a tall petri with plaster or something similar, create a small hollow in the center with a trench leading away from it, cover/embed the surface with soil and debris, then place a piece of plexiglass/glass over the hollow, being sure to leave the trench open as an entrance. do all of that before the plaster is able to set completely. If you like to mix your plaster (or anything else) at a very thin consistency, then you can carve out said chamber/trench before it fully sets.

You’re a genius! I’m going to try that. I’ve literally been trying to think of a good setup rather than just a plain Petri dish, and this is the first thing that sounds like it will work haha, thank you!

Edited by CatsnAnts, July 28 2020 - 12:51 PM.