3 replies to this topic

[CozmoDog]

Hello guys, my Camponotus sanctus now has more than 30 workers and I think there will be 40 by the end of the month, It has started to become very hard for me to feed them, it's a struggle so I want to build them a nest I did build one way back and I plan to build it similarly( I will post pictures of that old nest soon.) I plan on using a small fish tank and I will use grout for the nest, I will use clay for designing the tunnels. I wanted to know exactly how long does it take for grout to cure and is safe for the ants to move in and will grout alone be good for absorbing water and providing moisture for the nest? Also how big should the nest be ? I assume when the ants move in they"ll be at around 40+ workers.

[Bryansant]

CrystalS made a great how to guide for grout formicariums: http://www.formicult...ut-formicarium/
The photos aren't currently working and I believe she's working on fixing that but the text should contain your answer about how long got let it cure.

Edited by Bryansant, August 18 2017 - 7:32 PM.

[Bryansant]

There's another recent post "Are grout nests bad?" discussing hydration in grout. Also lots of details on that in CrystalS's guide.

[CozmoDog]

I see thanks for the information, I have some pictures of an old nest I built using grout which seemed to work great this is the same design I'm planning to go for.

 

I plan to make it a bit different though as you can see the old design was filled with dirt and It was very heavy I used the sand to hydrate the nest, I just poured water over the whole thing and it would then be absorbed by the grout, This time I don't plan on putting any dirt/sand I will just make the nest and also pour a small layer of grout at the bottom for the outworld/rest of the tank. I'm probably going to be adding a watering hole and maybe a lake for the grout to slowly absorb water I hope it works any insight ?

Edited by CozmoDog, August 22 2017 - 2:20 AM.