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charles17: moisture (21. Sep 2005 09:51)

Hi. I have my ant display deluxe :D but now i have a question or two about how to maintain it.
today i noticed when i opened it that it smells a little bad. i think its because the water just stays in the soil. i see water droplets on the clear wall in sections where there are caverns.
how do i fix this? i dont want my ant farm to become a fungus farm... i replaced the top with cloth and clamped it down to provide more aeration. but is there any way to accelerate the drying of the soil? any tips would be appreciated. thanks :D

Martin S.: (21. Sep 2005 21:54)

Hi Charles17,

you can give fresh air in the antfarm: http://www.antstore.net/shop/index.php?cPath=43
Have you a petshop in your near?
Or you make the top open and use oil for the inside of the farm.
I hope it was helpful.

Martin :D

PS: can you upload a photo of your farm?

charles17: (21. Sep 2005 23:40)

yea i have petstores near. but im not sure i understand why you use the fish tank aerators. do they provide enough aeration to keep the soil nice and dry? do i have to put the tube inside the soil for it to dry the soil?

and thanks... i might try the oil thing...

and sorry but i recently lost my digital camera in a lake. but im going to get one in a few days, so i'll upload lots of pics then!

thanks

Martin S.: (22. Sep 2005 09:28)

yes, the tube must in the inside (in the ground) the farm.

please use only natural oil

Martin :D

Cephalothorax: (22. Sep 2005 20:46)

@charles17
One mistake most antkeepers do, is to keep the Antfarm too wet...
You must not put some Water in it every day! My suggestion ist, too go into your garden and lift up one stone or plate. Feel how moisturized it is and then try to do it in the farm the same way...
If little water bubbles appear it´s normally too wet!

I hope I could help you!

charles17: (23. Sep 2005 16:37)

well i dont water my antfarm at all. it's the original water in the soil that's been retained. i give them water in the antbox, which they don't really seem to care about haha...

i've opened the antfarm and put oil at the top... how much oil is needed? just a very thin layer right? i'm using olive oil by the way... couldnt find regular vegetable oil...

and ive put in a fish tank air pump. the two seem to be helping in drying up the soil. well thanks and please get back to me on the amount of oil needed! thanks

Cephalothorax: (25. Sep 2005 15:38)

Yes, you´re right! Just a thin layer is enough otherwise the oil will run down into the sand.

My former posting considered the fact, that you´ll have to water every once in a while when it dries out... then you´ll better do so!

charles17: (29. Sep 2005 05:33)

ok my digital camera arrives soon so i'll pics up soon...

but one more question about the oil thing- do you need to keep re-applying oil or will it dry up and become accessible to the ants?

TLEO: (12. Jul 2006 14:48)

water for queen.

I have new queens and I want to make sure they are getting enough water. What is the best way tobe sure? I have a bottle cap with cotton which i keep wet.

Thanks, Tom

JimmyVe: (12. Jul 2006 16:10)

Hi Tom,
most of the time i take a tube fill it with water and then seal it off with cotton. pus the cotton inside the tube and keep the tube upside down so the water that's to much can come out. then you have a good nest for starting queens. (if you now what i mean.)

You sad you want to tread. in what species ?

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