51 replies to this topic

[Antking117]

 

Good read and good information? Do you get problems with your test tubes flooding? If so how often does it happen? (ratio ex. 1 out of every 100)

I've never had any tubes flood although the glass test tubes seem to deplete water a lot faster than the plastic ones. Think this might be the heat?

 

That is odd, plastic is the one that reacts with water more than glass because glass is known as the purity of taste material when it comes to drinking water bottles. Glass nor plastic should react and cause water to evaporate more? Unless I have been misinformed. Just might be the situation.

[Nathant2131]

Good read and good information? Do you get problems with your test tubes flooding? If so how often does it happen? (ratio ex. 1 out of every 100)

I've never had any tubes flood although the glass test tubes seem to deplete water a lot faster than the plastic ones. Think this might be the heat?

That is odd, plastic is the one that reacts with water more than glass because glass is known as the purity of taste material when it comes to drinking water bottles. Glass nor plastic should react and cause water to evaporate more? Unless I have been misinformed. Just might be the situation.

Yeah I found that weird too. It might just be some weird variables. Or the high temps.

[Antking117]

 

 

 

Good read and good information? Do you get problems with your test tubes flooding? If so how often does it happen? (ratio ex. 1 out of every 100)

I've never had any tubes flood although the glass test tubes seem to deplete water a lot faster than the plastic ones. Think this might be the heat?

That is odd, plastic is the one that reacts with water more than glass because glass is known as the purity of taste material when it comes to drinking water bottles. Glass nor plastic should react and cause water to evaporate more? Unless I have been misinformed. Just might be the situation.

Yeah I found that weird too. It might just be some weird variables. Or the high temps.

 

Glass allows for easier transfer of heat, so definitely possible.

[Nathant2131]

after checking on my queens tomorrow, I am going to create a spreadsheet (thus, graph) on the metal pot temperature for an average and to see the fluctuation.

[Nathant2131]

Update 4/2/2017

 

Yesterday, I checked on all my queens. Both umbratus-group queens are still alive. My egg count for my niger-group queens were quite innacurate becuase the eggs are SO small; However Lasius niger-group 4 appears to have less eggs.

 

After checking, the object propping the container was removed. Earlier today, I began making a chart for the temperature of the pot. So far it is staying at around 72.2 F, however the chart won't be complete for a while. here it is so far:

 

https://docs.google....dit?usp=sharing

 

It will update realtime when I edit it. Since It won't be complete for a while you can just check this so I don't have to constantly tell what the temperature is at on every update.

[Batspiderfish]

Maybe the glass/plastic thing has to do with adhesion (water forms a meniscus against glass, not plastic.)

[Nathant2131]

Update 4/8/17

 

I must say, I am shocked. Last time I checked a week ago, I felt like there were a lot less eggs than there were the last time I checked before that (two weeks ago). Now, checking on my Lasius an hour ago, there is not one egg to be seen (not even my speedy niger group 4 queen), and niger group 1 and 9 now look dead. I don't understand at all what is causing this. The only answer to missing eggs means the queens were eating them, correct? I can't think of anything that is causing hunger or stress to any of my queens. They are fully-claustral, so they don't need food. They are in acceptable temperature conditions (71-74 F), they are in the dark, they are only checked on once a week. Their test tubes have humidity. On top of all this, these species are really easy to keep and usually have great odds.

 

This is almost laughable that my niger group queens are falling apart, whereas both my umbratus groups are alive as ever.     

 

I gave each niger-group tube a drop of sunburst on some tinfoil, tried taking some vids/pics, closed the pot, and checked on my parasites. This is really strange. Any ideas what the heck could be going on in there that is apparently causing much stress to my queens? Maybe the heat guage I'm using is innacurate and in reality is too hot or something.

 

Oh, and I have concluded what is causing my tubes to deplete quick. The parasites tubes are full and a lot colder, so I'm pretty sure its the heat that is causing the niger group tubes to do that.

 

Pics later. 

Edited by Nathant2131, April 8 2017 - 7:30 AM.

[Nathant2131]

Line graph also finished. Starting a new one everytime after I check the pot.

 

 

<iframe width="600" height="371" seamless frameborder="0" scrolling="no"

src="https://docs.google....tive"></iframe>

[Kevin]

I'm guessing you temperatures are altered by the heat of your house. Try keeping it in an area with a more constant temperature... Either way what is your heat set to? My house is normally 70-74F.

[Nathant2131]

I'm guessing you temperatures are altered by the heat of your house. Try keeping it in an area with a more constant temperature... Either way what is your heat set to? My house is normally 70-74F.

Well, if you look back in the journal you can see I have a special sort of heating set up so it is higher than my room temp, but you're right the room temp must influence the temp of inside the pot.. My room is usually Mid to high sixties. The room fluctuates a lot more than it does in the pot, even ranging from 63 to 72.

Edited by Nathant2131, April 8 2017 - 8:26 AM.

[Nathant2131]

Update 4/13/2017

 

Not an update for my queens. But I am discontinuing this journal for a while until I am actually prepared for keeping ants, rather than polluting this journal any longer with temperature problems. It actually reached over 80 on 4/11 since it was very warm outside. Thinking of an incubator for a copletely constant temperature.

 

Never knew how unprepared I was. This is a real problem, and I'm going to have to fix it ASAP before they start dying.

[Nathant2131]

Wow, this journal is a mess. It is polluted with beginner mistakes, there is no organization, and half the updates are just me whining about taking my ants out of hibernation. 

 

Lots has happened since the last update. But to sum it up, my parasites are dead, and my 5 remaining niger-group queens are now on a comeback after doing away with conducting heat with a metal pot. I also just noticed my ants were not put into hibernation in November... it was October, so that was 5 months of hibernation. 

 

I am discontinuing this journal, and starting a fresh one.   (maybe)

Edited by Nathant2131, May 21 2017 - 6:31 AM.