Building a tank

Help to the newbie

Building a tank

Beitragvon roy-boy » 10. Feb 2015 23:04

Hi there, my first thread on the forum so if I make a social faux pas please excuse me, am still a newbie :>

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 :P Any advice would be great!
roy-boy
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Re: Building a tank

Beitragvon Catman1976 » 10. Feb 2015 23:59

Hi Roy-boy,

The breeze blocks from Wicks are suitable for ants.

To be honest, M. barbarus will do just fine in a normal heated house without any extra heating. I have a few of this species and they are tuff.

Catman.
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Re: Building a tank

Beitragvon JimmyVe » 28. Apr 2015 07:10

Hi Roy,

Messor barbarus is a great species but watch out with them, they can dig through a Ytong are a breezeblock. Extra heating in spring (summer) is not really needed. Keep them dry, if you keep the nest to wet the seeds will hatch.

Good luck.
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