6 replies to this topic

[RainbowtheDragonCat]

Hi, I'm a fairly new antkeeper, my Camponotus novaeboracensis just came out of diapause, and I don't have a heater yet. I keep my house at 68°F. The nest is a small tubs and tubes setup (12x6ish inches) I've been considering the following:



Zoo med 15W heat cable: This is the one everyone recommends. Problem is, it's HUGE! Even with 6 feet unheated that's still over 5 feet of hot cable to deal with! And of course, I can't just coil it up (or even loop it within 1¼ inches of eachother), that's a fire hazard. I'm not entirely sure what I'd do with all that cable, because even if I were to compact it as much as safely possible to make it fit on a table, the cable would be so dense that no matter where I put the setup the whole thing, including the water, is gonna be heated. Plus, then it'd be using up an entire table!

Zoo med creaturetherm 4W heating pad: This is a much smaller alternative, but supposedly it can reach over 200°F when not being controlled by a thermostat! (Speaking of, how come pretty much every other invertebrate keeping community, plus reptile keepers, say to always use a thermostat for any heating element, but antkeepers say it's fine without one? It's not like they're not providing a heat gradient.) Also, it uses adhesive, and can't be moved between nests. Someone on the r/antkeeping discord told me to just leave the cover on the adhesive, but that sounds like it'd be a fire hazard and/or just prevent it from heating properly. Plus zoo med has explicitly advised against using tape to attach their products, so I'd have to just leave it resting on the lid, rather than attached to the side, probably not the most efficient for heating. And finally, the instructions say explicitly to not use it with plastic, only glass. Granted, I think the cable says the same, and people use both just fine. (besides, if it's getting that hot, there's clearly bigger problems)

A seedling heat mat?: Some people suggest these as a cheaper alternative to reptile heat mats, and they definitely do seem to warm to ideal temperatures, plus a lot even come with fancy stuff like thermostats and waterproofing, AND there's no adhesives to deal with! However, when I asked about them in the aforementioned discord, someone said they got a lot hotter than typical heat mats, since they're built to heat through lots of dense soil. Also, they're just not super widely used, and pretty much all the endorsement I've seen was a reddit thread for reptiles and one person (the other people responding were reputable, trusted members of the community, this guy seemed relatively new) suggesting I get one when I asked about good heating pads.



Thank you for any help! I decided to post here because I figured the slower pace here might allow for some more thorough, quality answers, compared to a discord where 5 other people are also trying to get help at the same time, and it never hurts to get more opinions!

[Full_Frontal_Yeti]

I've only used a cable so  no compare to offer. Also i've not used a tube n tubes setup, but minihearth and homebrewed nests.
Where i have more cable than i need i've made a large loop over the nest with the excess loop hanging off the side of the table. Or a couple loops over the nest on a shelf, with the large loops going under the shelf and back over.

Basically finding a way to make larger rather than smaller loops of the excess, so i can drape that excess somewhere out of the way. While not allowing it to overlap itself of course.
I do like that as long as i can deal with the excess i can use painters tape to hold it in place exactly where i want it, and with as little or as much as i need.
I commonly heat from whatever side is farthest from the water tower. While lightly/loosely draping a little cable over the glass to prevent condensation.

 

While many keepers find it overkill i have totally enjoyed using a thermostat to automate temps for me.
I use this one in particular.
https://www.digiten....om-fermentation

 

2 plugs each with their own temp probe and on/off temp controls, and a 3rd plug with timer only just for lighting (I simulate a day/night cycle)

I just glance at the temp read out now and then to affirm things are as expected.
 

Edited by Full_Frontal_Yeti, Yesterday, 4:32 PM.

[Stubyvast]

Wow nice set-up Full_Frontal_Yeti!

For me I just use a simple reptile heating pad. However, I don't really recommend them for the following reasons:

 

Condensation: Keeping it underneath a set-up causes a ton of evaporation and condensation onto the glass, blocking vision and disturbing the ants when the drops collect. It is nearly impossible to set it up vertically, as the weighting on it simply sabotages the effort. To avoid this I have to place each formicarium on the edge of the heating pad, so as to avoid condensation.

Ease of use: My heat pad is just a big rectangle. So really, I can only use the heater for one-two formicaria, keeping the edges of them on the pad to avoid condensation. Super annoying. A heating cable can wrap around and encompass multiple.

 

So, in conclusion, I highly recommend going with Full_Frontal_Yeti's set-up, it seems way more convenient and versatile. And yes, temperature control would be helpful too depending on the heat of the day.

[Ants_Dakota]

I've only used a cable so  no compare to offer. Also i've not used a tube n tubes setup, but minihearth and homebrewed nests.
Where i have more cable than i need i've made a large loop over the nest with the excess loop hanging off the side of the table. Or a couple loops over the nest on a shelf, with the large loops going under the shelf and back over.

Basically finding a way to make larger rather than smaller loops of the excess, so i can drape that excess somewhere out of the way. While not allowing it to overlap itself of course.
I do like that as long as i can deal with the excess i can use painters tape to hold it in place exactly where i want it, and with as little or as much as i need.
I commonly heat from whatever side is farthest from the water tower. While lightly/loosely draping a little cable over the glass to prevent condensation.

 

While many keepers find it overkill i have totally enjoyed using a thermostat to automate temps for me.
I use this one in particular.
https://www.digiten....om-fermentation

 

2 plugs each with their own temp probe and on/off temp controls, and a 3rd plug with timer only just for lighting (I simulate a day/night cycle)

I just glance at the temp read out now and then to affirm things are as expected.
 

Full_Frontal_Yeti has a very innovative approach that I would recommend if you have the money and molded nests, but for a tubs and tubs setup it might just be best to go with a tried and true heating pad.

[stricky_ants]

I’d recommend using a heating cable, this will make a gradient in the tube/formicarium letting the ants choose what temperature they want, and not accidentally being to hot and killing them. If you want, you can get an insulated box and reinforce it with some PVC and put the ants and the heating cable in there allowing for less temperature fluctuations, which is what I recommend.

[AntsGodzilla]

I've used both a heating mat and cable, and I highly recommend the cable. I've used the cable for tubs and tubes, and you can just heat the front of the setup. 6 feet is also a lot smaller in person, and for me I use up the other 5 by having it reach from the outlet to the table. 

[rptraut]

Hello RainbowTheDragonCat;

 

I've heated my ants many different ways.    I've never used a heating cable, but I have used heating mats.   The plant germination mat I tried was brand new, but it got too hot for my ants.   I got a much smaller reptile heating mat to work, but I only put the dry/hot side of any formicarium on the mat.   I've also used an "incubator", basically a plastic box with a lid, on top of my plant lights to heat small formicaria.    You might find sources of heat like a partly sunny window, which is another place I've used to heat my ants. 

RPT