15 replies to this topic

[NanceUSMC]

Hi all!

 

New to the forum, and brand new to the hobby...

 

A bit about me personally...  I live in Fort Worth, and work as an IT Applications Analyst for a local hospital...  We currently have 3 dogs, 2 cats and a quarterhorse (although my wife is the equestrian)...  I am a fairly advanced aquarist, maintaining no less than a dozen aquariums at any given time, focusing primarily on the breeding of Full Red Koi Angels and invertebrates...

 

Currently, I own no colonies and am still in my research stage...  I have long had a fascination with myrmecology, and have decided to take my first steps into the realm...  My intention is to transform some of my dry aquariums into formicariums, with the hope that I'm able to do so scaping them to a natural look and feel, perhaps a terrarium setup...  I am still doing my research on what species are available to me locally, and have found a handful that interest me greatly, although I suspect they may not be great for beginners (Atta, Acromyrmex and Pogonomyrmex)...  I anticipate the 'easiest' colony for me to keep would be the Solenopsis living outside my back door (which is going to be where my wife draws the line lol)...

 

At this point I'm looking for all the advice and information I can obtain (even if it's not particularly what I WANT to hear!)...  

 

Look forward to learning from you all!

[Leo]

hello from china

[T.C.]

Welcom from Wisconsin! I also have a few aquariums. (Planted because I like the natural part of it. ) Also enjoy breeding bugs aND stuff like that.

[Spamdy]

Hi all!

 

New to the forum, and brand new to the hobby...

 

A bit about me personally...  I live in Fort Worth, and work as an IT Applications Analyst for a local hospital...  We currently have 3 dogs, 2 cats and a quarterhorse (although my wife is the equestrian)...  I am a fairly advanced aquarist, maintaining no less than a dozen aquariums at any given time, focusing primarily on the breeding of Full Red Koi Angels and invertebrates...

 

Currently, I own no colonies and am still in my research stage...  I have long had a fascination with myrmecology, and have decided to take my first steps into the realm...  My intention is to transform some of my dry aquariums into formicariums, with the hope that I'm able to do so scaping them to a natural look and feel, perhaps a terrarium setup...  I am still doing my research on what species are available to me locally, and have found a handful that interest me greatly, although I suspect they may not be great for beginners (Atta, Acromyrmex and Pogonomyrmex)...  I anticipate the 'easiest' colony for me to keep would be the Solenopsis living outside my back door (which is going to be where my wife draws the line lol)...

 

At this point I'm looking for all the advice and information I can obtain (even if it's not particularly what I WANT to hear!)...  

 

Look forward to learning from you all!

Didn't  I direct you here from the Facebook group?

[NanceUSMC]

Welcom from Wisconsin! I also have a few aquariums. (Planted because I like the natural part of it. ) Also enjoy breeding bugs aND stuff like that.

 

I love the natural, planted look as well, and have live plants in most of my tanks............  but!.....  I'm terrible with them lol...  they're all sad little plants =( heh

 

 

 

Hi all!

 

New to the forum, and brand new to the hobby...

 

A bit about me personally...  I live in Fort Worth, and work as an IT Applications Analyst for a local hospital...  We currently have 3 dogs, 2 cats and a quarterhorse (although my wife is the equestrian)...  I am a fairly advanced aquarist, maintaining no less than a dozen aquariums at any given time, focusing primarily on the breeding of Full Red Koi Angels and invertebrates...

 

Currently, I own no colonies and am still in my research stage...  I have long had a fascination with myrmecology, and have decided to take my first steps into the realm...  My intention is to transform some of my dry aquariums into formicariums, with the hope that I'm able to do so scaping them to a natural look and feel, perhaps a terrarium setup...  I am still doing my research on what species are available to me locally, and have found a handful that interest me greatly, although I suspect they may not be great for beginners (Atta, Acromyrmex and Pogonomyrmex)...  I anticipate the 'easiest' colony for me to keep would be the Solenopsis living outside my back door (which is going to be where my wife draws the line lol)...

 

At this point I'm looking for all the advice and information I can obtain (even if it's not particularly what I WANT to hear!)...  

 

Look forward to learning from you all!

Didn't  I direct you here from the Facebook group?

 

 

Hey Houston!  You drying out down there???

[Spamdy]

Yup, Harvey's moved away by now.

[StopSpazzing]

From the knowledge I have acquired in the few months I've been heavily researching ant keeping, Pogonomyrmex. spp is actually a great beginner species. I currently have P. californicus. They can't climb smooth surfaces and since are pretty big so can see them easy.

 

I have an ant wiki with ant keeping data you may want to check out, it's relatively new, about 2 weeks old but has some spp. info may be helpful.

[NanceUSMC]

From the knowledge I have acquired in the few months I've been heavily researching ant keeping, Pogonomyrmex. spp is actually a great beginner species. I currently have P. californicus. They can't climb smooth surfaces and since are pretty big so can see them easy.

