13 replies to this topic

[LowQualityAnts]

How good is the actual nest part of most jell nests? If I remove the jell and and dirt or sand, how good will it be compared to other professional formicariums?

[That_one_ant_guy]

I don't recommend gel ant farms, theu mold too easily

[ANTdrew]

Best nest for a beginner is the classic test tube in an escape proof outworld. Hobby Lobby is a great place to find clear display cases with tight fitting lids in all kinds of sizes.

[Manitobant]

No offense but can you please put all your future questions into a single post, or at least read the important topics section before asking a question?


Sorry if it comes off as rude, you’ve just been clogging up the forum and a bunch of your questions can be answered by simply reading the highlighted topics at the top right of the main page

[LowQualityAnts]

Sorry, I havent had much to do in the past few days so I've mostly been on this forum. I will stop. Just looked at the recent posts and oh my. thanks for telling me if i was beimg to much.

Edited by LowQualityAnts, October 16 2022 - 5:27 PM.

[Manitobant]

Yeah forums are in general quite slow paced. If you are interested in more fast paced discussions and such, I’d highly recommend joining one of the antkeeping discord servers.

Edited by Manitobant, October 16 2022 - 8:06 PM.

[NicholasP]

Sorry, I havent had much to do in the past few days so I've mostly been on this forum. I will stop. Just looked at the recent posts and oh my. thanks for telling me if i was beimg to much.

It's alright! Don't feel horrible about it. It's a learning experience when first joining a forum.

[Serafine]

How good is the actual nest part of most jell nests? If I remove the jell and and dirt or sand, how good will it be compared to other professional formicariums?

Most of them are pretty meh. They're designed as cheap kids toys that don't have to last long because if used as intended certainly the ants won't.

There are SOME decent designs that can be used when replacing the gel but most of them are cheap crap.

 

My recommendation is to buy some cheap food freezer boxes or an IKEA Godmorgon box set instead and to fill them with sand-loam mix, hydrostone or grout.

Edited by Serafine, October 16 2022 - 10:46 PM.

[ZTYguy]

If you want more fast paced chat and not as formal as a forum you can try AntChat or servers such as Ants & Ant Keeping or Ant Keeping & Ethology. I have an invite down below for antchat if you would like to check it out. It’s a calm place to just chat and have fun.

https://discord.gg/4Xrr3Esv

[Serafine]

Sorry, I havent had much to do in the past few days so I've mostly been on this forum. I will stop. Just looked at the recent posts and oh my. thanks for telling me if i was beimg to much.

The problem isn't your activity, the problem is you opening another topic for a single question each. This clutters the forums and makes them look just as bad as a reddit page or a facebook group.

 

You can just slap all of your questions into one topic (like "new antkeeper questions" or something like that).

This also makes it easier for users who have already engaged in that topic to find your follow-up questions as they're in the same place as your first one and people who answered on your first questions will likely do so with the follow-up ones as well.

Edited by Serafine, October 17 2022 - 4:43 AM.

[LowQualityAnts]

Alright thanks! I'll follow your advice. I have had to much freetime lately as I have been on vacation and was looking at ant stuff most of the time. Pretty much all of my questions have been answered and I am back now so I will keep the questions down.

[rptraut]

I would like to hear an answer to this question that is from someone's personal experience.  Has anyone actually raised a colony in a gel nest and how did it go?  Is there a way to improve the gel compound so it is better for the ants?  What if gel is used as a substrate and test tubes are merely imbedded in it?  Can gel nests be made that are better for the ants and the ant keeper?

[LowQualityAnts]

One of the problems with jell nests is it gets very moist. You would either have to make an alternative jelly or house a species that needs moisture. You would also have to solve the mold problem and find a chemical disinfectant that is non-toxic and is powerful enough to keep the mold at bay for long periods of time. You might as well just use dirt or sand instead at this point.

[NicholasP]

I would like to hear an answer to this question that is from someone's personal experience.  Has anyone actually raised a colony in a gel nest and how did it go?  Is there a way to improve the gel compound so it is better for the ants?  What if gel is used as a substrate and test tubes are merely imbedded in it?  Can gel nests be made that are better for the ants and the ant keeper?

The problem is that gel is barely nutritious for the ants. Also, the gel molds and ants can get stuck in the gel so I don't think many people will say they had success with gel farms.