Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Ideas, techniques, problems and issues associated with keeping Leaf Cutting Ants in Captivity
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Acromyrmexbob
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Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Fri Apr 27, 2018 10:16 pm

Just wondered if anyone had any ideas on this.
Variously I have heard people use plaster of paris, sand and clay balls, soil and even tissue paper.
The most common is clay balls.
I have used all of the above.
Paper rots and smells, and also gets saturated, Plaster of Paris or any other type of plaster has a relatively short life span before it starts to smell and kill the fungus, sand and soil are used by the ants else where and if these are in short supply pretty soon there will be no media left to protect the fungus, only clay balls really seem to work for an extended period.
Any other options would be interesting to hear about.

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Andyj
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Andyj » Tue May 01, 2018 8:05 pm

I'm using Bisque tiles. They are ceramic tiles which have only been fired once and haven’t been glazed, they are very porous and are ideal for holding water to maintain humidity. No smell and no mould.

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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Tue May 01, 2018 9:52 pm

Nice one, need to look at them!
Any preferred supplier or are they available in lots of places

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Andyj
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Andyj » Tue May 01, 2018 10:09 pm

Can't remember where i got them but they were online. Just google bisque tiles.

Occultus
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Occultus » Tue May 01, 2018 10:53 pm

I imagine custom cut bases of Ytong/AAC would work adequately by holding moisture and being mould resistant. Concrete may even work but perhaps too heavy and impossible to remove. Andy's Bisque tiles sound perfect.

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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Andyj » Wed May 02, 2018 7:55 am

Also very easily cut to shape

Image

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Wed May 02, 2018 2:06 pm

Interesting condensation problem on your tubs there. You get condensation because the walls of your tubs are cooler than the air inside. The trick is to ensure that the heat does not pass through your tub and into the air, as is the case where a heat mat is used, but passes through the walls of the container into the tub, so the walls are warmer than the air inside the tub.

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Andyj
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Andyj » Wed May 02, 2018 3:51 pm

I just turned on the heat for the first time so nothing had settled. Just really showing you the tiles, like you don't know what a tile looks like lol....unless of course they havent been invented in Scotland yet... :roll:

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Acromyrmexbob
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Wed May 02, 2018 4:02 pm

Listen, no need for that. Last year we got electricity, and these portable telephones from some company that must sell oxygen, O2, are really great. On the bright side, Che has recently moved up here from Wales, the only country in the world less developed than Scotland and he's enjoying the luxury of sleeping in a bed covered with a woollen fleece rather than an actual sheep.

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Andyj
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Re: Which is the best substrate under the fungus garden.

Post by Andyj » Wed May 02, 2018 4:13 pm

Io,,,I'm Welsh.... :evil: :lol:

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