25 replies to this topic

[Jonathan5608]

Well I kind of did things out of order but what would be a good formicarium for a 150 worker Formica obscuripes colony

[Amatty76]

Well I kind of did things out of order but what would be a good formicarium for a 150 worker Formica obscuripes colony

Xl formisquarium, leaves them a decent amount of room to grow as well. Edit: I forgot Cheeto won't be able to ship or make anything till June.

Edited by Amatty76, May 17 2023 - 9:02 AM.

[Manitobant]

Get a THA nest. A fortress or casita should do the trick.

[Amatty76]

Honestly DIY would probably be the best option, I wouldn't want to buy an expensive nest right after buying a $60-$70 colony.

[Jonathan5608]

Fortress seems like it would be a bit small. I love tar heel but they really price there inches.

[AntsCali098]

maybe an ea nest?

[Jonathan5608]

Just got a th fortress for now

[Katla]

I'm thinking of rebuilding my 60L tank for either my formica Rufa or Sanguinea, but depending on the sp you want Ventilation and any sort of compound that is good at absorbing their acid

[AntaholicAnonymous]

I'm thinking of rebuilding my 60L tank for either my formica Rufa or Sanguinea, but depending on the sp you want Ventilation and any sort of compound that is good at absorbing their acid

Rufa are protected in Austria I can't keep them.
What would a setup for them look like?
Are they doing well in captivity?
I bet it's hard to recreate anything close to their natural lifestyle so I wonder.

[Manitobant]

I keep formica obscuripes (the closest thing we have in NA to european rufa) in a large tank and constantly supply them with pine needles and other material to build their mound. I’m also hoping to soon add some plants with aphids to allow them to farm honeydew.

Here’s a comparison of the tank when they were just added and now:

Attached Images

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[Jonathan5608]

I keep formica obscuripes (the closest thing we have in NA to european rufa) in a large tank and constantly supply them with pine needles and other material to build their mound. I’m also hoping to soon add some plants with aphids to allow them to farm honeydew.

Here’s a comparison of the tank when they were just added and now:

I was thinking of the large tank approach so they can build their mounds. Maybe in the future. What’s NA

Edited by Jonathan5608, May 18 2023 - 4:43 PM.

[Manitobant]

NA = North America lol


Also keep in mind that my obsuripes colony has over 1000 workers and 10+ queens, so you’d be looking at a much smaller tank.

[Jonathan5608]

NA = North America lol


Also keep in mind that my obsuripes colony has over 1000 workers and 10+ queens, so you’d be looking at a much smaller tank.

What’s the growth rate with these guys

[Manitobant]

Idk i wild caught this colony in early april

[AntaholicAnonymous]

I'm glad you let them make their mounds I was afraid people would keep forest ants in ytong or acrylic nests which would be sad to me.
It might work but to campared to their home envorinment and lifestyle, living between sheets of plastic with an out world wouldn't sound right for species like that.

[AntaholicAnonymous]

Also when you set up a tank and apply fluon it's gonna look a lot better if you tape up the edges of where you apply to have a cleaner look.
Like when you paint a wall you also tape the borders it makes a big difference.
You can remove the tape when it's dry.

[T.C.]

DIY

[Amatty76]

 

NA = North America lol


Also keep in mind that my obsuripes colony has over 1000 workers and 10+ queens, so you’d be looking at a much smaller tank.

What’s the growth rate with these guys

Your obscuripes that you bought from Anthony will probably double or triple their population in one generation if you feed them enough, they need tons of sugars and once they get larvae or are laying eggs they need to be power fed.

Edited by Amatty76, May 19 2023 - 5:23 AM.

[Amatty76]

 

 

NA = North America lol


Also keep in mind that my obsuripes colony has over 1000 workers and 10+ queens, so you’d be looking at a much smaller tank.

What’s the growth rate with these guys

 

Your obscuripes that you bought from Anthony will probably double or triple their population in one generation if you feed them enough, they need tons of sugars and once they get larvae or are laying eggs they need to be power fed.

 

I accidentally quoted instead of editing

Edited by Amatty76, May 19 2023 - 5:23 AM.

[Jonathan5608]

I keep formica obscuripes (the closest thing we have in NA to european rufa) in a large tank and constantly supply them with pine needles and other material to build their mound. I’m also hoping to soon add some plants with aphids to allow them to farm honeydew.

Here’s a comparison of the tank when they were just added and now:

I was thinking of the large tank approach so they can build their mounds. Maybe in the future. What’s NA

What plant material do you use to construct their nest. I was thinking of using my grass clipping from mowing.