Leaf Cutting Ant Forum

One of the reasons for starting this forum was to attract people with the same interest as me. Although we are still small, I expect we will grow steadily. However the core of people here represent a great opportunity for me to pick brains and move things forward in terms of set ups etc. So for our first co-opted project I would like to suggest that we have a conversation about the design of an ideal set up for displaying Leaf Cutting Ants.
The terms of this project are the same as if I was working towards a design for a client.
1. All of the life support parameters must have their boxes ticked. Temperature, humidity, condensation, lighting etc.
2. The fact that this will be a public display means that visual access must be considered, position of the colony and the foraging etc

So we will assume this is a generic display which can be adapted to suit each individual client.

So we should look firstly at the design of the nest area. Lets assume this display will have a nest area separated by 20 meters from the feeding area.
Can we look at housing an Atta colony. So firstly what is the ideal size and so we design a soil based colony or a soiless colony.
How do we heat it. What escape prevention measures do we employ. What about waste.
This is a live project, the results of this will end up being incorporated into actual exhibits around the world so get involved and together we can improve the husbandry of colonies that will be set up in the future.

This will be interesting, I think it might be different if the exhibit could be a combination of natural and clinical. Keeping the main garden a traditional soil one but incorporate further chambers that where not filled with soil and more visible to the public viewing. I know getting the ants to start fungus gardens in an empty chamber can be tricky but using something like the cat litter I have tried might help, holds humidity but won't abstract viewing.
Just some ideas, I think good fungus viewing is amazing if possible.

I think separating the nest and the feeding table always looks best in public displays. If you have a nest tank 750mm long, 750mm wide and 1200mm high, how would you heat it?

Could I possible draw an idea like birds I view etc Andrew

Took me a while to work out, you meant Birds Eye view? Yes of course, that would be welcome. Save it as a jpg and post as a picture.

Made a quick sketch, no sizes as I'm not too good with that kind of stuff lol.
http://s393.photobucket.com/user/Formic ... .jpeg.html

Marco, can you explain your design. I am interested as to why you have fungus chambers and then an area full of soil. What is the purpose of the soil area. Is it not likely that the ants will move in to the soil with their fungus?

The soil is for the main fungus chambers and so the public can see how atta build their natural chambers and as the colony progresses the cubes can have the 2nd and 3rd fungus gardens placed inside of them where you can see everything that goes on inside a colony. It's something I thought would be interesting, so you could see the building life of atta and the farming life.

Acromyrmexbob wrote:I think separating the nest and the feeding table always looks best in public displays. If you have a nest tank 750mm long, 750mm wide and 1200mm high, how would you heat it?

Don't think I could have initially put across what I was imagining in my mind ha ha. I think the Micropia design explains better what I was trying to get across. Used as an additional arm from main colony would be great to incorporate into one of your designs.

Hi Marco, so are you saying the ants would initially build there garden in the soil then spill overboard the two empty ones?