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How do you clean THA Formicariums?

mini hearth ant-keeping cleaning

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#1 Offline gs5248 - Posted December 27 2020 - 9:43 PM

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I have had my tetramorium colony in a mini hearth for a few months now, and they grew really big in that time. Now I have them in a THA fortress. I have the mini hearth just sitting their because I am not sure how to go about cleaning it for uses for another colony. Does anyone here know how to do it?



#2 Offline ZTYguy - Posted December 27 2020 - 9:55 PM

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Just use an acid bath like vinegar.


Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#3 Offline gs5248 - Posted December 27 2020 - 9:58 PM

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Wow, I never actually thought of that before. However, wouldn't the acid get absorbed into the Type 3 material and be toxic to the ants?



#4 Offline ZTYguy - Posted December 27 2020 - 10:02 PM

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If you use vinegar then put it in a bucket of water and switch it out everyday for three days.


Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#5 Offline gs5248 - Posted December 27 2020 - 10:30 PM

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Thank you for the tip!



#6 Offline ANTdrew - Posted December 28 2020 - 5:57 AM

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Use really hot water and scrub it out with a toothbrush. If you do vinegar, be sure to dilute it. One part vinegar to two parts water will be good.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#7 Offline DDD101DDD - Posted December 28 2020 - 6:11 AM

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If you soak the mini hearth in water for too long the outworld can fall off.


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He travels, he seeks the p a r m e s a n.


#8 Offline gs5248 - Posted December 28 2020 - 11:45 AM

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If you soak the mini hearth in water for too long the outworld can fall off.

How do I prevent this from happening?



#9 Offline ZTYguy - Posted December 28 2020 - 12:10 PM

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You can hold the outworld up with a string


Ant Keeping Since June 2018
Currently Keeping:
A. versicolor, C. us-ca02, C. yogi, C. Vicinus, C. laevigatus, C. clarithorax, C. maritimus, C. ocreatus, M. mexicanus, M. placodops 01, V. andrei, V. pergandei, N. cockerelli, P. barbata, P. montanus

Hoping to Catch This season:

M. romanei, M. placodops 02, P. imberbiculus, Polyergus sp., F. moki, A. megomatta, Cyphomyrmex sp.,Temnothorax sp.


#10 Offline B_rad0806 - Posted December 28 2020 - 12:47 PM

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What I would do is put the nest area under a sink with warm water to rinse it off. Then put the nest in a bowl with warm water. After this you would leave it in the sun for a day


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#11 Offline ANTdrew - Posted December 28 2020 - 1:14 PM

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If you soak the mini hearth in water for too long the outworld can fall off.

How do I prevent this from happening?
Don’t soak it for a long time. It’s not coated in nuclear waste.
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"The ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer." Prov. 30:25
Keep ordinary ants in extraordinary ways.

#12 Offline Devi - Posted December 28 2020 - 1:16 PM

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If you soak the mini hearth in water for too long the outworld can fall off.

How do I prevent this from happening?
Don’t soak it for a long time. It’s not coated in nuclear waste.

 

I mean, with tetras you never know...  :whistle:


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#13 Offline gs5248 - Posted December 28 2020 - 2:09 PM

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Thanks you everyone for the tips!







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