Atta - Aquarium setup

[RichardP]

Regarding heat mats. If you are using them two things.
Firstly you need air between the heat mat and the actual fungus. Best way to achieve this is to sit the fungus on clay balls. And if you can place the probe for the thermostat on the floor of the nest tank, between the heat mat and the fungus. The reason for this is that if the probe is higher up then the heat mat stays on for longer and by the time the air is at the correct temperature the base of the fungus could be considerably more.
Secondly I would recommend getting the thin heat mats, the ones that are around 150mm wide. Then heat only half of the base of the nest tank. This way there is a temperature gradient in the nest tank and the ants can move the fungus to the location in the nest tank which is best. You can then assess whether the heat mat is perfect or getting too hot under the fungus.

Great. Will do. Thanks

[Atta solider]

I use heat mat on my pod and it works really well I e set it to 25c on thermo and then when reaches it turns out and it never goes below 24c so far it's going really great for me

[RichardP]

I use heat mat on my pod and it works really well I e set it to 25c on thermo and then when reaches it turns out and it never goes below 24c so far it's going really great for me

Where do you put the thermostat sensor? If you don't mind me asking?

[Atta solider]

At the side of my pod with my temp reader into look on my part of my atta and the pic it as it there mate

[Deansie26]

Regarding heat mats. If you are using them two things.
Firstly you need air between the heat mat and the actual fungus. Best way to achieve this is to sit the fungus on clay balls. And if you can place the probe for the thermostat on the floor of the nest tank, between the heat mat and the fungus. The reason for this is that if the probe is higher up then the heat mat stays on for longer and by the time the air is at the correct temperature the base of the fungus could be considerably more.
Secondly I would recommend getting the thin heat mats, the ones that are around 150mm wide. Then heat only half of the base of the nest tank. This way there is a temperature gradient in the nest tank and the ants can move the fungus to the location in the nest tank which is best. You can then assess whether the heat mat is perfect or getting too hot under the fungus.

If you want to do that then you would need to make sure the ants cant move the substrate as they will empty the container completely, soil, clay would be removed thus leaving the fungus on the base. The hydrocleca balls are larger and the ants probably cant move them, Formica has a friend with a good going Acromyrmex colony that sits on these. He's still not joined yet unfortunately.
Might be easier placing a cut hanging basket plastic mesh between the mat and tank then you have your air flow.

Andrew, In these small hobby set ups would the heat not be pretty constant? as in a bit higher at the bottom than at the top so if you set your stat probe at the top for example and set it to a heat temperature it should keep stable? If you find the difference between the base and probe you could adjust it?

[RichardP]

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I ... _pC_nS_ttl

I was looking at this product to house the heat mat?

The big clay balls are a bit ugly for me but i can see your point.

[Acromyrmexbob]

Regarding heat mats. If you are using them two things.
Firstly you need air between the heat mat and the actual fungus. Best way to achieve this is to sit the fungus on clay balls. And if you can place the probe for the thermostat on the floor of the nest tank, between the heat mat and the fungus. The reason for this is that if the probe is higher up then the heat mat stays on for longer and by the time the air is at the correct temperature the base of the fungus could be considerably more.
Secondly I would recommend getting the thin heat mats, the ones that are around 150mm wide. Then heat only half of the base of the nest tank. This way there is a temperature gradient in the nest tank and the ants can move the fungus to the location in the nest tank which is best. You can then assess whether the heat mat is perfect or getting too hot under the fungus.

If you want to do that then you would need to make sure the ants cant move the substrate as they will empty the container completely, soil, clay would be removed thus leaving the fungus on the base. The hydrocleca balls are larger and the ants probably cant move them, Formica has a friend with a good going Acromyrmex colony that sits on these. He's still not joined yet unfortunately.
Might be easier placing a cut hanging basket plastic mesh between the mat and tank then you have your air flow.

Andrew, In these small hobby set ups would the heat not be pretty constant? as in a bit higher at the bottom than at the top so if you set your stat probe at the top for example and set it to a heat temperature it should keep stable? If you find the difference between the base and probe you could adjust it?

Maybe so. I have no particular experience of the pros and cons of this. It is an intuitive thought. If your fungus is between the heat mat and the probe, especially when the chamber is full of fungus, then the fungus will act as an insulation blanket and the heat mat will be on for a considerable time before the fungus manages to transmit the heat to the stat. Within this time the temperature could conceivably rise beneath the fungus by quite some number of degrees. If you use a pulse stat then the heatmat is permanently flickering on and off, many times a second, and the temperature directly under the fungus, where the probe is, will be exactly what you want it to be so the chamber will ultimately rise to a close approximation of this.

[Deansie26]

Regarding heat mats. If you are using them two things.
Firstly you need air between the heat mat and the actual fungus. Best way to achieve this is to sit the fungus on clay balls. And if you can place the probe for the thermostat on the floor of the nest tank, between the heat mat and the fungus. The reason for this is that if the probe is higher up then the heat mat stays on for longer and by the time the air is at the correct temperature the base of the fungus could be considerably more.
Secondly I would recommend getting the thin heat mats, the ones that are around 150mm wide. Then heat only half of the base of the nest tank. This way there is a temperature gradient in the nest tank and the ants can move the fungus to the location in the nest tank which is best. You can then assess whether the heat mat is perfect or getting too hot under the fungus.

If you want to do that then you would need to make sure the ants cant move the substrate as they will empty the container completely, soil, clay would be removed thus leaving the fungus on the base. The hydrocleca balls are larger and the ants probably cant move them, Formica has a friend with a good going Acromyrmex colony that sits on these. He's still not joined yet unfortunately.
Might be easier placing a cut hanging basket plastic mesh between the mat and tank then you have your air flow.

Andrew, In these small hobby set ups would the heat not be pretty constant? as in a bit higher at the bottom than at the top so if you set your stat probe at the top for example and set it to a heat temperature it should keep stable? If you find the difference between the base and probe you could adjust it?

Maybe so. I have no particular experience of the pros and cons of this. It is an intuitive thought. If your fungus is between the heat mat and the probe, especially when the chamber is full of fungus, then the fungus will act as an insulation blanket and the heat mat will be on for a considerable time before the fungus manages to transmit the heat to the stat. Within this time the temperature could conceivably rise beneath the fungus by quite some number of degrees. If you use a pulse stat then the heatmat is permanently flickering on and off, many times a second, and the temperature directly under the fungus, where the probe is, will be exactly what you want it to be so the chamber will ultimately rise to a close approximation of this.

I see what your your saying, think we need someone to try it. I would but it would be useless in a incubator set up.

[RichardP]

Ok, last check before I order everything.

I am trying to create an external nest chamber. I attach below a picture as I'm told it paints a thousand words.

I will tube off the current tube run. I want the ants to be able to manage the gradient without trouble so my tube angles down the back rather than just dropping down beside the aquarium.

I then guide the tube into a glass nest box (antstore) 20*15*15 cm. With a barrier lid thing and a mesh vented lid.

The nest will be heated by a heat mat that will half fill one of these:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00I ... _pC_nS_ttl

As previously mentioned the nest will be filled .5cm clay and .5cm top soil and moistened.

Is there anything I haven't thought of or need to consider?

thanks for help as usual

[Deansie26]

Hi Richard, I'd expect you to get some pretty good condensation on that glass fungus tank. What temperature does your room sit at over a day, mine gets under 15 degrees during the night.