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Post by TenebrousNova on Jul 23, 2018 14:28:18 GMT
I've found that my Messors love niger seeds in particular. They always make sure to pick those ones out of the seed pot first.
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 23, 2018 15:53:22 GMT
Okay I'll look for them ! I didn't saw them last time at the bio store. Should I freeze the seeds ? I'm concerned about condensaton if I freeze them than store them in my bedroom, maybe I should keep them always in the freezer with the insects ?
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Post by Wood~Ant on Jul 23, 2018 16:35:23 GMT
No need to freeze seeds, just use a strong plastic tub with a tight fitting lid and store them dry. I do this with my canary and finch seeds, it keeps fresh for 6 months or longer. No mould problems either.
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 25, 2018 10:55:48 GMT
They really like the "chia" seeds ! Ok thanks for the help, the seeds are stored in a tight closed glass jar
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 25, 2018 19:11:55 GMT
I made a mistake and I flooded the rubra's natural set up.. But at least I had to see how many they are and the brood and the queen ! they are quite fascinating they handled the flood like nothing happened ! I love them here are some pictures and a video I made : The queen is above my mouse
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 25, 2018 19:54:48 GMT
I think I will forget the idea of putting aquatic moss as everytime the water pass the plastic container slowly over time, and I refill it and it floods. here is the video, do you spot the queen ?
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 25, 2018 19:56:22 GMT
She had only one egg when I got her ! I'm happy that she does fine The first batch of workers "created" here will get here soon as we can see some pupae
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 31, 2018 20:06:44 GMT
The aquatic plants were difficult to keep inside the natural set up so I made a set up just for them with some ikea acrylic box. I added soil from my backyard, white sand and two rocks. I also went to aquarium shop and bought two little shrimps ( I wanted fish but I don't have any light nor filter so I thought shrimps might do better). One Yellow shrimp and one red, they are quite beautiful ! They are south american shrimps so I bought a small aquatic heater too (a bit too big but it was the smaller one and it stops itself when water reaches 26°c so its quite handy). If they don't die in two days I will buy two more I think, they are 5euros each. I will also maybe buy plant fertilizer or just buy more utricularia graminifolia to have more plants faster I don't really know yet I don't know anything about fish nor shrimps so if anyone has tips for this set up I would gladly hear it I want to add a small fish in it, but I don't really know if he will live with no filter and no light and in a very small set up (less than 2Liters)
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Post by tatufmetuf on Jul 31, 2018 20:22:05 GMT
I'm looking for a way to connect it to the rubra's set up.
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Post by tatufmetuf on Aug 1, 2018 14:20:58 GMT
The red shrimp was found today dry and dead outside the aquarium.. so I went and bought two diamond blue shrimps and added them in the set up The barbarus and the rubra colonies are doing well I also created I tiny natural set up for my Lasius niger colony I have collected too much Lasius niger queens so I now have 8 colonies in test tubes with nanitics and 22 queen + brood. So if anyone wants some I can send them free
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Post by tatufmetuf on Aug 1, 2018 20:13:00 GMT
So far the shrimps are a success, if they don't need extra light and neither the plants I will create a bigger set up with shrimps and some kind of beach or "water access" area for the ants, then connect it via tubing to my Myrmica rubra set up. I suppose they will use this "river" as a dump as they would in the wild so shrimps and plants will break the waste down (at least I hope ) and as the Messor I own I won't have to care about water and my ants drinking.
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Post by tatufmetuf on Aug 2, 2018 21:46:55 GMT
I think I will use the aquarium I have in my basement, and transform it into a paludarium It is 80 cm in width x 30 in depth x50 in heigth. I think I will add a glass part of 80 by like 30 in heigth to divide the aquarium like so : I don't really know how large should the soil part for the ants be nor what plants I could use that doesn't grow fast. On one part I want to create a cascade that pass on the ants part with the water from the aquarium pump. It would house my colony of Myrmica rubra and shrimps and maybe some fish in the water and lots of aquatic plants.
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Post by tatufmetuf on Aug 2, 2018 22:36:22 GMT
New design :
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