ANTSTORE World of Ants

[TKM]

Hi All,

After a couple of months peaking I've registered to the forum and I would love to get some help to get me on track...

As a first colony I laid my eyes on the Camponotus fellah but I'm a bit confused so I turn to the ant community:

1) What would be your most ideal setup: Farm-Arena, Farm-Basin or just a Basin and why?
2) The species info states that this species nests in soil, but it also states that the farm should consist of cork or softwood: What material would you use for the nesting area and what would use for the farm area (in case of a single basin: what substrate should I pick)?

Obviously, all relevant info concerning holding this species is more than welcome.

Hope some of you can help me out.

Thanks,
Mark

[TKM]

Just forgot......

This species temperature requirements are Arena: 18 - 28°C for the arena and 21 - 24°C for the nestpart.........I assume that these ants can be held without a heating system...or am I wrong?

[zucca]

hi,

i have also a Camponotus fellah colony (round about 15 workers) inside a 40x30x20cm basin with a substage gypsum nest.

You can see my work on the basin at this post viewtopic.php?f=135&t=18329 (maybe u can understand some of my german descriptions, but i think the pictures are insightful enough).

The ants have taken the substage and at the moment, the population grows up very quickly. Maybe it will help you a little bit for your decision.

For your information:
- The temperature is at the moment by round about 27-29° C inside the arena (depends on the local weather). I don't use a heating system at the moment. Maybe in winter, i will attach a heating pipeline on the glas side, to encrease the temperature.
- The humidity is between 60 and 80% (if i give some water inside the arena, the value always scale up, because the basin is closed with just a grid for fresh air support)

[TKM]

Hi zucca,

Thanks for the info and the link to your post. Really nice basin you've built there. Hope that my off the shelve farm/basin is gonna look anywhere close to yours. Just placed my order for the basin and the Fellahs yesterday, hope to receive them soon, but right now it's to hot to ship them.

I'll keep them at room temp and I got the advice to use a pretty light (40W) spot lamp to generate just that bit of extra heat. Sounds like a feasible option, espoecially in winters. Hopefully they colony will grow as fast as yours.

Thanks again for the info.

Mark

[TKM]

hi guys,

Just a quick update. Received to colony today. 6 minor workers en 2 media/major workers and a nice and healthy queen of about 2cm. Brilliant to see how well organized they are. First 1 was sent out for a quick recon. No danger there so half the colony went out for a more thorough inspection of the arena while another started to collect gravel to cave in the tubes entrance. I even witnessed the queen laying eggs twice today.What a fascinating animals. So far it's great to see how well there are and how quick they start making the aren their home. It seems that the 4 day shipping duration and the warm weather didn't do them any harm. Hope to post some pics soon.

Mark

[TKM]

Day 3 as antking....and I get some mixed feeling about the wellbeing of the colony

During the first night one or two workers set out to dig in the farm, as witnessed the queen laying a couple of eggs as well, luckily the workers still take proper care of the queen and brood....seems very positive signals to me but yesterday/today I've noticed behavior that worry me somewhat:

1) The colony blocked the entrance of the testtube almost entirely, only the minors can leave/enter the nest
2) I haven't noticed any activity outside the testtube during the past 2 days. I browsed around a bit and I find some indication the C. Fellah is "somewhat" nocturnal.....Has anyone more info on this?
3) I haven't seen much feeding/foraging the past days. The testtube has more than enough liquids and I saw them taking some liquid sugar/honey sollution. I also offered them proteins in form of a dry turtle mix (shrimp/fish/stick/insects).....it was the only form of protein I could get my hands on immediately. Does someone have experience with dry turtle mix as food source? I also considered purchasing micro crickets to feed them. At what stage of the colony do you normally start feeding live insects? Given the small colony size of 8 workers (and the blocked entrance) is it to soon to feed them insects?

All in all I hope some of the experienced Anters here can reassure a worrying father.....

Mark

[gabranth]

don't feed them honey/sugar too much, as they need protein when there young. try feeding them chicken/pork/beef, also if there eating honey try insect jelly.

[uta]

Hello,

the best protein foods are flies, mosquitoes, moths, grasshoppers.

Greetings

[TKM]

thanks for the replies....order a small heath lamp and some tiny crickets.....amazed by the feriocious hunting behavior, they sure know how to collect their proteines.

just been away for a couple of days......happy me spotted 1 new familymember a 12.5% increase in colony size and the reassuring feeling that the brood is alive and kicken and well taken care of by the workers

[TKM]

Hi guys!

It's been a while...so time for a short update and a pic. The colony is still going strong living in their testtube....by now I've had 3 hatchlings....all 3 are majors. For some kind of reason that increase in colony size allows them to get more day-active. Which is pretty interesting to see. Still a decent pile of brood and the queen is laying continuously.