113 replies to this topic

[Pumpkin_Loves_Ants]

You respond very fast for someone who’s at work most of the day. Guess it must be pretty boring!

[Monarch]

Life of a financial adviser

I'm literally on the computer all day.  I respond in between clients and meetings.

 

You respond very fast for someone who’s at work most of the day. Guess it must be pretty boring!

[ANTdrew]

Clay is exactly what you want. Tunnels won’t collapse and it retains water a long time.

[Monarch]

Gawd i love this Forum T_T  you guys are so much nicer than the other forum I'm on XD

[Monarch]

So while moving things aruond all the ants retreated to the nest thus allowing my to take a cup and remove the sand and mix it with some soil from outside.  I literally beat the dirt with a hammer and mixed in charcoal.  Literally beat it with a hammer.... mixed it in with the sand and dumped it in.  Found some pennywort growing in my backyard, ripped out and presto.  Going to the store tomorrow for some moss and some kind of fern and mealworms.

The white sandy area in the top left is where ants are nesting currently.

 

 

Any advice on what to add?

 

Edited by Monarch, September 20 2019 - 6:36 PM.

[ANTdrew]

I would put a flat rock in there. That way when you hydrate, you can just sprinkle water over the top of the rock and not worry about flooding any ants. It creates a hydration gradient, too.

[ANTdrew]

I would put a lot deeper clay, too, so this can be like a “forever home.”

[AntsDakota]

like a rival ant colony

They'd probably kill the rival colony..... 

[Monarch]

deeper clay?

 

I would put a lot deeper clay, too, so this can be like a “forever home.”

[Monarch]

I planned on putting a tube on the top right corner that leads to the bottom where i can pour water into to get the bottom hydrated.  

Any tips on plants to use?  I'm adding moss and maybe an asparagus fern.  I was going to add a aloe plant but thought it might get too big.

 

I would put a flat rock in there. That way when you hydrate, you can just sprinkle water over the top of the rock and not worry about flooding any ants. It creates a hydration gradient, too.

[ANTdrew]

That’s a good idea for hydrating. My Tetras literally buried and killed all the plants I put. I just dug up some violets from my lawn though.

[ANTdrew]

deeper clay?

I would put a lot deeper clay, too, so this can be like a “forever home.”

I meant adding a deeper layer of clay to give them more digging space. I can only imagine how much a big RIFA colony would dig.

[Monarch]

 

deeper clay?

I would put a lot deeper clay, too, so this can be like a “forever home.”

I meant adding a deeper layer of clay to give them more digging space. I can only imagine how much a big RIFA colony would dig.

 

 

I'm hoping to limit their size by other means... assassin bugs, etc.  For some reason around my house, we get TONS of assassin bugs.  While I'm pulling weeds outside, i seem to come across many  "families"

[Guy_Fieri]

If you really think assassin bugs have a chance against RIFA you should watch your colony react to food. That's how they will react to any assassin bugs near their nest.

[Monarch]

If you really think assassin bugs have a chance against RIFA you should watch your colony react to food. That's how they will react to any assassin bugs near their nest.

 

hmm maybe it was wishful thinking.

Edited by Monarch, September 23 2019 - 6:43 AM.

[P0rcelain]

if you are looking to limit size, i have seen a video on the antscanada youtube channel where he used a pool of water in the ants formicarium to kill off any of the less nimble ants and it worked wonders. the problem with this is that it could be quite potentially expensive, as the water will need to be cleaned somehow and a filter is by far the best way to do that, mixed with an effective bottom feeder or two. you could in theory take the water out yourself and clean the container for it, i think.

 

just something to think about.

[Monarch]

if you are looking to limit size, i have seen a video on the antscanada youtube channel where he used a pool of water in the ants formicarium to kill off any of the less nimble ants and it worked wonders. the problem with this is that it could be quite potentially expensive, as the water will need to be cleaned somehow and a filter is by far the best way to do that, mixed with an effective bottom feeder or two. you could in theory take the water out yourself and clean the container for it, i think.

 

just something to think about.

 

that's an awesome suggestion. OORRRRRRRRR take the ants and feed them to my fish occasionally?  Also the vivarium is humid enough for carnivorous plants too....

[Manitobant]

If I were you I would simply keep them in the outworld. Since invicta grow so fast, they will expand into the formicarium eventually.

Edited by Manitobant, September 25 2019 - 12:07 PM.

[Monarch]

If I were you I would simply keep them in the outworld. Since invicta grow so fast, they will expand into the formicarium eventually.

 

that's the plan   where i live, they are EXTREMELY invasive and practically some of the only ants available here.  

[ANTdrew]

Yeah, think of it like pruning the colony. Couldn’t they sting your fish though? I guess you could pre-kill them.