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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 9:00:30 GMT
I've only been keeping Ants for a short while and currently have my Messor Aciculatus in a Ytong nest with acrylic arena. Currently colony consist of 2 queens and 20 odd workers. I've been advised that Messor don't seem to do very well in nest housing that they can't dig their own nest in so I've made the decision to switch them out now to a dirt nest. So this is their current set up. They will be moving into a glass 45x45x60cm exo terra that I have empty. I'm currently in the process of trying to ant proof it. I've sealed off the cable access in the roof panel and the front vents. The mesh in the roof is made up of 1mm squares so should be ant proof but I have to admit I'm a little nervous, the air holes in my current arena are like pin pricks. The plan is to seal the doors up as there's too many gaps for my liking and turn the tank around so that the front becomes the back. Access will be via the top. I've got 50L of John Innes No 2 to go in and will be adding various bits and bobs from outside to try and make it more natural. I've also got a couple of plants but still need to buy a bulb for the hood. I've modified a dual bulb exo terra hood to take one larger bulb, removed the now useless reflectors which frees up the ventilation slits that were behind it and will be adding an Arcadia Jungle Dawn full spectrum LED bulb. I have these running over other planted tanks in the house and the plant growth is excellent.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 9:35:04 GMT
Having just done a test this is a no go I just put a worker in a test tube with the open end on the mesh lid. It took a little while but it managed to squeeze through.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 10:25:48 GMT
Got mine in an acrylic nest doing ok, they have a small outworld but only go to that for seed! My M. Barbarus are in Ytong and doing ok, about 200 strong so far!
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Post by Jenny on Nov 4, 2015 10:39:07 GMT
We have the finest mesh on the outlet holes of the tank, not sure of the gradient. Messors are excellent chewers, and I here them pinging the mesh at night ( trying to get out) when I'm getting off to sleep. They also have excellent squeezability. We resorted to using draught excluder to stop them raising the plastic lid up, as they were piling soil underneath the rim
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 11:12:59 GMT
Bit stumped right now then. Back to the drawing board.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 11:32:09 GMT
I've got liquid PTFE but the corners of the tank are silicone, does the PTFE work on silicone?
Edit: Never mind, just read that it doesn't.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Nov 4, 2015 11:45:34 GMT
How big is this colony? To be perfectly honest I think the exo-terra tank may not be suitable, as I can see this being good for arboreal ant species, stick insects or tree frogs; but not quite right for Messor. Something like this would suit the genus better, Mantis Tank or just a simple cheap plastic tank.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 11:50:31 GMT
The colony is currently 2 queens and approx 20 workers. I wanted a display tank rather than a plastic box on a shelf if you get what I mean. I've found an ebay shop that does super fine gauge mesh but it's looking pricey to replace the current mesh with it.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 12:17:42 GMT
Possible solution looks like to cut some of the silicone out of the corners so that there's bare glass for the ptfe to be applied to.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 14:35:08 GMT
How big is this colony? To be perfectly honest I think the exo-terra tank may not be suitable, as I can see this being good for arboreal ant species, stick insects or tree frogs; but not quite right for Messor. Something like this would suit the genus better, Mantis Tank or just a simple cheap plastic tank. My original idea that I didn't mention on here but have elsewhere was to have the ants in escape proof containers for the nest and outworlds and they'd then be placed inside the planted terrarium. Looks like this is what I'll have to do. That mantis tank could be the answer to the dirt nest and then connect it up to some outworlds.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 16:31:32 GMT
What's the name of the connectors that you attach hosing to for connecting the likes of a nest to an outworld?
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Post by Jenny on Nov 4, 2015 16:35:03 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Nov 4, 2015 16:37:48 GMT
Yeah, would have to be suitable for bonding to plastic though. I've trawled ebay but I'm obviously searching for the wrong thing.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 5, 2015 8:13:43 GMT
Decided to go with converting a worm world, ordered one from "Very". They're currently on offer at £10 and there's 10% extra off for new customers so all in £12.99 with next day delivery.
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Post by Jenny on Nov 5, 2015 17:15:52 GMT
I don't know if you have browsed through it, but Shanes journal on Messors LINK is great to read. He uses a glass upright, which they have done well in for years. Messors love chicken to as he feeds this in small bits occasionally. The photos are outstanding on this journal, and yet another eye opener. Hoping not to confuse of course, but just a few hints and tips you can pick up along the way
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