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Jazz: Formicarium for Messor barbarus (14. Apr 2011 02:03)

Hello everyone! I'm from Portugal, so english is not my first language. Because of that, sorry for the bad english.

I'm building a formicarium for my first ants, Messor barbarus. They are native to my country, they are big, so that I can see them well and I was told that it was a good species to start with.

My problem is this: I'm building the nest and have some doubts about the chambers and mainly about the water deposit for the nest.

I took some pictures so that you guys could give me some advice:

This is the overall look of the chambers. This could be on this position or upside down (the problem is the irrigation chamber):

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04643.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04644.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04645.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04646.jpg

My original idea was to put a plastic cup under the y-tong and fill it with water. Then, the water would humidify the chambers of the nest next to the cup:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04647.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04648.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04649.jpg

But when I put the cup to see how it looked like, I noticed that the water wouldn't reach the chambers, because it would only wet the middle of the y-tong! I obviously didn't thought this through!

Then I realized that if I turned the y-tong upside down, I would have some sort of lake with water, that by capilary effect (with a little help from gravity) would humidify the 2 or 4 chambers next to it, depending on how deep I build the lake and how much water I put in it. The chambers are about 1 inch deep and the "lake" wall is about 1 inch from the chambers wall:

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04650.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04651.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj153/Pt_Bass/Formigas/DSC04652.jpg

The lake, if I go with this solution, will have a net above it, so that the ants don´t drown. I can also reduce the size of it, buy blocking it half-way.

So, my question is: what do you guys think of the chambers and what is the best way to keep the nest?

Once again, sorry for the bad english and thank you very much for your help!

jbc: Re: Formicarium for Messus barbarus (14. Apr 2011 07:23)

Your english is good;)

Your formicarium size is pretty nice. Yeah the irrogation system isnt well thought out, but I may have a solution. Keep the formicarium like in the last picture, the irrigation- move it to the middle coz your side of the ytong isnt usable anymore:) (make the champres a little deeper too)

I will keep Camponotus ligniperdus in here http://img812.imageshack.us/g/dscn1507d.jpg/

Jazz: Re: Formicarium for Messor barbarus (14. Apr 2011 12:55)

Thanks for the help, jbc ! I'll give it a try!

jbc: Re: Formicarium for Messor barbarus (14. Apr 2011 17:55)

No problem. And the entrance tubes make it from the side as in my pictures and before letting your ants in blast the ytong with an air compressor. :)

Keep me up to date with some pics.

SteveUK28: Re: Formicarium for Messor barbarus (15. Apr 2011 10:34)

Hey Jaz great design... i like it a lot... Water will get into those chambers no problem... and Messor do not need much wet anyway. I would keep it as it and test it out.. leave it in some water for at least a whole day or two and see how far the water goes into the ytong. Best of luck!

Jazz: Re: Formicarium for Messor barbarus (15. Apr 2011 15:45)

Thanks, I'm going to try that anda see if it works. I'll post some pictures when I have some news.

mtrein: Re: Formicarium for Messor barbarus (2. Okt 2011 00:57)

Hi Jazz

How did it go?