 

I have an ant wiki with ant keeping data you may want to check out, it's relatively new, about 2 weeks old but has some spp. info may be helpful.

 

How about that sting, though?  That's my biggest hesitation with these guys...

[StopSpazzing]

 

From the knowledge I have acquired in the few months I've been heavily researching ant keeping, Pogonomyrmex. spp is actually a great beginner species. I currently have P. californicus. They can't climb smooth surfaces and since are pretty big so can see them easy.

 

I have an ant wiki with ant keeping data you may want to check out, it's relatively new, about 2 weeks old but has some spp. info may be helpful.

 

How about that sting, though?  That's my biggest hesitation with these guys...

 

Never been stung, yet. Use gloves if you are THAT worried, I have it listed as 3/10 on pain scale on wiki. I've been told you get used to it.

[NanceUSMC]

 

 

From the knowledge I have acquired in the few months I've been heavily researching ant keeping, Pogonomyrmex. spp is actually a great beginner species. I currently have P. californicus. They can't climb smooth surfaces and since are pretty big so can see them easy.

 

I have an ant wiki with ant keeping data you may want to check out, it's relatively new, about 2 weeks old but has some spp. info may be helpful.

 

How about that sting, though?  That's my biggest hesitation with these guys...

 

Never been stung, yet. Use gloves if you are THAT worried, I have it listed as 3/10 on pain scale on wiki. I've been told you get used to it.

 

 

A 3/10 is no biggie =)

 

What gave me pause was while doing my research I came across this nut lol

 

 

Which then led me to the Schmidt Insect Sting Pain Index, which put them at a 3 out of 4

 

https://en.wikipedia...ting_pain_index

 

 

soooooooo, that made me wonder just how bad that sting really is...  and if it's on par with Yellow Jackets, well.......  I'm a Marine, and not scared of much....  But Yellow Jackets rank awful high on my list LOL  ;-)

[StopSpazzing]

 

 

 

From the knowledge I have acquired in the few months I've been heavily researching ant keeping, Pogonomyrmex. spp is actually a great beginner species. I currently have P. californicus. They can't climb smooth surfaces and since are pretty big so can see them easy.

 

I have an ant wiki with ant keeping data you may want to check out, it's relatively new, about 2 weeks old but has some spp. info may be helpful.

 

How about that sting, though?  That's my biggest hesitation with these guys...

 

Never been stung, yet. Use gloves if you are THAT worried, I have it listed as 3/10 on pain scale on wiki. I've been told you get used to it.

 

 

A 3/10 is no biggie =)

 

What gave me pause was while doing my research I came across this nut lol

 

 

Which then led me to the Schmidt Insect Sting Pain Index, which put them at a 3 out of 4

 

https://en.wikipedia...ting_pain_index

 

 

soooooooo, that made me wonder just how bad that sting really is...  and if it's on par with Yellow Jackets, well.......  I'm a Marine, and not scared of much....  But Yellow Jackets rank awful high on my list LOL  ;-)

 

Well, guess only one way to find out... btw that is P. badius, while I have P. californicus I will update the wiki once I get the courage and the workers to get stung by. TBH you are probably right, prob more painful. Again, using simple gloves will solve this small inconvenience.

Edited by StopSpazzing, August 31 2017 - 3:21 PM.

[NanceUSMC]

 Well, guess only one way to find out... btw that is P. badius, while I have P. californicus I will update the wiki once I get the courage and the workers to get stung by. TBH you are probably right, prob more painful. Again, using simple gloves will solve this small inconvenience.

 

 

 

 

 

P. badius is (was? heh) one of the colonies I was looking at obtaining...  There are several available in my area...

 

Another that's available is Acromyrmex Versicolor...  I'd REALLY like to keep these, but having relatively little experience that may not be the best of species to try to start out with...

 

[Zeiss]

Welcome to the forum!

 

I do not suggest starting with Acromyrmex versicolor, as they are extremely finicky and hard to get started.  I've been trying to keep a few colonies over the past two years and no luck so far.  As of now, I have 5 queens (I had bad luck collecting them as the containers I put them in killed them all) and I'm getting them started on one chunk of fungus.  Pogonomyrmex are an easy genus to start with and I don't think their stings are that bad, but I also have an abnormally high pain tolerance.  

[StopSpazzing]

One could say Zeiss is a mutant.

 

So.. once I get a chance to get stung, I'll let you know.

[NanceUSMC]

I'll let you gung ho lads test that out and get back to me ;-)

 

Also, after talking with a few, I think maybe I should refocus my first colony to something a bit more beginner friendly...  Perhaps Camponotus Atriceps or Camponotus Vicinus?

[B2-Bomber-Ants]

Semper Fi fellow Marine