11 replies to this topic

[KitsAntVa]

Anything to use other than test tubes? Not cups with cotton balls either.

[TheMicroPlanet]

Here you go:

https://www.youtube....ceahERV8DU&t=5s

 

This one's in a petri dish.

[KitsAntVa]

I thought of that but then I didn’t want to use it because you have to buy plaster and watering tubes to put in the sides and everything.

[Leo]

Glass straws for twig nesting species.

[ANTdrew]

Some bubbles come in tubes you could use. You can also plug up one end of a section of vinyl tubing.

[Roy3]

A Test Tube alternative........If you go to a florist and ask for some of the flower tubes they use to keep flowers watered and fresh while in arrangements, that would work. Sometimes they will give you them free (used ones). If not free, then I'm sure they are way cheap. They work the same way. But the end of the vial/tube is narrow. Doesn't matter tho because that's the water side anyways. But less water because of the volume it can hold due to its tapering down construction. But I'm sure they are made of an easy plastic and if water dries up before ants are ready for an actual nest, I think you can drill a hole in the plastic and inject water via a syringe and cover the hole with blue tack. Easy peasy.

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[RushmoreAnts]

Not cups with cotton balls either.

Cup with soil?

[Roy3]

Not cups with cotton balls either.

Cup with soil?

Cup with soil is always better. But can't view them eventually, or ever.
Unless you like to view the workers scavenge only. Which is fine too. That's what I did with a colony and after five months, I think the queen is dead. No workers as much are out and about

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Edited by Roy3, July 4 2020 - 5:45 PM.

[TheMicroPlanet]

I didn't even consider natural setups. Perhaps you could try something like this? https://www.youtube....WxtjZMJ8&t=346s

[Scherme]

Digging this thread up because I didn't wanna make a new one. There are probably others somewhere too. 

I think I am done with test tubes. Not looking for anyone to change my mind but I value others input and discussion. I'll try to keep my thoughts organized, much of this will be my opinion.

 

I have successfully founded queens in a petri dish founding chamber such as the one in the link below. 

Here you go:

https://www.youtube....ceahERV8DU&t=5s

 

This one's in a petri dish.

The petri dish chambers are more complicated to put together, cost more, take up more space, are heavier, have to be watered more frequently, and can only be kept at a certain orientation (so the water doesn't leak). Some ants can also dig through the poured material.

 

The benefits, I believe, still outweigh the drawbacks. I am not suggesting that some of my claimed "benefits" of petri dishes cannot also be accomplished with test tubes. 

It may be completely superficial, but when done right their appearance can be much more pleasing. Given enough effort, and probably a little more money, there is a lot of customization and beautification that could be done. 

 

While having to be watered more frequently, it is much easier to do so. With my many failed lasius queens in test tube setups, it caused me a lot of anxiety to think of forcing them to move with piles of eggs/larvae/pupae because of a mold problem or their water supply dwindling. While petri dishes can also mold it has been easier, in my experience, to prevent, remove, or avoid it. 

 

I made sure the plug hole on my petri dishes fits my vinyl tubing snuggly. This allows for a variety of uses for that hole. I can add a watering tube, expand to other petri dishes, connect to a separate outworld, connect to a new nest. Or simply use that hole, instead of lifting the lid, to offer food. 

 

Moving a colony to a new nest:  As with the test tube you can remove heat and expose to light to encourage movement into a new nest. The petri dish allows the benefit of also being able to remove excess water (via syringe) from the reservoir and ( I have yet to do this but I will) it seems easy enough to fit a single petri dish lid with mesh to increase air circulation and use it when needed. 

Plastic test tubes scratch, crack, and cloud which I fully expect petri dishes to do as well. Unless it truly effects the functionality, pop a new lid on and you're pretty much set. 

Glass tubes break, tempered/borosilicate/pyrex, doesn't matter. 

 

Collecting with tubes sucks, although I realize I could have a much better setup for doing so.

 

My thoughts are to switch to small plastic collection vials with caps that fit right up with my aspirator.

In conclusion, as I typed this all out I realized it can all come down to resources and not everyone has the same access to them, be it time/money/material access. What beats the speed and cost of some cheap test tubes, cotton and water? It can be done, and has been countless times and is perfectly acceptable. I probably haven't done my last test tube setup either, but I plan to phase them out. 

Edited by Scherme, February 12 2021 - 9:58 AM.

[antsandmore]

vial setup?

[Scherme]

vial setup?

After all that, I still am unclear lol

 

That is my scrambled brain for ya.

 

TLDR;

 

Essentially I wanna phase out test tubes for use with the hobby and i currently use them for 2 things: collecting and founding. 

 

My solution was to switch to pure petri dish setups for founding, and just use plastic collection vials with caps for collecting. The newly captured queens will be transferred to separate founding chambers.

Edited by Scherme, February 12 2021 - 9:57 AM.