Hygdrometers keep breaking

[Formica123]

I keep having the same problem over and over again, the humidity in my setup is so high that it keeps breaking my hydrometers! After a while they slowly start to go down I'm humidity, and it's not because the setup doesn't work, it's because it's so humid in there that the probe can't handle it, and it gives the wrong reading.
I've used exo terra ones, zoo med ones, and the cheap little white ones of Ebay, and the same thing keeps happening.
Any tips?

[Deansie26]

Spend big bucks or forget them lol, the aquarium set up will be humid enough without needing one.

[Formica123]

Spend big bucks or forget them lol, the aquarium set up will be humid enough without needing one.

I'm just worried about the temperature being too high, it reaches 40*c here, and even though they're fully insulated on the outside, I'm still worried of it peaking 25

[Acromyrmexbob]

Marco, I would definitely add a substrate of peaty soil and make sure its damp. Let your ants dig tunnels etc and set up their air con. Then when the warm air travels down the passage ways it evaporates water which not only raises humidity but also cools the fungus so the external temperature may well rise over 40C but the internal temperature wont. For instance you should check out Marwells Zoos thread which demonstrates this principle very well.

[Formica123]

Marco, I would definitely add a substrate of peaty soil and make sure its damp. Let your ants dig tunnels etc and set up their air con. Then when the warm air travels down the passage ways it evaporates water which not only raises humidity but also cools the fungus so the external temperature may well rise over 40C but the internal temperature wont. For instance you should check out Marwells Zoos thread which demonstrates this principle very well.

Yeah, they have about 3cm of peat, but haven't buried the fungus, not yet anyway. I'll add more tomorrow - good tip thanks.

[Deansie26]

Will that still work with no air movement Andrew? Being in an aquarium, always find this topic interesting.

[Acromyrmexbob]

Yes, I think the problem with a closed system is that if the temperature in the aquarium rises then the effect of temperature gradients inside the nest will diminish. Marco needs to consider measures to prevent the intank temperature frfom rising over 30C IMO. Otherwise it could be a short tenure in France for the Atta.

[Deansie26]

What do you mean exactly when you say a closed system?
Glad I'm in non-sunny Scotland lol

[Acromyrmexbob]

A closed system where the environment within the tank is separate from the external environment. As against what I would call an open system where the display and the ants have access to space outwith the nest area and so temperature and humidity in the larger area would impact on the colony. In a closed system you are trying to control the temp and humidity parameters within the external housing, in an open system such as a greenhouse you need to control the conditions in the entire open space in order to provide adequate life support for the ants.