Atta - Aquarium setup

Let everyone see the story of your colony(ies) over time. Pictures, developments, success and failures, what works / what doesn't, and your plans for expansion as time goes by!
Post Reply
User avatar
Magic
Pupa
Posts: 115
Joined: Tue Dec 15, 2015 9:53 am
Location: Birmingham

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by Magic » Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:51 am

looks amazing .love it !

RichardP
Worker
Posts: 437
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:30 am

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by RichardP » Fri Mar 11, 2016 4:28 pm

reevey wrote:hi great setup could I ask what size the tank is please
Hi, the aquarium is 80cm * 40cm * 40cm.

I hope that helps.

RichardP
Worker
Posts: 437
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:30 am

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by RichardP » Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:08 pm

The ladies enjoying some apple. This is now my finished feeding station. I've added a back ground and a light at the top that is usually for aquariums. It's so bright and really illuminates the feeding ants. I also threw in the base of a bok choy cabbage but they didn't like that.

In other news, they really like periwinkle.. they find it preferable to almost anything at the moment.

And that blue slate stone at the bottom is a useful addition. I drilled a couple of different sized holes in it so when I have a stem of vegetation for them I push it into the drilled holes and it stands upright. Often poking out the top of the feeding station an inch or so.

Oh, and they've filled the first nest chamber almost entirely. It'll be interesting to see how they colonise the rest of the set up. I'll post a picture if I can but it's not easy to see the fungus anymore as they have added a thin layer of soil to the inside of the chamber.
Image

reevey
Pupa
Posts: 94
Joined: Tue Mar 08, 2016 4:52 pm

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by reevey » Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:39 pm

that looks great do they try and clime the glass in your feeding area and what is the size of your feeding area tank please and is it heated
sorry for all the questions

RichardP
Worker
Posts: 437
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:30 am

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by RichardP » Sat Mar 12, 2016 10:46 pm

The glass box is 30x20x20cm. They do climb the glass but there is a sort of glass rim at the top. (You can see the products if you Google Antstore. They are German.) I paint the underside of the rim with Fluon Oil (Antstore again) which is near invisible and very long lasting. and so they can't escape. So far!!!

I don't heat the feeding chamber. No worries with questions.. I had a thousand questions in sorting out my set up. I've still got a thousand more.

Shamual
Pupa
Posts: 142
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2015 11:27 pm

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by Shamual » Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:10 am

This looks fantastic mate. The Budweiser cap completes the entire setup.

Quick question where did you get the aquarium light, I only ask because I have the exact same tank.
(Antstore love)

Thanks

Jack

RichardP
Worker
Posts: 437
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:30 am

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by RichardP » Sun Mar 13, 2016 12:47 am


Shamual
Pupa
Posts: 142
Joined: Tue Dec 08, 2015 11:27 pm

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by Shamual » Sun Mar 13, 2016 1:01 pm

Oh that's nice, and not too expensive. Thanks for the link!

RichardP
Worker
Posts: 437
Joined: Mon Jan 11, 2016 10:30 am

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by RichardP » Sun Mar 13, 2016 5:10 pm

The first nest chamber is now full as far as I can tell.
Image

User avatar
Acromyrmexbob
Site Admin
Posts: 2199
Joined: Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:32 pm

Re: Atta - Aquarium setup

Post by Acromyrmexbob » Sun Mar 13, 2016 6:35 pm

That looks fantastic, Richard. Must be one of the best looking fungus gardens I've seen. You have a real talent for it. Really great to have so many good going colonies among the members for new people to look at and see whats possible. And the things you are doing with yours are working well, that knowledge joins into all of the other stuff and moves the husbandry forwards. Over this forum there is building a really specialized database of techniques and ideas. This colony is a great example of why this forum exists and how successful colonies can inspire others to try.

Post Reply