ANTSTORE World of Ants

[highered]

I'm the first one to make a topic here hwo cool is that? I have been thinking about and saving up for some big ants since summer last year and I'm expecting a tax rebate soon. As Antstore has just got these ants back in stock I would like to ask alot of questions about how to keep them before (if) I decide to buy them.
My main worry is that they take too long to develop. At the end of summer 2008 Martin S told me they come with 1-3 workers, I would have expected 2-3 times that amount. I suspect that they were taken off stock because of the cold weather but are back now due to the better weather. However now all they have is 4-10 workers. If these are the same colonies why is it taking so long to develop? Thank you. Maybe it would help if someone posted the amount of time their eggs take to turn into larvae, larvae to coccoons and then to new ant. Thank you.
What Wikipedia has to say about them is here Hyperlinks sind nur für registrierte Nutzer sichtbar nothing about keeping them, just interesting information.
Do they need at least 80% humidity? Would they be ok with 80-100% humdity?
Daytime heat to be 25-30 C?
Should i use a heat mat inside or outside of the basin? I could use a heat lamp but the instructions said not to use it in high humidity conditions and alot of heat is lost when putting the heat lamp outstide of the basin so I suppose a heat mat would be best.
What is their optimum nighttime temperature please? Eg I could turn the heat mat around and give 20-25 C.
I had problems previously with creating high humidity in a large basin with condensation down the sides and in the ant farm nest. How would I best go about creating a well ventilated nest eg plastic boxes with ventilation holes? Filled with humus or maybe just test tubes? Maybe just putting alot of humus in the basin and allowing them to dig their own nest? I would need the lid on to keep the humidity in and to make it escape proof. I could wipe the insides of the basin regularly (while wearing thick gloves) but obviously not the inside of any nest. Would they dig in sand/loam mix?
For feeding they eat dead insects and honey, but would they accept raw meat please?
The queen is slightly bigger then workers isn't she?
Thanks alot for your help in answering my questions.

[Phasmid]

That is quite a step you are taking! You don’t want to lose these after paying so much !

For heat the mat will need to be against the outside of the tank as humidity in the tank may damage it. Heat one part to about 28c but make sure there is a cooler area if they want it.
I think you will have to experiment with food.
They should dig in peat but I don’t know about stuff with sand mixed in. In the wild they would be nesting in a medium of composted leaves.
These are huge ants needing a big territory so a slow development doesn’t surprise me!
The wiki says they can be found in the upper canopy so you might want to give them a tall cage with branches to climb which would be fun .

[highered]

I have just checked out Miszts similar ants P Apacis and he did use a heat mat for the nighttime temperature and a heat lamp for the daytime temperature. For these ants I'm assuming 25-30 C for the daytime temperature with maybe a heat lamp on one side from outside the basin with a heat map on the other side and 20-25 C for the nightime temperature from the heat mat only (having turned it around). He too used a lid to keep the humidity in, (and to stop escapes) but he did use fans though. I would probably just use a lid and take it off sometimes for fresh air. How good are they at climbing up vertical plastic surfaces? Miszt's ants weren't that good at it. Thanks for all the help.

[neab]

Hello!

I ordered a colony of Paraponera clavata
I learned about the breeding
I'll make a nest in Ytong. With rooms 5cm deep.
Normally, in nature, the entire colony can fit in one room.
The bottom of the pool will be filled by seramis and a layer of peat
The heating will be a cable heater

It must also mosses and piece of wood to replicate the Amazon rainforest

For food, I do not believe that raw meat can be good. Or if it can be deposited directly into the nest as Harpegnathos venator ... ???
It is better to give large live insects as migratory locusts.

Good luke for your future colony

++

[Phasmid]

5cm deep chamber? I don't know how big these colonies can get but I must be over a hundred, could you fit over a hundred 2-3cm ants in a 5cm deep chamber (maybe its realy wide)?

[neab]

No, of course, in nature, the rooms are much larger ... it's for the example...
Nests are rather deep, with up to 15 large chambers, each big enough to contain the entire colony
And of course, in the setup, there will be several rooms and not a single 5 cm depth
I'll post pictures of the setup

[highered]

I look forward to seeing your setup. How do you propose to fix the condensation problem in a ytong nest? I would have thought that even a thin antfarm wouldn't work as they need such a high humidity that I would have thought that there would be too much condensation constantly on the glass. I read that Miszt also put a layer of something like gravel on the very bottom with the humus on top. Do you know why this is please?
PS You're in France aren't you?

[neab]

I would do the nest next week
Meanwhile, two small photographs of the ants received yesterday:

The queen: (very vague, taken through a flexarium)

And a worker:

[SteveUK28]

dude what camera and lens you using they are some awesome pics

[neab]

Lol, thank you, but it's a simple bridge camera from Kodak.
No macro necessary with a 3cm ant

[JimmyVe]

Very nice pics and ants. Keep the pictures coming.

[neab]

Hello!

The construction of the setup picture by picture:
















The ants:

[SteveUK28]

Very very nice neab.. Keep the pics coming

[JimmyVe]

This is a really nice setup! Good job.
Are you not afraid the ants will dig into the sand (i think its sand) ? The granulate i used with my Messor barbarus or now all over the place. I think that is one of the reasons i stopt making such pretty farms, they always make a mess of it.

[neab]

Thank you for your comments

Yes, they had moved below the moss
So, I removed all the moss the time they go in the ytong nest.

The substrate is humus and seramis