Deanola: Formicarium humidity (7. Jul 2004 00:40)

I have read in a few posts about using the 10mm tubing for humidity but i dont really understand how to use it,

I understand that both ends are closed with cotton, that the tube is placed at the end of the formicarium,

But what do you do next,

how do you fill it with water.

Is this how i moisten the substrate, sorry for sounding so stupid but when i set up my last formicarium i didnt use the tubing but once filled i poured water onto the top of the substrate and it caused lots of cracking in the soil, the sand compacted and caused the top of the formicarium to be pushed out as wet substrate from the top run down into gaps left by the substrate below.

Hope you can help!

gonzobey: (8. Jul 2004 09:12)

Hello Deanola,

The ant farm standard is 20cm high

1) first cut the flexible tube (with a diameter that fit in -> nearly 10mm) in a length of 18 cm.

2) Close one side with cotton (this will be "down" of the tube) and put him at one side into the farm.

3) Took a paper, half folding it and use it for pour the soil in. First fill in the potters clay (2-3 cm are enough)

4) now mixe sand and loam (1:1) and fill it in.

5) Over the oben side of the tube you cann put with a pipette some water in it. The water will run to the bottom of the farm, where the potters clay is. This absorb the water and give it slowly to the sand-loam-mix. So you will be sure that no chambers and tunnels will be destroid.

6) After filling some water in it, the sand-loam mix sink and you can fill more like you want maximum till the connecting hole.

7) Now close the open side also with cotton (but so that you can reopen it easely) because without there could be the risk that the ants get in there and then you can´t use the tube anymore.

I hope that this informations could helped you forward.

best regards
Bianca

Deanola: (8. Jul 2004 18:15)

thanks for that, i did think maybe thats what you meant but didnt want to try it in case i messed it up,

Thanks again for your advise

charles17: (8. Jun 2006 08:42)

will mold or bacteria grow if the water or humidity is left stagnant? is there any way of disinfecting the colony without harming the ants?

charles17: (10. Jun 2006 11:58)

help anyone? haha

JimmyVe: (12. Jun 2006 18:44)

Hi Charles,

i would help, but i have no idea to fix your problem ;)

FLechdrop: (24. Jun 2006 14:54)

I have green algae growing at the end of and alongside the tube now..
Oh well, they seem mostly harmless.

FLechdrop: (24. Jun 2006 16:57)

Wow. I just pulled some of the red foil back and it's way worse than I thought. I guess there is nothing I can do about it though, perhaps let it dry and hope it dies... but that wouldn't be too good for the humidity in the nest.

TLEO: (12. Jul 2006 14:40)

Hello,
I live in USA and have 2 species of ant queens for trade. 1 Honey Pot and 1 Harvester-awesome species! Please reply if interested...1st come 1st so hurry.

maxfly: (25. Aug 2006 16:51)

Some question about Humidity, how many time is right to spray water on the surface of the formicarium? And and indicatively how many
"shot-sprays" would go given....
And how many time water must be put in the tube contact with the clay?
Last question....it could be useful to seed some wild grass for regulating the humidity in the basin?

Thanks for any info.

Bye
Max

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