ANTSTORE World of Ants

[Deveant]

Dear members of this forum I would like to hear your recommendations about setting up a new colony. Here is the plan:

1. Planning to make full y-tong nest, using two y-tong and putting them in one 30x20x20 tank.
2. Connecting nests with a feeding area using the same 30x20x20 tank.
3. Rubbish area section will be created using a large ant island.

Settle down
As for ants the description says that I need to keep them alive in order to have these parameters:
[s]Air humidity: Dry climate how is that in humidity percentage 45-55? [/s]
[s]How queens are settling down in y-tong nests are they all right with that?[/s]
[s]As I understand from forum reading that first I need leave queen in her chamber in which she arrived, and keep in dark place. After she lays eggs she will go inside bigger space?[/s]

Maybe best place for settle down is a small gel farm?

Building
As well should I do chambers on both sides or on one only?
And should I cut top of y-tong to leave some space?
[s]10mm holes and tubes will be ok for them to travel?[/s]
[s]How many chambers they need, because I know them storing lots of seeds.[/s]
Any suggestions?

Heating:
Right now I got glass cabinet from my stereo and I'm planning to put there my 3 tanks and heating-lamp and keep temperature high.
Then I plan to put Island on top section, feeding area middle, and on bottom nest.
[s]Where should I put heating lamp? Middle section? Or maybe bottom?
Do I need to switch off heat-lamp over night?[/s]
If bulb will get broken during winter what going to happen to them? Are they ready for hibernation?
And last what kind of bulb I need to use?


Maintenance:
[s]As well after reading this forum I couldn't find how to keep humidity in y-tong nests? Just spray water on top? Or same technique as in sand?
[/s]
Anything I missed?

Really appreciate for helping me out with this!

Best Regards Dmitri

P.S.
Dear Mr.Sebesta when this things will be back in stock?
http://www.antstore.net/shop/product_in ... cts_id/512

[JimmyVe]

damn, lot of questions. i shell try to help you out

- Dry climate is less then 50 %

- Most of the species like Y-tong nest. its not there nature habit but they mange fine.

- you better keep the queen inside the tube till the first workers come out. if the colonie gets to big for the tube, then you move them.

- building an y-tong nest is easy, for idea's look at the gallery here on the site, there are lot of example from y-tong nest.

- i use a heat lamp, I've putted above the formicarium. and its set with a time switch, they don't need heating over night.

- to keep the y-tong wet, you can place it in a little water. i use a tube for it. i placed my y-tong on little stones an the tube is connected to the bottom, i made some holes in it at the end. so if i put water in the top it comes out at the bottom. that way the y-tong always stands in a little water.

Hope i helped you a bit

Good luck

[FLechdrop]

I would put the heating bulb on top. In nature the warmth from the sun is coming from above to, eh? It is more natural for them if they can go down for some coolness too.
I've been wondering about the tubing too, I guess 10 mm will be fine for the smaller (regular) workers, but it might be a bit small for the larger majors.
Nice picture by the way! But what is that little man doing there, looking like a mummy?!

[Deveant]

Thank you guys for answering some of my questions.

I will cross questions which I recived answer for.

Right slight change in a building plan, ant island had to go, because entrance only 10mm

Guys do you know is this is a Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar?


The mummy is a actually a lady, for scething I was using google sketch, lady was included to see proportions i think

[JimmyVe]

Hi Deveant,

I'm not sure but i don't think its an Y-tong.

Maybe best place for settle down is a small gel farm?

I'm not found off gel farms. don't have experience with them, but i don't like them

As well should I do chambers on both sides or on one only?

Better keep them on one side. (its easyer)

And should I cut top of y-tong to leave some space?

What do you mean by this ?

If bulb will get broken during winter what going to happen to them? Are they ready for hibernation?
And last what kind of bulb I need to use?

You don't need to heat it up during winter, they need there hibernation. Normally from November till February (depending from species) they normally stay in a room where the temperature is about 10°c.

Good luck (if you have them, place pictures)

[Deveant]

Very sad news, I received 7 ants and a queen.
Each day one ant is dying left only with 3...
What I'm doing wrong? Temperature is 24 humidity is 70.

Maybe they dying from hunger? How many insects I need to give them?


Please HELP

[JimmyVe]

make sure you give them a Honey-water mix. Small colonies do not eat much. but they need honey and water.

[Deveant]

make sure you give them a Honey-water mix. Small colonies do not eat much. but they need honey and water.

Problem is that they don't drink honey water... Or at least I never saw it.


Can queen kill ants if she unhappy?

[JimmyVe]

most of the time they drink it at night, small colonies does the most thing at night. they feel saver.

Queens can kill workers. (for many reasons)

[Psychosimian]

@Deveant: Did your colony survive?

[Deveant]

@Deveant: Did your colony survive?

died

[JimmyVe]

I'm sorry to hear that Deveant, i hope you will try it again sometime. I'm sure you can make it work.




Let us know who you are,
here.
Thanks !

[Gary D]

Im having problems with my Messors. I was up to 8 workers in the test tube. I placed them in a basin which contains the antstore white sand. A week later they are not accepting any insects, however seeds have been taken into the tube. Im am now down to 4 workers and dont know why they are dying.

I spotted a worker attempting to climb the walls of the glass basin and kept falling down and then trying to climb again and so on almost as if gone mad!..... Im worried the white sand could be a problem - it seems to stick to the ants as it is very fine grains.

Should I remove the test tube and try a different type of sand??

[ashhad1]

I had the same problem for 1 then later another 1 of my workers of camponotus ligniperda.
As far as i know i have no clue how to stop it, but i would change the sand to something more course and not so fine (desert sand etc.)

[JimmyVe]

You could change the sand but i doubt that is the reason why your ants are dying. Is there still water in the tube ?