Atta - Aquarium setup

[RichardP]

My room has fluctuated between 16c (night) and 21c in the last 3 months. Is this a problem, if so, what is the solution...

[Deansie26]

My room has fluctuated between 16c (night) and 21c in the last 3 months. Is this a problem, if so, what is the solution...

What is the solution? Im not sure.

I think you could get condensation in your pipe work too, warm humid air coming up the aquarium pipe and probably the one coming from the new nest tank.
have you read Daubz's thread from here, http://www.leafcuttingants.com/www.leaf ... 3&start=20

Quite similar topic, I'm don't want to say you definitely will get it, only that it is a real possibility, especially in the pipe coming from the aquarium.

You could get the pipe work for the aquarium, set it up to the point of the T junction and let it sit for a few days and make sure its clear before getting the rest.

I think this is the major issue for us all in our colder house's unless you do some sort of incubator.
Jamie

[RichardP]

I don't have any condensation in my current piping.

But, yeah good idea about setting it up first to see what happens. I will do that.

[Deansie26]

I don't have any condensation in my current piping.

But, yeah good idea about setting it up first to see what happens. I will do that.

Is all your piping not in your aquarium? If so at the same temp mate.

[RichardP]

I have about 2 meters of pipe that leads to my feeding area that is currently external to my aquarium.

[Deansie26]

Oh well then Richard, you might be fine then!
Only trying to say what could happen

[RichardP]

I appreciate all the advice I get Jamie. Thanks.

We'll see if anyone has any other thoughts but I think I'll press the "Order Now" button tomorrow... Lot's of new kit.. love it...

[Acromyrmexbob]

Richard, you are basically making a still. So if you ever tire of your ants you could make whisky. Problem you will have is in the night water vapour form your hot tank will condense on the cold walls of the pipe and drip down into the nest tank. Is it not possible to place another tank of similar dimensions alongside the existing one and set up your nest tanks inside that. Or (impractical radical suggestion alert!!) lose the tank you have and get a tank which stretches the whole distance, setup with fish as before and then have lots of space and a simple ability to expand.
By the way if you place a very fine branch into your vertical tubes the ants can climb this with no difficulty.

[RichardP]

Richard, you are basically making a still. So if you ever tire of your ants you could make whisky. Problem you will have is in the night water vapour form your hot tank will condense on the cold walls of the pipe and drip down into the nest tank. Is it not possible to place another tank of similar dimensions alongside the existing one and set up your nest tanks inside that. Or (impractical radical suggestion alert!!) lose the tank you have and get a tank which stretches the whole distance, setup with fish as before and then have lots of space and a simple ability to expand.
By the way if you place a very fine branch into your vertical tubes the ants can climb this with no difficulty.

Thanks for your thoughts. I would love to replace the current tank with a larger one but the tank I got was the biggest I could afford. (I couldn't afford that to be honest, it was two birthdays and two xmases!!)

So the last thing I can do now is rip out a £350 aquarium and replace it with a £700 aquarium.

I do understand the "still" analogy but I've had zero condensation in my already external pipework. And as the proposed new pipework has a natural fall on it, any condensation would run back into the nest chamber. Which should help in maintaining humidity, as long as it wasn't a significant net increase in humidity leading to excess water in the nest chamber.

I could set up the pipe work for minimal outlay and see if it accumulated moisture?

[RichardP]

Right, pipe work extension in place... Let's see if it fills with condensation.