So i was thinking about taking on the task of building a horizontal ytong formicarium.
By now I'm in a very early planning stage, but i will do a proper blueprint and will come with some ideas and i would really appreciate your input.
My idea, roughly is take a ytong block which I carve out some tunnels and chambers, a wooden frame around it and then use an use the glassbox as an outworld for quite some time.
Around the edges of the block i want something to prevent escapes but i want to be able to remove the glass that covers the formicarium, my idea was to fasten the frame against the glass using nuts and bolts in the edge of the frame that go though the ytong block. This should make it quite easy to remove but still quite firm but still tight to keep in moisture and ants.
I was planning to do some kind of integrated hydrationsystem, I make a hole in one corner of the formicarium where i can place a testtube. In this testtube I will put some synthetic fabric or yarn that i then put in a hole that i drill in 30 degree angle across the formicarium. So i only need to fill the testtube with water and it will water parts of the formicarium.
Another idea I had was to devide the nest in two parts so I don't need to change when the inhabitants have grown in size. A path high up (or down) of the nest as the only way to and from the two parts where i put a small acrylic "slider" which i can remove when the colony is big enough, in the remaining whole i will plug it with cotton or jut sseal it off with mesh.
What I need (that I know of);
Probably aquarium silicone
Synthetic yarn or fabric
around 70-80mm long stainless steel bolts and nuts
Glass
Wooden frame
Piece of acrylic
What do you think? Would this design work? Am I missing something?
Got some questions regarding this formicarium.
Would the capillary force work in the way I intend it to?
Will I be able to make it tight against glass using aquarium silicone and still be able to remove the glass?
Edited by Mannomorth, November 30 2015 - 8:55 AM.
