ANTSTORE World of Ants

[JimmyVe]

Here we can go on with the discussion. (it started here: http://www.antstore.net/viewtopic.php?t ... sc&start=0 )

[JimmyVe]

Like i was saying,
Your information is very helpful, Necturus. Thanks a lot for helping me out.

How long do you have this colony and how big is it ? Do you have pictures of them and the farm they are in ?

I have them now 5 weeks (i think) they arrived with 2 queens and about 100 workers (2 small majors). So i don't have majors as big as the queens yet. I didn't know that, what you told about the majors, it nice to know, but for now i don't have that problem yet.

Greetings Jimmy

[Necturus]

Hi Jimmy,

welcome I had my colony for about a year now. I can only estimate their numbers, i think they went past 1000 individuals, and are outgrowing my 60x30x30cm aquarium - i'm currently working on a 100x40x40cm tank to offer them more space. There are some very basic pictures in my report, but they basicly miss everything that is important You can neither see the ytong chambers, nor the sand/loam mix i added later to keep the surface moist. Be sure not to try it the way i did! The gravel is utterly useless, the clay pellets are no good either as they can't pass water upwards through the stones, and i had to add a lot of sand/loam to enable the surface to hold any water at all. The sideway compartiment i seperated from the main tank for a heating cable proved just as useless, there was no significant effect from it and i removed it soon. The only good side of it is that i was able to remove the glas part behind it and have a hole drilled into it, to connect it with my next tank. And a last remark: never cover the tank completely, as seen on the first picture. So, only use the pictures as a reference of how NOT to do it!

As soon as the new nest is ready, i shall try to find a friendly person with a digital camera to take some actually usefull pictures

As for the ytong chambers, i found some information which i used in my construction. In the "wild", the ants seem to build a "guarding" chamber behind the entry, where soldiers and reproductive individuals reside. Other then that, they construct a few big chambers ( i provided one a bit smaller then the size of my fist ), where the queens and brood can usualy be found. Smaller chambers are used for food and brood storage. The chambers are usualy close to the surface to receive enough heat.

Any other questions, ask away. This way the information is put down in english and will probably be some help to other keepers in the future.

Necturus

[JimmyVe]

Okay now I'm learning a bit more about them

You have them about a year now and there already over a 1000 ants in the colony. Damn. I'm trying to build a good nest for them so they can grow in there and i don't have to make a new nest every year. (if they grow so fast ) I have 14 colonies and i don't have the time to build a new nest for each colony every year

That is some great info, about the chambers (didn't knew that) i keep that in mind making the new farm. (i place some pictures of it to, if it is done)

In deed, very nice to put this in the English part of the forum.

Greetings

[Necturus]

Heya,

well if it had been a normal developement, it might be even more. But especially in the beginning i had to ask people to send me workers for adoption, which sometimes only worked partially. Also the normal workers are very shortlived. So i don't realy have the right feeling for a normal developement of a colony. I hope you will have an easier start,

Necturus

[JimmyVe]

For now i have (i think )
I have them about 5 weeks now and i only find 1 dead worker en 1 (of the 2) small majors is dead to. So i guess it is going good.

What do you feed them ?

I feed them cockroaches (red runners, dubia's), flour maggots, grasshoppers, fruit flies grains and honey (or nectar or sugar/water) and some other bugs i can find around here.
They same to like everything.

[Necturus]

Hey Jimmy,

thats an admirably low death rate - surprisingly low even. Are you sure they are not hiding the dead workers somewhere? They can be pretts sneaky like that i found that workers die a lot faster then soldiers.
The colony feeds on different crickets (mostly Acheta domesticus), flies ( they love them! ), locusts and grains of all kind. Young colonys might have problems to open the harder seeds, so you might wanna break them open. I offer a lot of hazelnut, once they even carried off a whole one. And I found the remains of a spider that seemed to have got lost in the formicarium I doubt they will spare any kind of insect as long as it doesnt have a defensive secretion, as some diplopodas for example. In the beginning it might be wise to cut them open a bit to enable the ants to easier reach the insides, but then again you will already know that At the moment, i feed around 4-5 big crickets a day. As for honeywater, i tried that every now and then, and can confirm what i read before, they absolutely dont touch it.

Greetings
Necturus

[Necturus]

Hey Jimmy,

thats an admirably low death rate - surprisingly low even. Are you sure they are not hiding the dead workers somewhere? They can be pretts sneaky like that i found that workers die a lot faster then soldiers.
The colony feeds on different crickets (mostly Acheta domesticus), flies ( they love them! ), locusts and grains of all kind. Young colonys might have problems to open the harder seeds, so you might wanna break them open. I offer a lot of hazelnut, once they even carried off a whole one. And I found the remains of a spider that seemed to have got lost in the formicarium I doubt they will spare any kind of insect as long as it doesnt have a defensive secretion, as some diplopodas for example. In the beginning it might be wise to cut them open a bit to enable the ants to easier reach the insides, but then again you will already know that At the moment, i feed around 4-5 big crickets a day and bits of hazelnut every few days, the other insects and seeds i offer complimentary every now and then. If they get more then they need, they burry it or throw it out on the next day, and i remove it to avoid "hotspots" for parasite developement. As for honeywater, i tried that every now and then, and can confirm what i read before, they absolutely dont touch it.

Greetings
Necturus

[JimmyVe]

Hey Necturus,

Yes i know, i was thinking the same thing, but there is not much space for them to hide dead workers.
In deed, i cut them open for now (if the colony is bigger they can do that them selfs. )
4-5 big crickets a day. Damn, i now feed them every 2 days. About one cockroaches at a time.
Okay i missed something, indeed the honey they don't touch but a little sugar/water from time to time they do.

Greetings

[Necturus]

Hey Jimmy,

how have your Pheidologeton been doing? I'm currently working on the new tank, and probably gonna be able to connect the aquariums this weekend. And not too early, when i feed them there are streets going up on every side of the tank. The mass of ants is incredible, the street leaving the entry is wider then my thumb, so keep a new tank at hand if things continue that well My new ytongnest is gonna be 40x20x20cm.
There has been a discussion wheter or not sugar is any suitable for ants, it seems like honey is more nutritient.

Necturus

[JimmyVe]

They are doing fine thanks.

I stop giving sugar a few weeks ago, i only feed them honey or nectar. (all of my ants).
I can't wait to see some pictures from your new farm.
I'm still working on mine (didn't had much time the last days)

Greetings

[JimmyVe]

about the death rate, yesterday i found another worker dead. Still, this wash the second one since i have them so it looks like they are doing fine. (i hope.)

[Necturus]

Hey,

good to hear! You have golden hands then What temperature do you keep them at? I think we missed that information so far
I completed work on the Ytong, as soon as i gather some plants and soil i will be ready to connect the tanks. I also got some pictures of the work on the new ytong and the current nest, i will share them as soon as i get them.

Greetings,

Necturus

[JimmyVe]

I guess I'm just lucky.

I keep them during the day between 24-26°c at night between 21-24°c.

My new farm is getting to look a bit like a farm for that I'm glad. Hope it works out okay.

I can't wait to see some pictures of your farm !

Greetings

[Necturus]

Hey,

put the pictures online a bit ago, here they are
I will translate the colours on the picture tomorrow,

Necturus