Atta - Aquarium setup

[Acromyrmexbob]

Thought it would be darker. Are you not worried about the intensity of your aquarium lights? Mind you its obviously not hindering growth!!

[RichardP]

Thought it would be darker. Are you not worried about the intensity of your aquarium lights? Mind you its obviously not hindering growth!!

The lights are LED and don't put out a lot of heat. I put tin foil over the lights above the nests. There is hardly any discernible heat under the tin foil.

I also dissipate heat using cpu heat sinks on top of the light housing. The temperature inside the tank above the water line is a very stable and consistent 25/26 degrees.

Another picture of the fungus.

[Acromyrmexbob]

Looks great. Must be the light thats making it look pale.

[RichardP]

Still growing..

[Bitterlime]

It has grown so fast!! They might need another nest box soon!

[reevey]

that is looking great hows the fish I all ways ask lol
wish mine would grow lol great setup

[RichardP]

I estimate it will be about 6 weeks until that nest box is full. I've already got another nest box linked up - external to the aquarium, heated by a heat mat. I'll have to try and coax them in there when the time comes. My feeling is that I might be better having more soil in it. I've currently got about 1 inch clay granules and 1 inch soil but I'm tempted to half fill the box with soil. the external nest is glass and 15*20*20cm.

And the fish are all good The tiger barbs look great and have achieved quite a size..

[RichardP]

9 months on and this is how it all currently looks. Sorry about the camera work... my panning is a bit aggressive

[Acromyrmexbob]

Richard, nice film, nice colony, its looking great, you should be very happy. Got to ask something though.....
Do you suffer from short term memory loss, maybe a trauma to the head or something. Its just that the poster up on the wall seems to be covering the basic points of Atta, almost as if you need to be reminded what they are and what the hell you are doing! Just wondering why the poster. Or maybe you are planning to open to the public! Always thinking about the bottom line.

[RichardP]

Richard, nice film, nice colony, its looking great, you should be very happy. Got to ask something though.....
Do you suffer from short term memory loss, maybe a trauma to the head or something. Its just that the poster up on the wall seems to be covering the basic points of Atta, almost as if you need to be reminded what they are and what the hell you are doing! Just wondering why the poster. Or maybe you are planning to open to the public! Always thinking about the bottom line.

The ants generate a lot of interest...Clients, family and friends and whatever... The poster is just an easy way to convey what is going on. It also helps in that the queen and the soldiers are rarely visible so it provides a clear sense of the extent of Atta's polymorphism.

I'm not sure I'm quite ready to open to the public, give me a year.