I'm planning on building a large show nest for my Messor Barbarus brood, it's early days yet with only 70 or so in a small cheap tank but seeing as it's coming back around to season I would like to be prepared for moving them.
I'd like to build in a clear glass box with a Ytong home made nest that would rest on the narrow side of the tank, for aesthetics making the outside look like a sliding mount of earth, sounds simple enough right? I had a few questions that I thought the pros of this forum might be able to guide me on.
Firstly, any idea where to buy Ytong? It's a nightmare to buy any under £50 in the UK. I have bought a breezeblock from Wicks and will reshape with a dremel drill but the colour is a bit dark and I'm still not certain if it's suitable for the ants?
Secondly I'm aware that they like variance of about 30-70% humidity, with 22 C + temp. Could that be easily achieved with a heat mat, and with regards to watering the nest is there a good method of depth to size ratio for the nest, or just trial and error?
Finally the material to make a mound, would a self drying clay with sand pressed into it be non toxic for ants, has anyone done this sort of thing before?
Thanks for reading, and my apologies if some of these questions are obvious but I am a beginner and very protective over my lil guys
Any advice would be great!
