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Homemade Ant Formicarium Material


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#1 Offline RikuzaYuzu - Posted May 3 2022 - 8:44 PM

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What kinds of materials can i use to make a homemade formicarium? I've heard of people used plaster or grout but not sure if any kind works. And how much space do they need?

#2 Offline Leptomyrmx - Posted May 3 2022 - 9:43 PM

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Grout is good, I find it absorbs moisture a bit better than plaster. Any type of grout should be fine as long as there's no chemicals. Plaster also moulds more easily.

Ytong/Hebel/AAC is good too, but that isn't available everywhere.

Also, I sometimes like to use mortar, and even though it doesn't absorb moisture as well as some other materials I find it looks really nice. But if you're wet sand to make the chambers, sprinkle some mortar with no water added over it, let that dry, then pour the mortar with water over the top. I think it stops the mortar from getting too moist or too dry? Forgot what it does exactly.

 

Also, the amount of space your ants need depends on the size of your colony.


  • azzaaazzzz00, ColAnt735 and RikuzaYuzu like this

My Ants:

Colonies: Camponotus humilior 1w, Opisthopsis rufithorax 11w, Aphaenogaster longiceps ~5w, Pheidole sp. ~235w ~15m, Iridomyrmex sp. 2q 1w, Brachyponera lutea 6w, Crematogaster sp. ~20w, Podomyrma sp. 1w

Queens: Polyrhachis cf. robinsoni, Polyrhachis (Campomyrma) sp. (likely infertile)

Previously Kept: Colobopsis gasseri, Technomyrmex sp., Rhytidoponera victorae, Nylanderia cf. rosae, Myrmecia brevinoda/forficata, Polyrhachis australis, Solenopsis/Monomorium

Key: Q = Queen, W = Worker, M = Major

Youtube Channel: Ants of Sydney - YouTube

Patreon (for YouTube channel): https://www.patreon.com/antsofsydney





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