markm
Nurse Ant
Posts: 83
|
Post by markm on Nov 24, 2008 3:36:17 GMT
Here is a pic of the plaster back into the tank and it all sealed in place!
|
|
markm
Nurse Ant
Posts: 83
|
Post by markm on Nov 24, 2008 17:42:13 GMT
A few new questions that I have now that the formicarium is taking shape. As you can tell I will use the bottom of the tank as the ants foraging area. What sort of medium should I use to cover the bottom of the tank. I originally thought sand but have read that not all ants enjoy walking around on sand so what would be good to use. I considered some garden soil but wasn't sure if that was the best either. Then I thought small rocks but ants are small so they may get under the rocks and whatnot and I don't want that either. So what would be good to use.
Also I need to fashion a lid of some type. the fish tank has a lip on the top that I could fit a piece of Plexiglas in. I was thinking of doing that and cutting a square out of the middle of that and putting it on a hinge so I can feed and add water without taking off the whole lid. I would drill lots of small holes in the Plexiglas to help moisture escape and to keep air moving.
Thoughts??
|
|
|
Post by Jenny on Nov 24, 2008 20:16:47 GMT
|
|
|
Post by Black Ant on Nov 25, 2008 8:17:48 GMT
Use a thin layer of whatever soil you have in your area, or a thin layer of fine sand. People who say ants don't like sand have never seen them nesting in sandy soil, which ants near me do. Just make sure the layer isn't so deep the ants can dig into it, so it only needs to be thin. A bit of moss and wood bark is good as then it makes the foraging area look more lifelike.
|
|
|
Post by Formicalondon on Nov 26, 2008 20:25:22 GMT
It's looking good markm. I would suggest using aquarium pebbles, as ants would not tunnel in this. One of the things I regret about my old set-up was, using sand and clay mix they soon tunnelled and moved it around, making a mess.
|
|
markm
Nurse Ant
Posts: 83
|
Post by markm on Nov 26, 2008 22:00:34 GMT
Thanks for the tip, I will buy some this weekend. Should I bake the rocks or anything so I know nothing is alive in them from the store?
Also do you have any suggestions for a lid?
|
|
|
Post by Wood~Ant on Nov 27, 2008 7:53:00 GMT
Thanks for the tip, I will buy some this weekend. Should I bake the rocks or anything so I know nothing is alive in them from the store? Not necessary, as bags of aquarium pebbles have been pre-washed. You're trying to be way too careful Mark, as ants living in the wild walk across terrains that are far more hazardous than you are going to provide; and they survive perfectly well. If you protect your kids too much from things, they end up as weaklings. The same applies to ants, don't worry about being overly protective as they are much tougher than we are when it comes to survival; and have been around for 100 times longer. I have found that ants do better when kept in as natural conditions as possible, and that if you try too much to keep them healthy, they die off far quicker than the ants who are living more "normal" lives. Why spend a lot of money on buying stuff like I see you've done on the AF&M forum, such as a humidity monitor. Ants native to your area will live happily in your tank without the aid of fancy equipment. It is not tropical fish or exotic ants you will be keeping, so don't go overboard with buying unnecessary things for it. If you want to try a particular medium to cover the floor of your tank, then go with your own feelings on the matter, as nobody else can influence you about it if you're not happy with their ideas Wood
|
|
markm
Nurse Ant
Posts: 83
|
Post by markm on Nov 27, 2008 15:25:14 GMT
Wood, you are "the man", a term we use in the US when someone is just great at what they do! Thanks for that tip almost more than any other I have gotten! I tend to over think things so it is good to get grounded again and hear something like that. Well I did buy some aquarium pebbles and added them to the formicarium along with a maybe not needed temp and humidity gauge. I got all of it at a local pet store fairly cheap so I'll keep all the guages for now. If anything it will help me monitor where I am at temp wise while I am learning the ropes. here is a picture of the tank now. It is just about done, minus ants and a few decorations but I will wait for those until spring and summer!
|
|
|
Post by Wood~Ant on Nov 27, 2008 17:35:16 GMT
Hi Mark, While I do encourage newbies to ant keeping to do all they can for their pets, it is also good to see that others can come up with their own ideas, likes and dislikes. "The Man", a term I quite like I've been called a few things by young members of this forum, but like I alway say to all novices; everyone has to start at the beginning, and learn their own ways of successful ant keeping. Then the ones who become more proficient at it can pass on their own wisdom and experience to the guys who are new at the hobby
|
|