Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!!

Post your builds, private or commercial set ups. This is where we will document the creation of housing or the planning and construction of projects from scratch. This differs from the Journal Section because this section does not concentrate on the Ants or the other animals that are being kept, this section focuses on the progress of the build.
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Bitterlime
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Bitterlime » Mon May 30, 2016 12:47 pm

It's really amazing what you have built!

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Mon May 30, 2016 5:17 pm

This is great to see such a fresh approach. Some potential time bombs on the horizon, I fear. Anytime you move dry air around you are going to suffer form extreme gradients of humidity. Although your containers will be separate from the external 'dry' air, there will be insufficient movement of wet vegetation by the ants to maintain anything like the required 90+% humidity. So you will need regular access to the nest area to water and keep humidity controlled. Also whilst this design looks great, accessing the feeding area without any other excape prevention measures will result in disaster when the colony starts to grow. You have to have a way of being able to open parts of the nest and not allowing the ants to come out. Just ask Raj about his setup. Couldnt really tell but are each of the nest boxes ventillated. If not then you are going to have to depend on air travelling through the nest boxes from a starting point, possibly a vent in the furthest away from the entrance box. However this may be drawing in some of your dry air and causing this to travel through your series of nest boxes picking up humidity as it passes, thus drying your nest. This through flow of air can actually become a mini gale if funnelled through a small space such as your series of nest boxes. To be honest, moving air of any kind in a set up which requires high humidity is generally a bad idea. Ventillation to allow passive movement of air so as not to disturb the humidity is always best. Directing air via a fan or via a wind tunnel configuration will produce difficult to control environmental factors. If I was you I would reexamine the ventillation and heating arrangements of your setup.
Looking forward to seeing it up on the wall!!

Ieatflys
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Ieatflys » Tue May 31, 2016 5:25 am

I have thought into these subjects and i appreciate the imput you have given me and will take it into careful consideration. I judt got one of the boxes setup with the ends stuffed off with cotton balls andmoistened the hydrostone... currently the nest box is sitting at 90 to 98% humidity snd has been so for an hour or so now. We will see how long it will last.. as a baseline the humidity in my room is 60% or so.... if i have trouble getting the humidity to stay up down the road i have a humifying aparatus that will raise the humidity inside this display up to about 90% i prefiously used this on a terrarium used for lowland nepenthes that require 90% humidity and 85 degree days... i was able to achieve this using the hest tape aparatus and humidifying aparatus....

Also the fan circulating the air is not on constantly but is only on when the thermostat turns on the heating element and it is an extreemely slow and gentile but steady air movement... the thermostst rarely kicks on currently when i have it set to hold the temp at 78 degrees

As for ventilation for the nest boxes it will be provided by an opening in the main srea at first... when the colony gets larger i will add ventilstion tubes along the walkway tubes that go up topped off with wire mesh and i will give them a cup of soil to adjust the nest to their likings. I will half to adapt this setup as time goes on but currently testing had begun and I hope to have it mostely done by the time i leave for my trip next week. Also when the colony gets larger and feeding becomes difficult i will cut a hole in the side of the setup and build a feeding table to make feeding easier!!

I cant wait to see how this setup does and i thank you all for the compliments and constructive criticism. I will have another photo update this week after i do more testing and adding on.

Have a good day!!

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Tue May 31, 2016 6:46 am

Ieatflys wrote:I have thought into these subjects and i appreciate the imput you have given me and will take it into careful consideration. I judt got one of the boxes setup with the ends stuffed off with cotton balls andmoistened the hydrostone... currently the nest box is sitting at 90 to 98% humidity snd has been so for an hour or so now. We will see how long it will last.. as a baseline the humidity in my room is 60% or so.... if i have trouble getting the humidity to stay up down the road i have a humifying aparatus that will raise the humidity inside this display up to about 90% i prefiously used this on a terrarium used for lowland nepenthes that require 90% humidity and 85 degree days... i was able to achieve this using the hest tape aparatus and humidifying aparatus....

Also the fan circulating the air is not on constantly but is only on when the thermostat turns on the heating element and it is an extreemely slow and gentile but steady air movement... the thermostst rarely kicks on currently when i have it set to hold the temp at 78 degrees

As for ventilation for the nest boxes it will be provided by an opening in the main srea at first... when the colony gets larger i will add ventilstion tubes along the walkway tubes that go up topped off with wire mesh and i will give them a cup of soil to adjust the nest to their likings. I will half to adapt this setup as time goes on but currently testing had begun and I hope to have it mostely done by the time i leave for my trip next week. Also when the colony gets larger and feeding becomes difficult i will cut a hole in the side of the setup and build a feeding table to make feeding easier!!

I cant wait to see how this setup does and i thank you all for the compliments and constructive criticism. I will have another photo update this week after i do more testing and adding on.

Have a good day!!
Nice update. I will be interested to see how this performs over time.

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Andyj
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Andyj » Tue May 31, 2016 10:05 am

Wow you really have put some thought and effort into this project. I do hope you have success finding your Ants.

Ieatflys
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Ieatflys » Sat Jun 04, 2016 8:51 am

hello all a short update

I have spent most of m time this last week preparing m self supplies and those involved for the collection trip i am taking next week. allot of the time has also gone into planning the trip mapping areas that have been flooded and planing out each day by the hour as best as i can. in hopes that the trip will go smooth i have continued doing some minor adjusting on the ant display.

I have installed a new divider inside of the electrical cabinet to tidy things up with the heat tape as well as added a blower shroud to the air supply to the display. this is meant to redirect the air towards the glass so that it will go from level to level easier and keep warmer air from being blown directly onto any single chamber. I have also tested each spot on the shelf to confirm even warm air distribution and good humidity. so far so good every test i have come back with 75-77 degrees (f) and 100%humidity reading with no condensation even with the doors being opened and excessive water added to the container. i like the temp that it is sitting at currently due to the fact that it leaves room for error in case the temp decides to rise.... i have since moved some of my ant colonies onto the shelves as they look great and populations are exploding.

now for a few pictures of what i have done. enjoy :geek:


92 was the lowest spot because i opened the container to positio n the sensor withing the 24 hour testing period
Image

unknown species collected 2 weeks ago settling in well
Image

young campo colony with 4 workers
Image

another campo queen with larve
Image

my aphenogaster (spelling) colony that has recently produced allates that have started shedding their wings and behaving as normal workers
Image


monnomorium minnimum colony that has now begun filling a 3rd test tube
Image

the electrical cabinet I tidied up a bit
Image

the blower shrowed
Image

the cabinet fully lit (older photo)
Image

and all of the colonies in one place
Image


And that is it for now let me know if you have any questions ill be free to answer them... I am really hoping for a couple of colonies wish me luck and let me know if you have any collection suggestions or any helpful guides to read up on!!!

thanks :D

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Deansie26
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Deansie26 » Mon Jun 06, 2016 9:42 pm

Great build thread, really looking forward to seeing the finished set up.

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Andyj
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Andyj » Thu Jun 09, 2016 10:56 pm

Is it safe to fold up those heat mats? Good hunting. :)
I did think that Andy, doubt it says so on the instructions lol.

Ieatflys
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!

Post by Ieatflys » Fri Jun 10, 2016 7:19 am

Thanks man and yes theres so much of it it barely gets warm when ut does get turned on

Britishants.com
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Re: Atta texana formicarium display and formicarium build !!!

Post by Britishants.com » Thu Oct 13, 2016 3:54 pm

Any updates on this project? :D

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