Trials and prototypes

[Britishants.com]

The lid on mine is glass but not suitable for transporting so prototype II is 5 mm acrylic, I can add ventilation to the fungus area but the cost price £5 per set! Over ventilating causes me more issues than not as the air escapes thru the tube and out in to the ventilated outworld. To keep costs down I could pre drill and plug for the option. It's all these little additions that turn an affordable formicarium in to an unmarketable/unprofitable folly. Every addition, hole, screw, lid, joint and connector is an increase of at least £6.50 not to mention timely. I've spent all day trying to source some of the materials cheaper to allow for extras.

[Leafcutter]

Acrylic tubing larger than 120mm diameter become costly to purchase normally. I have designed a removable ventilation system for my cylinders, basically laser cut 1mm holes on an acrylic disc which is the slightly smaller diameter than the cylinder so it fits easily. Then another larger disc on top of that to act as a custom made lid which I just cover with a blocking tab I made.

Better to just upload a picture when I have time.

[Britishants.com]

I looked at that first Leafcutter, these are fully moulded, I'd be concerned they'd fall apart with the moisture or the ants chewing the silicone lol the lid sounds like mine, inner dimension disc below a outer dimension disk to increase weight and give a snug bump proof set up!

[Deansie26]

These cylinders are small, very like the Stewart hatching boxes I used. I found ventilation was best achieved by adding pipe joints that had 3 ends- 2 for the ants movements and one with mesh that was for ventilation. The ants would then adjust there ventilation nerds using this exit. This worked really well, the one thing I could mention was the units your using are taller that the ones I used so the air could possibly find it harder to escape but I don't think this would be a problem. Trial and error though so unless it's used we won't really know.

[Leafcutter]

I looked at that first Leafcutter, these are fully moulded, I'd be concerned they'd fall apart with the moisture or the ants chewing the silicone lol the lid sounds like mine, inner dimension disc below a outer dimension disk to increase weight and give a snug bump proof set up!

I used Tensol 12, which bonds like the acrylic itself, watertight.

[Formica123]

If you can make one for £30-35 then I will definetely buy one for Christmas for my Atta Cephalotes that I will be buying next year.

[Formica123]

Oh and how do you heat it?

[Britishants.com]

I made contact with Antstore to see if they could supply me with these, alas they said the pricing was on point and there was little margin to offer discounts (€200ea)even on bulk! We've now committed to stock of our own prototype with integrated suggestions from you guys! Our model will include a 6mm lid on each as standard unlike AS, with one being vented 20mm. Our model will be available for £50 including delivery in the UK which we've worked hard keeping the price affordable. Other units can be added very simply as the colony grows or extension lengths added.
For those of you like me with other species of ants may like to know that we are also working on inserts to the design that would accomodate other species whilst keeping the whole look smart, modern and fresh. Watch this space

[Deansie26]

Get those detailed pictures up buddy

[Britishants.com]

As soon as we have soon as they're completed, count it done!