My Ant Room
- Acromyrmexbob
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My Ant Room
Might have posted this pic else where but can't remember. My ant room, where I hold the colonies after they arrive from Central America, looks like this...
The entire room is heated and humidified by a 200W aquarium heater. Basically there is 50mm of polystyrene around the whole room. Then I built what is basically a huge fish tank so all the walls are glass. I then built shelves from glass also but each shelf has a raised front so they can be filled with water. At the end of each shelf is a hole so when I pump the water from the bottom shelf (where the heater is sitting) to the top this water falls from the top shelf to the next and so on. The action of this water working its way back to the bottom constantly means the room is very humid, there is little heat loss so the temperature is perfect and the flowing water ensures the ants cannot escape. I place each tub on an upturned 10cm plant pot and move the lid to the side to allow the ants to forage on the outside of the tub. This system works very well with large numbers of Leaf Cutters.
The entire room is heated and humidified by a 200W aquarium heater. Basically there is 50mm of polystyrene around the whole room. Then I built what is basically a huge fish tank so all the walls are glass. I then built shelves from glass also but each shelf has a raised front so they can be filled with water. At the end of each shelf is a hole so when I pump the water from the bottom shelf (where the heater is sitting) to the top this water falls from the top shelf to the next and so on. The action of this water working its way back to the bottom constantly means the room is very humid, there is little heat loss so the temperature is perfect and the flowing water ensures the ants cannot escape. I place each tub on an upturned 10cm plant pot and move the lid to the side to allow the ants to forage on the outside of the tub. This system works very well with large numbers of Leaf Cutters.
- Deansie26
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Re: My Ant Room
A really amazing sight to be seen! Had the privilege of seeing this room in the flesh, could have spent hours in it looking at them all, fascinating stuff.
- Acromyrmexbob
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Re: My Ant Room
Ironically this is not really a place where I can enjoy my hobby. Its very mass produced and business like. Sometimes I would like to look after a colony of ants for fun but I travel so much so thats out of the question.
- Deansie26
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Re: My Ant Room
An I would enjoy the masses lol, funny that.Acromyrmexbob wrote:Ironically this is not really a place where I can enjoy my hobby. Its very mass produced and business like. Sometimes I would like to look after a colony of ants for fun but I travel so much so thats out of the question.
I enjoy looking after stuff.
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Re: My Ant Room
I wish I had job like you Andrew going in Wild to see and dig up massive colony and have colony's at home you got an ace job and nice am so jel you seen it mate lol
- Acromyrmexbob
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Re: My Ant Room
Shucks!!
Actually a lot of my job is basically a glorified builder. Many a day have I stood at a cement mixer in the snow and rain, mixing and being miserable. And we finish building a zoo display and just when the animals are going in we leave and go on to the next building project!
Actually a lot of my job is basically a glorified builder. Many a day have I stood at a cement mixer in the snow and rain, mixing and being miserable. And we finish building a zoo display and just when the animals are going in we leave and go on to the next building project!