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Post by deansie on Apr 3, 2014 19:26:52 GMT
Hi all, here's my new Atta (capital letter wood-ant lol) set up-is a rough job but you can get the idea, hope to do a refined one in the future.
Is a large diameter waste pipe with bendy vine leading from the nest to the feeding tank. Holes drilled in the bottom of the white waste pipe to drain the water that gathers from condensation, it is then returned via a clear tube to the main container. Can fit two cubes or an equivalent size tank.
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Post by Wood~Ant on Apr 4, 2014 7:25:21 GMT
Hi all, here's my new Atta (capital letter wood-ant lol) set up-is a rough job but you can get the idea, hope to do a refined one in the future. Capital set up you have made there. I look forward to seeing it full of ants when it is completed.
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Post by Jenny on Apr 4, 2014 8:12:42 GMT
I hope your kitchen sink still works and her indoors doesn't find the U bend gone It never ceases to amaze me the ideas members come up with!
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Post by deansie on Apr 4, 2014 9:37:57 GMT
Thanks, the heater in the water is easier and cheaper to do compared to the heatmat one I did plus I think it can be expanded easier. Hopefully the ants like it ok! Mrs hasn't noticed the down pipe gone yet
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Post by adamjames20 on Apr 4, 2014 16:52:42 GMT
Looks great mate , As wood said I am looking forward to seeing your colony fill it : )
Adam
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Post by deansie on Apr 4, 2014 17:38:33 GMT
Cheers Adam mate, A few cool clips I've been trying to upload for 2 weeks- Some nice soldiers
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Post by deansie on Apr 19, 2014 19:51:12 GMT
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Post by deansie on Apr 19, 2014 19:53:17 GMT
Just trying youtube
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Post by deansie on May 15, 2014 12:44:16 GMT
Hi folk, just a quick update. New baby on the way so ants are getting evicted to the garage. It gets really cold during the winter in there so need to get some good solutions for my Acro's and Atta's. Anyway Atta first- this is the unit I just had built for them. The guy who made it builds large cold frames for plants so I just asked if it was possible to get one built to specifications I'm looking for and hey presto. Its a shell right now but it will be insulated inside with 50mm celotex and the glass is double glazing. Inside it will be heated with soil heating cable controlled with pulse stat. Garage also needs gaps all closed with expanding foam. Its pretty large LXBXH 2M x 0.75M x 0.5M Can gauge size from my 16 month son on his zebra! lol.
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Post by deansie on May 29, 2014 19:53:47 GMT
Hi, just a few photos of set up so far.
Insulated Unit with celotex and arranged large heating cable. Still to make a second ventilation hole with the hole saw drill, don't think ill be using a fan at the minute as don't think its necessary yet.
Acrylic housing assembled. Consists of a longer section of pipe that will go straight out of the left hand side to a feeding box (so I can feed them with out losing heat in set up.
3 plastic boxes, the small square one to be the queens chamber. Ill need to put up little bars like Adam did to ensure she stays in there. At the end ill probably fit a plastic bottle for the time being. There plenty of scope for expansion and will just do so as the colony grows.
Checking what the queen tank sits at when unit is 26 degrees.
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Post by deansie on Jun 1, 2014 19:21:13 GMT
What a nightmare digging up and moving a colony is!! Can't imagine it with a massive one. Got mine moved and was very fortunate that the queen was sat on top of the fungus covered in workers so got her straight away and also that it was just one big fungus rather than a few all over. Mass casualties though- won't be surprised if the soldiers are culled
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2014 5:56:22 GMT
Deansie, are you going to use a pulse proportional thermostat for the heat cable?
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Post by deansie on Jun 2, 2014 6:18:10 GMT
Deansie, are you going to use a pulse proportional thermostat for the heat cable? Morning atta. Yeh the cable is hooked up to a pulse stat. Moved the ants in yesterday, just need to get a decent foraging unit now. Got a temporary one at the moment that I had used to try and rescue as many ants as I could.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2014 6:30:13 GMT
Deansie, are you going to use a pulse proportional thermostat for the heat cable? Morning atta. Yeh the cable is hooked up to a pulse stat. Moved the ants in yesterday, just need to get a decent foraging unit now. Got a temporary one at the moment that I had used to try and rescue as many ants as I could. Do any heat cables (I.e. soil warming ones or reptile ones) work with pulse proportional thermostats? I am looking to purchase the habistat pulse thermostat with this heat cable.Would the thermostat work with it?
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Post by deansie on Jun 2, 2014 6:48:43 GMT
Yeh a pulse stat will work great, that's the one I use too. Can cope with load of up to 600W I'm using a about 150w cable as it's in my garage and will get cold.
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