157 replies to this topic

[nurbs]

Drew could get some pointers from you. 

 

 

 

Being busy. The colony is doing great 150 workers now. once they reach 1000. I'll do another anttropolis or a hybrid aquarium. Not sure. I know these ants dig way more than camp. Fragilis. Which are happy living in the k23 firebrick rather than dig a nest. So antropolis might be the solution. Here are some pics.






Food they have not thrown away. My srpingtales introduction did not work. They eat all the spring tales. Or something happen to them. So no one can eat all the waste. I was able to introduce springtales in anttropolis housing the Veromessor colomy. They seem to ignore them. Even the little veromessor girls tolerate them.
I'm hoping I can do the same when i change the cocos to their own Anttropolis. I will place gravel in their wet floor for the springTs to hide.


Camber 1


Chamber 2


Chamber 3.
I will add a forth 1. I thinknit can hold 600 plus brood
The curreny pile.of brood about 50. With 80 larva maybe more.

Sadly. I have not seen another ant giant freak. Like the one I lost after a month of her birth. I think she was gonna be a queen. But did not quite got there. She was 1 mm shorter, but much more skinny than a queen. There are pics of her in this journal

[Rstheant]

These ants are paranoid in killing any living thing in their nest, except themselves.

[anttics]

Maybe that is why the spring tales are gone. I have to admit there was no place for them to hide. Something i will change. when i made the Anttropolis for this colony. Gravel is heavy enough for them not to move. I will make a few gravel mounts inside for the spring tales. In my veromessor colony. They walk right next to the workers. I even saw a worker touch 1 with its antenna. The spring tale run away. The worker ignore it. I believe they smell like the colony now. I'm hoping to recreate this with the cocos. Since they are dirty with their nest.

[anttics]

An update. Colony has pass 200. Not sure how many yet. Here are some pics

MAIN CHAMBER

The giant queen. Unfortunately they have not grown a giant worker like before.


Brood


Close up of above larva from last pic


Another angle. You can see a huge ball.of eggs.

SECOND CHAMBER


Brood


They store food on this chamber

THIRD CHAMBER


Workers stretching a rebel worker. Who wanted to lay her own eggs.


This is their recreational spot. Lots of them hang here doing nothing. Caring for few brood, and streaching workers for a few days untill they calm down

Edited by anttics, February 10 2019 - 11:35 AM.

[sirjordanncurtis]

Workers stretching a rebel worker. Who wanted to lay her own eggs.
 

Don't the workers lay eggs for the queen to eat though?

[anttics]

Workers stretching a rebel worker. Who wanted to lay her own eggs.

Don't the workers lay eggs for the queen to eat though?

In this species workers want to take the job of the queen. Her smell changes which triggers the workers to hold her hostage for a few days until she goes back to normal. This is the second time I have seen it. Sometimes they lose legs.

[anttics]

Oh man i finally gave them live prey. A medium size cricket. It was cool at the biggining the cricket will make some workers fly with a kick. Umtil they caught the poor cricket. 15 seconds into the grab he tried to jump and lost 1 of his large legs. While still being caught by 3 workers. Then they started to bite his face. At this point I felt bad. They were tearing him apart alive. I grab him and crush his head. No more torture for him. I know its nature, but its harsh specially if you are recording it in macro or aumented. Where you can see evey bite. Unless the species of ants has a stinger. Which can kill the insect in minutes. The other optuon is to watch the insect being tear apart while still alive

[Rstheant]

My novos are almost at 80 to 100 workers!! It’s crazy how fast these grow!!

[anttics]

There was a pupa explosion. 200+ now. 80 larva i could count. Here are some pics. Video coming soon.

[sirjordanncurtis]

jealous

[anttics]

Here is a chesse video of feb. The novos are ruthless. Its painful to watch them take all limbs away from a live cricket. My veromessor would kill them by exhaustion. These species kills them by tearing them apart. By pulling twisting in different directions. No live feeding here so do not worry.

[Rstheant]

You feed novos cheese? I thought ants don’t like whey products of any sort.

[anttics]

You feed novos cheese? I thought ants don’t like whey products of any sort.

Lolol the video is chesse. That white stuf is chicken.

I checked the colony today. I found something funny. And surprising here are some pics.

This is the biggest eggball i have seen. And the queen's nest there are even more.




This are funny pics of the queen with eggs in her gaster. A worker left then there. So far she had those eggs there since the morning

Edited by anttics, February 24 2019 - 4:02 PM.

[anttics]

4 days have pass. The eggs are still attached to the queens gaster. Lol pics.





There is always a worker on top of her, or checking the eggs behind her.

[Rstheant]

, I think the worker might have placed the eggs on the queen by accident.

[Rstheant]

Ok, anttics, maybe time for a Tar Heel Ants Casita?

[anttics]

Ok, anttics, maybe time for a Tar Heel Ants Casita?

Maybe they forgot them there lol.
I have something big plan for them. It will be my best creation yet woahahahaha. No joke aside. Ill use another aquarium. And try somethkng new. And more artistic. As well. It gonna make the casita look like a well a tiny casita.

Edited by anttics, February 28 2019 - 6:20 PM.

[anttics]

Ok here is a rought look at the new nest. I will cover all surface with red sand. I think putting hydrostone and covering it with red sand. The lower part. I will just puy regular red clay.

[anttics]

Ok I have been busy. But i had a few hours free to do this. I finish the hydration floor. I divided it into 2 water reservoirs.





It has red firebrick as a base. It absorbs and holds water well. I added 6 tiles closer to the glass where heat will be provided for an even floor for pupa.





My only worry is that pupa might fall into the cracks in the firebrick, when I stop adding heat. In the other hand it is a perfect place for a springtale colony to live and hide in. Untill they are accepted by the novomessor colony. Who kill all spring tales i provided before with out a hiding spot.



I plan to put a tiny layer of moss under a layer of bricks. To stop this possible future issue.

I'm sure I'm missing a few more issues. It takes time to see them. If you can spot one issue I might come into. Please point it out. Ill continue on the weekend. I will put the floors. And hopefully finish plastering red sand into all the surface hydrostone floor. Which is gonna be a mission. But it shoud look great..ill.kepp posting progrees of the built.

Edited by anttics, March 13 2019 - 10:15 AM.

[Rstheant]

Maybe cover it with an even layer sand.