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Post by Deleted on Jan 26, 2013 17:06:14 GMT
I wouldn't mind seeing the whole set-up myself!
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Post by adamjames20 on Jan 31, 2013 18:20:00 GMT
Ok guys well new lenses ordered , hopfully they will arrive next week.
Regards
Adam
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Post by adamjames20 on Feb 11, 2013 10:01:49 GMT
Well my new lenses have arrived so I can carry on taking pictures . My colony have been doing rather well, the fungus garden is growing nicely and now is joined by a sister fungus garden in the next acrylic sphere. The ants were slow starting of this fungus garden and destroyed it twice before rebuilding it the third time and letting it grow. The queen is doing fine and as far as I can tell is still laying well. I haven't seen a lot of the brood recently but with the two fungus gardens and large size of the one there are now plenty cavity's for the brood to be stored out of sight. Here's a few pics and another video , its rather short as there isn't a lot happening that hasn't happened in previous videos at the moment. Just wait until spring arrives and the lush green leaves outside should give my colony a well needed boost. Just to note aswell , there has been a marked change in foraging behaviour, before the workers would run away at the slightest disturbance to the foraging area, but now they rush towards the danger and the few soldiers that are there join the ranks, also there are a lot more ants foraging now which is a great sign of colony population increase.
My set up , clear acrylic Spheres sit in a acrylic box , A thermoststate regulates the temperture of a long soil warming cable that is tacked to the back panel onto a wooden support frame. Four reptile vivarium fans sit in front of this cable and blow the warm air just behind providing a even temperture throuout and avoiding a build up of stale air. Temp kept within 25 -27 c and humidity inside acrylic spheres kept withing 60 - 80 %.
The workers collect fragments of leaves and lay a thin layer on the floor of the acrylic sphere, slowly more and more workers add leaf fragments, in time workers collect tufts of white fungus from the parent garden and as they add it to the fragments of leaves a second fungus garden is born.
Two to three weeks after the first fragments of leaves have been brought together the fungus garden looks remarkably different and has increased vastly in size.
Heres a short video update guys
Will update again soon
Regards
Adam
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Post by Jenny on Feb 11, 2013 12:13:40 GMT
Your colony is looking really well Adam, and the added video is a nice touch to your photos and journal entry.
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Post by adamjames20 on Feb 11, 2013 12:27:33 GMT
Hello Jen , thank you very much , I'm glad they have come throu the winter well.
Regards
Adam
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Post by Deleted on Feb 11, 2013 16:14:57 GMT
Brilliant just what I wanted to read/watch when I got home.
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Post by adamjames20 on Feb 11, 2013 18:22:31 GMT
Hello Antboy , your very welcome mate , glad you enjoyed.
Regards
Adam
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Post by Wood~Ant on Feb 11, 2013 18:30:44 GMT
I think this journal is so good, as it gives an amazing mix of photos and video to help give a visual aid to the reader. Well done Adam, nice one; and please keep those regular updates coming as they make for a fascinating journal.
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Post by adamjames20 on Feb 12, 2013 7:41:25 GMT
Thank you Wood ant ,Its great to hear you all are enjoying my journal, I shall indeed keep the updates coming,
Regards
Adam
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Post by adamjames20 on Mar 4, 2013 16:40:54 GMT
Well not a lot to say I'm afraid but there is a little. The colony is still doing great. The two fungus gardens are doing great. the first is now filling up its sphere apart from a small section where the queen resides. The second has now towered up and has reached the top of its sphere, the workers will now build it out and in a month or twos time a third fungus garden will no doubt appear. Due to the size of the colony and increasing work force I have been able to connect there foraging tube up to there permanant tank. Its decorated like the tropical rain forest and I feel suits them well. Just behind the branch is the nest entrance, around this the workers are piling up the dead fungus and waste material from the colony. Heres another video guys Will update soon guys Adam
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Post by Jenny on Mar 4, 2013 18:24:02 GMT
They are brilliant Adam, I love the natural set up you have for them. You can forget they are in a tank when you zoom in close Watching them, I forgot the film was going to run out I guess you don't mind them chewing all those plants you have in there?
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Post by adamjames20 on Mar 5, 2013 7:08:05 GMT
Ha Ha cheers Jen , I somtimes forget I'm filming them as get to absorbed watching them lol , The plants are all plastic : ) so I do not think they will come to harm.
Regards
Adam
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Post by adamjames20 on Apr 3, 2013 13:32:46 GMT
Well Hello guys hope you all have had a fab Easter. I thought it about time I update my Atta's as they are doing rather well. The fungus gardens continued to grow and filled there acrylic spheres, I took a spoon and gently carved a quarter off both and placed the pieces in the third acrylic sphere. The workers quickly settled back down and merged the two quarters into one garden. Three gardens now reside in my set up each tended to in its own acrylic sphere. It has been great to see the new fresh growth from the sprig budding of plants and trees being accepted by the Atta workers. Hopefully this new food source will fuel the expansion of even more fungus gardens. The Queen was unfazed by the slight dividing of her garden on its sister and eggs were seen being laid mere minutes later. Due to the potential size of the colony in future months and the complications with filming my ants that a glass tank posseses I decided to increase the space of foraging and build my own acrylic tank. Took me a few days to construct with the help of a freind but I think is rather fitting for them to forage around in. The workers scurry buisily up and down the main brance to there foraging platform. A simple cork bark tube with a hidden plastic jar inside that conceils the water which keep the Atta's stems of leaves as fresh and alive as possible. Well that's my update so far guys , here's another video update for you to watch for now. Regards Adam
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Post by Jenny on Apr 3, 2013 14:56:48 GMT
They look as if they have expanded quite a bit, your going to have to move home Adam Where do you keep them in the home? You may have to knock a wall out or build a conservatory hope the family are understanding! A great update..........
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Post by adamjames20 on Apr 3, 2013 15:12:03 GMT
Hey Jen , I already have a tropical greenhouse on the back of my bungalow which is great lol , I live alone so no family to worry about ha ha. They have indeed expanded a little , its more obvious with the work force as the workers are getting bigger and there's more of them. The ants reside in my hot box in my bedroom on a shelf and the foraging area is in my living room. I have a acrylic tube going through the wall that links them ; )
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