ANTSTORE World of Ants

[NoMa]

I'm afraid i agree with Miszt here, your post was more insult and flame then actual constructive, could have been rather hurtfull to a new/younger or more sensitive member, but as it happens i've got tough skin .... if you would have taken time to actually ready my post you sould have had some of your unconstructive points answered

If it was ment in an insulting way, i would not have used the word "sorry" twice.

- remove the cd - the CD 'WAS' removed, it was placed in the tank as a temporary flat surface to place honeywater on, and give some scale to the picture.

Ok, I overread that fact.

- remove the tree - nah, it looks good and i like it. its your oppinion if you dont.

You could substitute it by one, that is not higher than the formicarium. Actually, it is not the tree that I don't like, it is the height of it. You should also make sure, that the tree is able to survive under the conditions in your setup.

- remove lava lamps - again, nah, i like them, if you dont then thats your oppinion, the foil is actually a practical meassure to make them heat up faster, not to make them look better..and it works well.

Ok, it is your decision, but there are more efficient ways to produce heat.

- remove the vasteline??? - you talk aboutmy setup being unsecure?? as i said in my post the vasteline works fine, ive not had one escapee, surely removing it would make it less safe.. and as previously put, i also have neting to prevent flying ants.

My proposals included two other points concerning security. I read the idea with the net, but can hardly imagine how this looks like. Maybe you could post a picture with your recent changes and the net.

- get some wood/root, again there is some in there, the base is actually wood & bark if you actually care to look at the pic.

I thought of something like this: Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar
Maybe you could also add some profile to the ground instead of this flat surface. The room in your formicarium is largely unused.

- offer a watering place - AGAIN.. please read posts before insult and falme,, there is indeed a tub in there with water and cotton buds for them.

Again, my post was not intended to be insulting. I only read that the ants get their water from the glass and I could not see tubs. But if there are some it is ok.

Another constructive tip: Polyrhachis dives do not need high (air) moisture and moisture is known to bring problems like mould and mites. So I would keep them rather dry - and in fact, I also keep a colony:

My Polyrhachis dives setup
Feel free to express your honest opinion in the discussion thread (linked at the bottom of most entries).

This also applies for my other colony, Odontomachus bauri, which you can see here:
Odontomachus bauri

Best regards,
NoMa

[Phasmid]

NoMa, those Polyrhachis dives setups are realy nice natural looking , but how do you stop your winged ants from getting out and, when you go on holiday, what happens if those plants grow out onto the sides and the ants walk out?

[Antdung]

I do indeed like your setups but they are not for me as mine aren't for you. i wished for a higher tree so the ants will eventually move up into it for an effect similar to weavers seen in tree's used in zoo's similar to the pics on antstore's sight for the dives, one of the things that attracted me to this species. It doesn't really matter that it is above the tank as any ants that fall will simply fall back into the tank. I also think you misunderstand me with the lava lamps. I am not using them as a heat source for the tank they don't effect that, i was referring to the foil heating up the lamps themselves making them work faster

[Antdung]

And i do indeed like the light coloured rocks with feeding tray u have. I will use that myself for better viewing

[NoMa]

NoMa, those Polyrhachis dives setups are realy nice natural looking , but how do you stop your winged ants from getting out and, when you go on holiday, what happens if those plants grow out onto the sides and the ants walk out?

There are covers on the formicariums (the ones from Antstore) I only removed them for taking pictures.

The growth of the plants is not such a big problem. I cut them once a week. When I know, that I'm away for a longer time, I simply cut off more.
Sometimes it happens, that a plant grows to the side, so that the ants can use it as a bridge. But that leads only to handful ants walking on the side-panes and the cover. When I open the cover I move them back and on their islands.

I think the natural look is worth this effort.

[Phasmid]

Sounds fairly safe I guess, I might try something like theat if I get these ants, maybe with higher sides though (so I can fit taller rocks and sticks).

[Antdung]

Noma have you ever had any winged reproductives produced with the Polyrhachis Dives & if so was it seasonal?

[NoMa]

At the moment, my colony produces many virgin queens und also males. It does not seem to be seasonal.
I think, they produce them when they reach a certain colony size (>200) and when they can effort it. That means when they get enough food. They started to produce males earlier, i guess when there were more than 100 workers. By the way, my colony (only) has one queen.

I posted some pictures in the thread already linked above.