User starcraftjunkie Formicarium Review.
Hello members of formiculture.com. I recently received a few nests from the user, starcraftjunkie. This member just recently started building these nests and was looking for some people to test the quality and reliability of them. So I did pay nothing except the cost of shipment. I wasn't able to successfully move the colony I wanted into them, so I was forced to use a few smaller colonies for testing. However the Idea here is just to ensure they do the job, so it's not required I use a large colony.
Happy Ants
I can tell you, these nests work just as well as any other nest I use and are almost flawless, aside from one or two issues which I will get into. But they do work very well. I first moved a small founding colony of Camponotus noveboracensis into one of the smaller nests. They appeared to be fairly content with the new home and have had no issues.
I moved in my Tetramorium colony into another. Unfortunately the colony isn't "huge" and the fact the colony is in a big pile by the hydration chamber makes them look smaller. I wasn't able to do a successful move into the new nest without getting some sand in the new one as well. However this moving "issue" had nothing to do with the new nest. I also wasn't able to get any impressive shots, but I will upload some more pictures later. This colony is also content in this new nest.
Beautiful Connections and design
Like I said, all colonies appear satisfied. They have been in these nests for almost a week now and I have had no casualties or issues. So, they do work as they should. Now for my opinion on the overall design. I personally like the tunnel designs a lot, but that is going to very from person to person. However, what I do like is the connections and how these nest hook up. All nest can be attached without tubing bu using the connectors on the sides of all the nests. The nests also came with all sorts of fitting and plugs. These allow you to hook test tubes or regular tubes up to the nest. You also can simply block off entrances and exits. All of these fittings will come in extremely handy.
Overall Review
Overall, this is some of the best nests I have bought. Like I said there is one or two flaws, so here is all the Pro's and Con's in comparison.
Pros
- Ant colonies are satisfied and healthy. No casualties.
- The designs are unique and naturalistic
- Connections are extremely handy and work very well
- No flaws in the prints. I see no issues and have had no "escapees."
Cons
- The hydration chamber dehydrates quickly due to the fact it doesn't have a cover. I recommend a cover for the hydration chmaber in future designs
- They acyrlic on one of the nests isn't super tight and can move around. So I also advise some tighter fits in future builds. However it isn't loose enough for ants to escape.
