34 replies to this topic

[Tyrrea]

So, instead of keeping postinf in the intro thread, i though id start a journal, will be fun to look back into when my ant empire takes over the world one day...

 

So anyway, I've been dabbling with different types of formacariums, and made 2 so far, still need to make some outworlds for them, but since Lasius Niger in my area won't mate next few weeks, I'm thinkning that i have some time to get it done...

 

My first formacarium was inspired by this website actually, and is a grout formacarium with a glass front added..

 

The white areas are the living space, and the darker grey is for water, its meant to be stored/used lying flat as i don't really like the vertical ones.. I'm hoping that this works, and that it keeps the nest moist enough but guess ill know soon enough...

 

The next one was one i saw at the antscanada store, and i thought ''I can make that too'' so here goes; got 2 smal acrylic glass picture frames at a yardsale, and thought they were perfect!

 

First making sure they aligned, well sorta, good enough for a first attempt anyway..

 

 

Started drilling out the chambers, and since this is my first time working with this material, i didn't know that drilling slowly is the way to go, first off i had the stuff melt under the heat of the drill, but i learned from it, and moved on...

 

As you can see, i was aiming for 4 chambers of different sizes...

 

Now, i WAS planning of a kinda step by step series of pictures, but enthusiasm got to me and i forgot to take pictures, sadly... But, heres the finished product:

 

 

I'm quite satisfied with the end result, but guess only ants can decide in the end

 

On the upper part, you can see 2 holes that i drilled for water, hoping that it will do the trick..

 

 

So, there it is, my first baby steps, any advice or tips will be welcomed as I'm still in learning process...

 

 

 

-Daniel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Mercutia]

How are you suppose to water it?

[Tyrrea]

Whitch one??

[Mercutia]

The acrylic.

[Tyrrea]

It works through capillary action (yeah its a thing) i never heard of it, but we all know it from when we store glass or the like, even in relatively dry conditions, moisture will seep through the tiny tiny space between the sheets... If i hadn't seen the antscanada omninest i would never have thought of it..

 

And i allready checked, it actually works, thanks to the see through material, you van actually see the water spread after you add it to the 2 small holes i drilled on the top plate, its extremely smart!!

[Tyrrea]

AND SHE'S HEEEERE

 

 

Well anyway, got my ant queen today...

 

 

To start off with, I'm NOT very happy with ordering live animals by mail, its not ideal and i don't like it, but when that's said, there is no antkeeping of any kind in denmark, I've been searching since i made this thread and nothing. With that in mind i ordered from Queen Ant Shop since I've read only good about them, and today, the mailman arrived...

 

I decided to go for a Messor Barbarus, since everyone tells me that they are good and easy, and for a first time keeper, that's what i go for.

She is a stunningly beautiful, i looked for as long as i dared, as she seemed agitated, and i didn't want to disturb her more than the travel had done, From what i could see, there was a small cluster of eggs and 2 larger oned that she moved around a bit before i put her away, i just hope she will be happy here!

 

Now, my extremely untrained eye tells me that the test tube setup she arrived in might not be as good as i hoped, but i won't do anything before the experts (you guys) have told me, problem is, the test tube was alot smaller than i had expected, she can move around and turn around but seems a bit small, is that ok? Second, there's not as much water in the tube as i have seen on the pictures on this page, only about ½ cm of visible watter (and then some absorbed by the cotton id expect) but will this be enough?

 

I have a good hunting ground with a watering place i can put the test tube into, but i don't know if she'll leave the nest if thirsty, and don't even know if its wise to pull out the cotton sealing the test tube...

 

Hoping for good answers as i don't want to mess up on my first try!

 

 

-Daniel

 

 

(pictures of the hunting grounds will follow in the weekend, I'm kinda busy at work..)

[dspdrew]

If the queen can turn around in the tube, then it's probably big enough. As long as it has water in there still it's fine, but once the water dries up, you will need to make a new test tube setup and move them into it, or move them into a formicarium if they're ready for one.

[Crystals]

They only had a bit of water in the tube in case of flooding during transport.  As long as there is enough water to wet the cotton, she will be fine.

Messor Barbarus are fully claustral so she won't need food until her workers arrive.  (Although I always cheat and give my queens a drop of sugar water/hummingbird nectar every week or so).

Leave the test tube plugged until the workers have eclosed.

[Tyrrea]

Thanks all, i just got home from work, and checked on her quickly, she seems to have settled down a bit, and stacked all her eggs in one end of the tube, and I'm taking that as a good sign

[LAnt]

Did they have any queens with a few workers for sale?

[Tyrrea]

They didn't have any when i ordered, but havent checked

[Tyrrea]

Shee seems to settled all good, still no more eggs, but she constantly moving around those she got...

[Tyrrea]

And now it happened... She had 4-5 more eggs this morning, all going well i assume, though i have one more question, she seems to be biting the cotton in the watered end of the tube alot and has teared it up a little, is it because she's thirsty? there's still water behind the cotton, so I'm guessing that its still soaking the cotton, but why is she biting it??

 

Also, noticed that a small smount of dew/moist is gathering on the roof of the tube, will that be a problem?

 

Sorry for newbie questions

Edited by Tyrrea, June 20 2014 - 3:27 AM.

[dspdrew]

It's not because she's thirsty, but probably because she just either wants to go somewhere else, or at least wants to dig. Usually after a while, especially after they get some brood, they pretty much accept that where they are is going to be their nest and they chill out.

[Crystals]

A couple of my queens do that.

They want to drag some of the cotton around them to make them feel safer, or to help the larvae spin cocoons.  I gave them a pinch of sand and it mostly cured it.

[Tyrrea]

Looks like she has layed a total of 15 new eggs, I'm so happy

[Tyrrea]

Disaster.... Maybe, I'm not sure...

 

It looks like the heat mat i had is broken, not warming anymore anyway, so temp has dropped to around 20* will the queen and eggs be ok? Since its sunday, I'm not sure if i can get a new mat in place, so any tips? i could set a heatlamp, but don't think that's a good idea...!?

 

No more cheap mats, that's for sure....

[Michaelofvancouver]

20 degrees Celsius? That's a little bit low, but they should be OK. Brood development might slow down though.

[Tyrrea]

I got yet another question (I'm so glad you guys are here lol)

 

The water in the testtube is allmost gone, so i need to replace, i inderstand that putting a new tube in the end of hers and covering so its dark can get to move, but, instead of having to move her an extra time, will she move into the arcyllic formacarium i made if i open her test tube near the entrance and then cover the formacarium so its dark, hat way i don't have to move her anymore, and i can regulate the moist level as we get further?? there's some rather big larvae and a bunch of eggs that shell have to move!

 

Its no biggie if its not a good option, i got some new test tubes, and i can just move her into one of those, just, as mentioned, don't want to make her move more than i have to..

[dspdrew]

She will move into the formicarium if you just open the tube and leave it in the out world. This would be easier than trying to get her into another test tube. Sometimes they are quite comfortable where they are and won't want to move, but once the test tube dries out she will definitely leave and find some place with a little more moisture.