I promised more pictures. My experimental test version is on the small side, but is still larger than a GroTube, making it a suitable step-up formicarium for colonies of up to a couple thousand small ants. It will house my colony of
Solenopsis invicta, which have completely filled up their GroTube with brood and workers.
The 7x3x1 inch nest will have 10 chambers and many interconnecting tunnels. The chambers are over 10 mm deep—very spacious, but just the right length and height for this relatively small ant. The foraging area on top will be 7 inches long and 6 inches deep.
Pictured above is a 3D-printed prototype to examine the size and characteristics of one of the pieces that will make up the nest stack. The final pieces making up the nest stack will be crystal clear, not white. My 10 gallon tank and custom ant lid is visible in the background.
Overall, I'm really excited about the direction of this project in terms of a beautiful art piece. Too few people focus on blending organic with industrial style, and even fewer have the tools and skills to produce a truly polished, beautiful habitat for ants. This will be my finest creation thus far.
Pictured above is the colony that will hopefully inhabit my prototype 3D nest.
Does anyone want to guess how many ants are living in this GroTube? I admit I find it funny when people tell me that the GroTube seems small, and that they want something bigger, even though they only have 5 ants.
Edited by drtrmiller, February 7 2016 - 11:41 PM.
