ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Azzer]

Last week I ordered a bunch of new stuff from the Antstore, and have now set everything up as I'd like in preperation for the ants (which I ordered yesterday - fingers crossed they will arrive next week - I am getting a small colony of Lasius Niger).

I just thought some people might be interested to see the setup I have. It comprises of *two* "Ant Display Standard", plus a glass basin ("30x20x20 + 2x drilling 10 mms"), and some piping.

I used an 8/3 sand-loam composite throughout. I topped this up with some extra "lawn sand" when I was filling the basin (reducing the loam ratio, but this is only the feeding area technically).

The two colony areas *and* the feeding area all have a 10-20mm high layer of clay granules (varies throughout). I then filled all three areas (two colony one feeding area) with water slowly up to the same level as the clay, allowing the clay to soak the water in - adding a little more water so that there was some "standing water" left visible at the bottom (as it will slowly soak up through the sand). The sand/loam was then poured in on top in the two colony areas, and carefully through the feeding areas as I was setting this up with some "pipe work" (see below).

I used a short piece of the "10/14mm" pipe to connect the two colony areas together - the pipe itself is filled with the sand/loam, and each side of the two colony pieces that connect to eachother are piled right up with sand (see pictures below) - it is my hope the ants will tunnel all the way through and use both colony areas to nest, with tunnels going through the sand-filled tube.

I used two more lengths of the "10/14mm" pipe to connect the "outer sides" of the two colony areas to the basin - note that I had to use pieces of "8/10mm" pipe to connect to the basin itself - I achieved this by inserting the 8/10mm pipe a small way in to the ends of the 10/14mm pipe (is is a very tight squeeze - it will not slip off), and then inserting the 8/10mm pipe through the two 10mm holes in the glass basin.

I used a few spare lengths of tube within the basin itself just as small "tunnels" that have an entrance either side just to give the feeding area a bit more "interest" to the ants.

I wanted to set everything up before I ordered the ants themselves as I want time for the water to soak through, to check no large "cracks" appear in the sand as it dries out (and if they do I will settle them down) and make sure I am satisfied with everything.

After all that, here are links to the pictures, roughly in order of me filling the basin up (so you can see how the tubes connect/where the tubes go under the sand);

Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar

I will post back in future times with progress on the ants, and more pictures if I can when/if they actually start using both colony areas as one large colony.

[Martin S.]

Dear Azzer,

thanks for yor photos, but you have put many tubes in the ground

I do think, that the ants do not use this tubs, because the will go direct into the ground.

Greetings Martin

[Azzer]

They are purely for in the feeding area, not for making a nest - I did something a little similar before with a past colony, and I found that it made them a bit more interesting to watch when they are exploiring the feeding area looking for food sources - watching them disappear in to a tunnel and reappear out of the other end - just a bit more fun!

[Martin S.]

OK, you can show us later photos with the ants.

Greetings Martin